# 40k transfers... Yey or nay?



## Phrazer (Oct 14, 2008)

Hey guys just wondering really what the consensus is amongst the community, do you use the transfers you are given in the kits?
My largest army is a Red Scorpion SM company and tbh I've never really used the transfers because of the FW support they have. In a moment of weakness the other night I bought the FW RS transfer sheet. I've used them on things like vehicles and drop pods and they look... Ok. A bit shiny tbh, and already a couple have come off. In all honesty I'm a little underwhelmed!
Any tips out there for getting them to stay on properly? Would they react ok if they were washed? Most of my army is pretty dirty!
Many thanks for any thoughts or tips!


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

I think there is tutorial on how to apply them in the painting section, if not google it and you will get some good results, but whacking them in water and slapping them on the model really wont work,there are solvents and sealers and such which make life much easier. But at the very minimum you want to be applying them to a gloss varnished area and then varnishing over the top of the transfer/decal to help keep it in place.


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## SSG.House (Jul 29, 2013)

Theres lots of tips for transfers. I love them. The only issue I had was with the old DA transfers or decals was the layering. Red triangle, then black "deer antlers" then white skull...by the time I got to centering the skull the second layer would get shifted. I used to use a clear coat varish to lock them in place. 

I dont have the skill or patience to do that kind of minut detailing.....so transfers worked for me. I just wish I could find some Grey Knight transfers for the dreadnaughts, and NDKs in my fledgling army.

Or at the least a laser cut template that was sturdy, yet flexible to be taped onto a model then used as a stencil.


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## Dies Irae (May 21, 2008)

What bitsandkits said, transfers work better when applied on gloss varnish, and a few coats of clear varnish on top help them stick to the mini and make the glossy" look disappear. 

I don't use mine as I can't manage to fit them on my CSM's shoulderpads. On vehicles I prefer freehand for small stuff like kill counts and hazard stripes, and I could use decals for large symbols if they were not already included on the chaos vehicle sprues.


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## falcoso (Apr 7, 2012)

Dies Irae said:


> I don't use mine as I can't manage to fit them on my CSM's shoulderpads. On vehicles I prefer freehand for small stuff like kill counts and hazard stripes, and I could use decals for large symbols if they were not already included on the chaos vehicle sprues.


I have the same problem, there is always a point on the trim that gets in the way of the transfer so I have to cut it up a little to make it fit. I only ever use them on my CSM, for my necrons they don't really work, especially now they have swapped most of them from gold to black


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

I find GW transfers too stiff, I don't touch them, ever, low quality.


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## jams (Sep 19, 2009)

the secret to good decal application is a gloss base surface, microsol and patience.

once your decal is applied and dried, overbrush it with some more gloss varnish to seal then coat the whole mine in matt or satin varnish (to your preference) for that "painted on" look


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## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Another thing is to paint around the edges of the transfer, as even under the coats of varnish, you can still see the trim of the transfer. Decal softener is a must if you are putting them on rounded surfaces like shoulder pads. Also, remember not to leave them in the water for too long or you will wash off the adhesive and will find it very hard to get them to stay in place long enough to dry.


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## Old Man78 (Nov 3, 2011)

Stella Cadente said:


> I find GW transfers too stiff, I don't touch them, ever, low quality.


What do you use old boy? I want to make my own decals for my chapter symbol but was gonna use g.w ones for the rest tac and dev symbols etc, any tips appreciated!


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

If I was doing 40k I would personally invest in sculpted pads as much as possible, for other things I use my tamiya transfers, I have 2-3 sheets and find them very useful, the quality is far superior


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## Old Man78 (Nov 3, 2011)

Stella Cadente said:


> If I was doing 40k I would personally invest in sculpted pads as much as possible, for other things I use my tamiya transfers, I have 2-3 sheets and find them very useful, the quality is far superior


Thanks for the tip!


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

jams said:


> the secret to good decal application is a gloss base surface, microsol and patience.
> 
> once your decal is applied and dried, overbrush it with some more gloss varnish to seal then coat the whole mine in matt or satin varnish (to your preference) for that "painted on" look


I go with this.

First I trim the decal as close as I dare to the design. I also sometimes put some small cuts into the design so that is will flatten against the pauldron.

Then gloss over the place where the decal will go. Put on a blob of micorsol or microset then soak the decal and slide it into place using tweezers only, no fingers.

