Federation Commander

Will: PM sent.

MY laser-jet decal sheet is just-shy of completed. I've been doing some test (ink-jet) prints and cutting those up to do fit-checks on my minis to make sure I've got everything sized correctly. That testing has led to some changes and improvements.

One thing I started thinking about was the dark band that is just behind the "dome" on Federation engines. So far, I've been painting this band a medium grey (same color as my aft engine cap/shrouds and my phaser bumps).

I can never make that band straight enough for my taste. Good brushes, properly thinned paint - just shaky hands.

I think I've figured out a way to get what I want. I'm going to spray my desired color onto a sheet of clear decal paper. I can then cut thin strips off in the width I want, trim them to length and then get perfect engine bands - including in those weird undercuts on things like the FF.

How successful have you been using an ink-jet printer for printing decals? Have you had any problems with the ink running? Also, for Feds, is there a particular font you like to use for the registry name and numbers? I found a font that was close, but the characters were a little too thick to look correct.

The print quality from the ink jet is a bit below what I would like. It's fine for larger blocks of color, but small names and banners start to fuzz out a bit.

Color laser print quality on decal sheet would probably be higher. Different folks may have a different view and think they're fine, as-is.

I'm not sure if they would run or not, as all my test prints have been on bond paper that I'm dry-fitting in place. I wouldn't anticipate problems, as any printed decal sheets should be thoroughly sealed with clear lacquer before using.

For my Fed names and numbers, I use a font named 'Amarillo', which is supposedly an exact version of the US Air Force font that the model makers used on the Enterprise all those years ago. It looks spot-on to me. There are similar fonts out there, but I've noticed they all seem a bit off.

A really good alternative to 'Amarillo' is 'Airborne' by Charles Casimiro, which is also pretty-much spot-on (it's slightly lighter in weight, IIRC).