problems with decals

[domer94]

am i the only one who has decals disintegrate ? ive been working on a fairly new 1/350 plan type 071 amphib and almost all of the decals have just crumbled after the usual soak. im no stranger to decals , but this is ridiculous. i know old ones deteriorate , but these are trumpeter recent production. i have the flightdeck to do and im worried it will be a total fail

 

[MJY65]

I have had some current production decals that were absolutely awful. I really don't understand the voodoo here. Companies like Cartograph seem have nailed the formula a decade or more ago and produce an excellent product. Others can be hit and miss.

 

[BarleyBop]

I've had some bad experiences as well, fewer since I saw a YT guy do this:

Instead of soaking in water until they loosen, just leave in water a few seconds, then place the wet decal still on backing on a paper towel to let the water do its thing, with the excess water being drawn away by the paper towel.

It won't fix defective decals, but it sure improved my success rate.