Now put more microsol over the top and make sure the decal is where you want it. once it is dry you put some more gloss over the top and then a final flat or semi-gloss over that (I so that over the whole mini too.)

OR just use better decals or freehand if you can't be arsed with all that mucking about. 

There are some good "print your own" decal papers about now too.


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

also be aware that GW has two different sets of decals in circulation at the moment, they seem to have switched to a new company lately, the old blue backed decals have been replaced by a white backed paper that also has tissue paper covering the decals, (reminds me of the airfix decals of my youth) the new decals seem alot better quality, brighter colours and less yellowing of the carrier film, also the new eldar decals have almost zero exra film at the edge of the decal, unlike the older version of the decals.


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## elmir (Apr 14, 2011)

I use them quite heavily. They just need a few products to make them work (like any transfers really).

First layer: Apply a layer of gloss varnish (I use VMC Acrylic glossy varnish). 

Cut your decal (as close to the actual decal, cutting away some of the edges if possible) and put in water.

Second layer: Microscale industries "micro set" setting sollution (use it to wet the area where you want to apply the decal). 

Apply the transfer with a wet brush. 

Third layer: Cover the transfer with micro set once it's in position (be carefull not to reposition it). 

Let the whole thing dry at least an hour or 2.

Fourth layer: Apply microscale industries "micro sol" liberally over the transfer for "painted on look". 

Let it dry for a day. 

Fifth layer: apply some glosscoat again.

Once dry, do any weathering (pigments, stippling, scratches,...)

Final finish: matt or satin coat of varnish. You'll not see any edges to the decals, it'll be airtight if done right, and look realistic if you weathered on top of it (it really will look like part of the orignal painting). 

Some examples of me using that on a commisioned riptide: 














































Hope that helps!


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

If I had to do all that on 150+ guardsmen, I'd kill myself.


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## Magpie_Oz (Jan 16, 2012)

Stella Cadente said:


> If I had to do all that on 150+ guardsmen, I'd kill myself.


That's why I trained myself in freehand. Guardsman 1 was crap, 150 is starting to look not too bad.


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## matt1770 (Sep 22, 2013)

Phrazer said:


> Hey guys just wondering really what the consensus is amongst the community, do you use the transfers you are given in the kits?
> My largest army is a Red Scorpion SM company and tbh I've never really used the transfers because of the FW support they have. In a moment of weakness the other night I bought the FW RS transfer sheet. I've used them on things like vehicles and drop pods and they look... Ok. A bit shiny tbh, and already a couple have come off. In all honesty I'm a little underwhelmed!
> Any tips out there for getting them to stay on properly? Would they react ok if they were washed? Most of my army is pretty dirty!
> Many thanks for any thoughts or tips!


 
I've been modelling on and off for about 20 years now and the best fixer I've used is by Humbrol. Makes them cling better and gets rid of some of the shine.


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## Iraqiel (May 21, 2008)

There is some great advice on this thread, perhaps a Mod may consider collating and stickying in the painting/modelling section?


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

I used decals a long time ago. And I never could get them to adhere to shoulder pads well, and even when they did they still tended to peel after a while. So I taught myself to freehand everything. It's actually a lot easier than hassling with the damned transfers. It's really all about just breaking the markings into simple geometric shapes, and then filling them out. Much more flexibility, at the end of the day, with freehand, too...you aren't limited to a handful of uniform designs. 

I also always found transfers to look like transfers, even after having been masterfully blended and chemically applied to the model using an agent to dissolve the film of them etc.


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## humakt (Jan 2, 2008)

I do use transfers but also use freehand depending on the model. This month’s white dwarf (October '13) has an interesting article on how Gareth (who is a member here incidentally) paints his symbols free hand. It’s not too hard after some practise.

I do use a very similar method to Elmir on applying any decals I use.

As for GW quality, they are about as good as most modellers use, unfortunately with the amount of handling a gaming miniature has they do not stand up well over time. Varnish is a must.


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## Nordicus (May 3, 2013)

I never use decals myself, but I will happily admit it's because I haven't invested the time in making them looking good. The few times I have tried, it looks awful so I just stopped all together


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## Tawa (Jan 10, 2010)

humakt said:


> I do use transfers but also use freehand depending on the model. This month’s white dwarf (October '13) has an interesting article on how Gareth (who is a member here incidentally) paints his symbols free hand. It’s not too hard after some practise.


Yeah, I found that little bit quite handy even though I don't do smurfs. Hey, WD, more of this please! :so_happy:


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