Enterprise B Aztec decals

[BattleScale Collectica]

After reviewing the decals are pretty good. You'll need to clear coat before using them. I'm guessing that it was inkjet printed, but they look good and seem to be sized correctly. Worth getting especially if on sale.

 

[Capt. Mac]

His multi-colored aztecs for the Enterprise B/Excelsior sucks! The curve of the decal doesn't match the curve of the saucer, the strongbacks aren't long enough to cover the whole panel, the indicators on the decals that need to be pieced together are printed backward, the pie wedges for the saucer top and bottom aren't big enough so you have to cut and "finagle" them (his word).

 

[duck]

I've ordered from that seller twice. The first was straight from his eBay store, the second I requested some resized decals. After several attempts to get an update on my custom order, I canceled due to no contact. That seller can no longer be found on eBay. I also discovered that he was using the free decals from Starship Modeler, modifying them slightly and selling them on eBay.

 

[stevethefish]

I've ordered from that seller twice. The first was straight from his eBay store, the second I requested some resized decals. After several attempts to get an update on my custom order, I canceled due to no contact. That seller can no longer be found on eBay. I also discovered that he was using the free decals from Starship Modeler, modifying them slightly and selling them on eBay.

I've seen those free decals on Starship Modler, but they are .jpg files. If they were Word .doc files then they can be printed easily enough, but how do you print a .jpg file?

 

[BattleScale Collectica]

I've seen those free decals on Starship Modler, but they are .jpg files. If they were Word .doc files then they can be printed easily enough, but how do you print a .jpg file?

it depends on what image program your working. I have Photoshop and Illustrator. You can also export to PDF etc to print

 

[stevethefish]

it depends on what image program your working. I have Photoshop and Illustrator. You can also export to PDF etc to print

Wow, thanks for the tip! I'm pure Linux, so I use Gimp. I print decals on laserjet decal paper at work, and there I can only use Gimp. I didn't know you could do that. I thought I could only print them by inserting them into a Word Doc file, but upon doing so it always resizes the images depending on the margins.

 

[BarleyBop]

resizes

... even in Word, you can control either the size of the image once it is 'placed' or the size of the printed page.

I haven't had access to Adobe products other than Acrobat Viewer for years now, and certainly am not going to pay their ridiculous subscription fees for printing the odd decal. Fantastic products for professional use, over priced and over featured for occasional personal use.

Whatever method you decide, I usually size several on a page: print a test sheet on plain paper to verify the best fit, then go back to the file to delete the bad ones, make several copies on the page of the good one, then print. You now can choose the best printed one, and/or have spares.

 

[thislonelyplanet]

It's strange that PL hasn't released an aztec set, considering how they have recently reissued the B. I know that Acreation had made aztec decal sets a long time ago, but unfortunately he moved from the "I'll send decals to people who pay me" business model to that of "Why bother sending people decals when I can just keep the money they gave me and rip them off?" Then he came back with "Oh woe is me, I'm just under so much stress" and more people sent him money, only to join the ranks of the people he'd stolen money from.

When it comes to the decals you print yourself from Starship Modeler, be careful of how they are printed. IIRC, I had tried test printing the Refit decals on regular paper. They just came as image files, so I tried placing them into Word documents and this just rescaled the images to fit the paper. It really pissed me off.

I had ordered a set for the 1/1400 E, years back.
After I orderded them, I was on a forum and read a big number of reviews saying the same thing, so then I thought "ohhh nooo".
So a short time goes by and its a good time past when he should be sending them out.
I messaged him and asked.
He shot back with a curt "be patient...you'll get your order...im really busy" .
That reply pissed me off enough to shoot back with a reply basically saying " oh hell no...im aware of the gaud awful business practice of yours and taking peoples money but not honoring the deal..If youre going to play this game, i will file a claim with PayPal as well as BBB"
My decal set showed up pretty quickly thereafter.
I got lucky it seems

 

[Capt. Mac]

I'm new here so this might not be the correct place to post this. I decided to try printing my own decals after finding this message board and the free aztec decals. I ordered decal paper but forgot my printer is inkjet not laser, so I got the wrong kind of paper. Its a 10 page pack, unopened and I was wondering if anyone wanted them? I tried emailing the company but got no answer. I need to wrap up this model and I might just finish it without the aztecs. Let me know who wants them.

 

[stevethefish]

My decal set showed up pretty quickly thereafter.
I got lucky it seems

Yes, I think you are lucky. This "Oh I was hospitalized because I had my appendix removed...AGAIN" or "Sorry I've had a lot of bad things in life happening and I'm full of the sadnesses because my mom died AGAIN" or "Look, I've gotta go. My brother got his arm caught in the microwave and my grandpa hijacked a school bus full of penguins" crap seems too prevalent. My friend in Alberta never got the stuff he bought from JT Graphics either. My friend bought those 1:1000 Reliant aztecs from that seller on Etsy a few weeks ago and he received a "shipment notification" but the guy hasn't actually sent them yet.

I'm new here so this might not be the correct place to post this. I decided to try printing my own decals after finding this message board and the free aztec decals. I ordered decal paper but forgot my printer is inkjet not laser, so I got the wrong kind of paper. Its a 10 page pack, unopened and I was wondering if anyone wanted them? I tried emailing the company but got no answer. I need to wrap up this model and I might just finish it without the aztecs. Let me know who wants them.

I dunno where you live, but when I lived in America, I could take stuff to one office place and have them print stuff for me. Biz Mart or Office Max... one of those type of places. Pretty sure they use laser printers. Just ask. You could hand over the decal film and have them print the aztecs for you. That's what I'd do. My printer at home no longer works so I just use it as a scanner, but I take laser decal film to work and print decals there. Laser decal paper is WAY better than the thick inkjet decal paper for sure!

 

[Capt. Mac]

Yes, I think you are lucky. This "Oh I was hospitalized because I had my appendix removed...AGAIN" or "Sorry I've had a lot of bad things in life happening an I'm full of the sadnesses because my mom died AGAIN" or "Look, I've gotta go. My brother got his arm caught in the microwave and my grandpa hijacked a school bus full of penguins" crap seems too prevalent. My friend in Alberta never got the stuff he bought from JT Graphics either. My friend bought those 1:1000 Reliant aztecs from that seller on Etsy a few weeks ago and he received a "shipment notification" but the guy hasn't actually sent them yet.

I dunno where you live, but when I lived in America, I could take stuff to one office place and have them print stuff for me. Biz Mart or Office Max... one of those type of places. Pretty sure they use laser printers. Just ask. You could hand over the decal film and have them print the aztecs for you. That's what I'd do. My printer at home no longer works so I just use it as a scanner, but I take laser decal film to work and print decals there. Laser decal paper is WAY better than the thick inkjet decal paper for sure!

Good to know. Didn't know that was an option. Thanks. I'll do that.

 

[stevethefish]

Good to know. Didn't know that was an option. Thanks. I'll do that.

You're welcome! I wish I could remember the name of the place, but it's a national retailer. I haven't lived in America for over 13 years. Office Max? Office Depot? Something like that. I live in Japan and I use Fine Molds laser decal film. It's so nice and thin, slides right off of the backing paper, and you don't have to spray them with lacquer or any bonding film. Burnish the edges a bit and you'd swear they look painted-on. I had used Testors decal film for inkjets and it was so thick and dumb-looking.

 

[stevethefish]

So my friend heard back from the decal guy on Etsy. He said he was in the hospital dealing with a stint. ORLY? Does that sound familiar? But right after he heard from him, he got a notice that the decals have shipped.