Gulfstream
Williams, 1973I am restoring the apron on my Gulfstream. What is the best option for restoring the screen printing? I have scanned the apron and traced the art as a vector. I could cut vinyl decals. I could cut stencils and airbrush. Waterslide decals? I guess I could bite the bullet and make screens and do a screen print but it seems like an awful lot of work for one apron. Any opinions? Pros/cons?
Unfortunately the only way to get a crisp image is screen print. The small text is too small for a vinyl cutter to do.
For a one apron, maybe you could make stencils for the bigger color art, then waterslide decals for the small text. then clear over everything.
Funny this topic comes up as Im working on an apron. Even when one is careful with stencils, things can go awry, but note I used rattle can white and not airbrush for this one. As for the tiny detail, on this SBM apron at least, w/o an ALPS printer to print white or perhaps using the cameo to cut white waterslide decals, I will end up changing the white to black and print on clear water slides or having to leave off the minutia details 
Of course Bryan Kelly knows "the way"
I'm sure we will all be bugging you until time permits that you can let us in on your trade secret.
Quoted from dr_nybble:What a tease you are Brian! Some kind of dry transfer? But looks computer printed?
It is a dry transfer. Art files were sent to a company that makes them. Took a number of tries to get the colors correct. Once installed, I had my body shop buddy clear over them. No pics of that yet. It looks nicer than if they were screened.
Quoted from Atari_Daze:Of course Bryan Kelly knows "the way"
I'm sure we will all be bugging you until time permits that you can let us in on your trade secret.
I honestly didn't do any of this except install the artwork. I do, however, have people with much more talent then me. I only posted because I'll be gone the next few days and by posting now, I can find this easier later.
Quoted from Bryan_Kelly:There actually is another way. I don't have time to go through the process at the moment. But it's pretty slick.
That's beautiful Bryan! Please give us the details when you get a chance.
The dry transfer looks really interesting. I'll make a shameless plug for Merf's Pin, an endeavor of brenna98 and myself. These are licensed repros, made in a thicker gauge steel than original to prevent dents and warps, powdercoated to resist scuffing, and silk screened with high quality enamel based inks that are baked on for long lasting product.
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Milltown, NJ
Ottawa, ON