The ability to make a model truck look exactly like the real thing is one of the points that many model builders love to touch upon. Decals can be one of the tools that will help you to reach this level of realism. If you do not want to have to paint all of the vehicles then decals can allow you to still achieve the look you want. It will help you to reduce the amount of skill you must have as well as allowing you to finish the job much more quickly. It does require a couple of things; a little patience and a steady hand as well.

You can choose to apply decals from several different sources. These can include creating your own, having professional ones made, or using the stock ones. Decals can come from many different places. After you have gotten some experience built up you can try your hand at making your own decals. If you are new to making models you may want to try using the stock ones to begin with. As you try your hand at this you will soon see the benefits that decals may add.

If you create your own water slide decals you will find that it can be very interesting and fun. You must ensure that you have the proper paper on hand before you begin. Clear decal film is what you will need to begin with and will ensure that you get the most out of your money. It can allow you to create a design, place it on a computer, and then print it directly to this film. If this is not what you want then you might consider another source.

You can try several different methods including silk screening and creating several separate masks for the colors that you would like to use. If you are looking at silk screening it can get a bit involved. What you will have to do is to make a screen for each of the separations that will be made on the decal. Each of these allows a certain color of the decal to go through and catches the excess paint that does not need to be applied. If you are looking to produce more than one and you want high quality then you might enjoy this process. If you do not have it properly aligned however it cause the decal to have to be stripped and reapplied. It can also be difficult to set up the whole process as well.

If you would rather try masking your decals you will just have to create a different one for each of the separate colors. You will have to mask the films for the all the different colors that you will be applying. When you get ready to paint these you will have to apply them from light to dark. While masking can be very easy and is actually pretty cheap as well it can take a bit of thought ahead of time. It can also be time consuming as well. Just make sure that they have been planned out perfectly.

If it seems like too much of a chore to make your own decals then you might also consider drawing a picture by hand or on the computer, print them out, and take them to a local printer. They can then copy these on a color printer and print it onto a decal sheet. The quality could possibly drop but it does tend to be the quickest and cheapest way to go. Making decals yourself is a way to add your own "fingerprint" to your model truck. It is a way of telling others that you built this and made it your own.