Decal Question:White or Clear?

[templarboy]

Hi everyone. I am about to get kicking on painting about 2k points of SM in the Red Scorpions Livery. I have some of the FW stuff but I am also planning on using decals. My small scale (or large scale for that matter) free hand sucks swamp gas. Should I use the clear paper and underpaint the area white first or should I use the white paper and trim it? I am planning on using the wonderful BOLS's Red Scorpion pdf for the decals. Any thoughts? It will also be my first foray into DIY decals. The paper is more expensive than a comparable sheet of silver so I don't want to mess it up too badly.

[tjkopena]

What color are the decals themselves? I haven't looked at the sheet.

On my guys my custom decals are basically red boxes. I printed them on the white paper and just paint around the edges to blend them into the shoulder pads cleanly. It's worked out really well for me.

[Brent]

Hey-
I've printed about a dozen sheets (8.5 x 11 inches) on Superscale/Microscale decal paper that I bought at my local hobby shop. My printer is an HP LaserJet.
I've found that printing on white decal paper yields much better results than printing on clear--the decals come out much sharper and cleaner.
When I've had to print on clear decal paper, I usually get only about 20% usable images, the rest being marred by overprints, smudges, and other defects.
I'm told that this has something to do with the surface of the paper--the white paper has a slightly rougher surface due to the inclusion of the pigment.
I've also heard that spraying clear decal paper with Testor's Dullcote before printing on it reduces the amount of problems, but I've not yet had a chance to try it.
I'd say use the white paper if it'll work for you, clear only if you must.
Cheers!

[The Inner Geek]

I've found the clear paper is good for simple one color symbols and such. The white does seem to produce a better overall result though. I'll have to try Brent's idea of hitting the paper with dullcote before printing sometime, it sounds good.

Don't forget you'll need some extras to make the decal lay flat, especially on marine shoulders. I use Micro Sol and decal setting solutions to soften the decals and make them conform to odd shapes.

[templarboy]

Awesome fellas. Thanks for the ideas.