So I tried this technique and could not get acceptable results. Wondering if anyone else has ideas about how to get it to work.

I printed on clear water slide decal paper with maximum toner density settings on my colour laser printer (Canon) using transparency paper settings. Applied to the plastic and backed with a piece of white water slide. As soon as it is backlit it looks thin and washed out, nothing like the original. What is the trick to get the rich solid colour of the original?

I am actually going to try to silkscreen this plastic (kind of for fun) to see how that works.

Clay, I'd love to try this technique (sounds easier than silk screening).

When you attach the paper is the whole thing being taped or just around the edges or . . .

And are you adhering the mylar the same way? Is that there to protect the paper from yellowing.

Link to this 3M tape?

I am using PETG so at least I have that going for me!

So I ran off and printed my graphic and placed it in the slingshot position, it looks more solid than the decals. But it is still somewhat blotchy looking maybe from the paper texture, and blacks are not opaque. I'm on a laser printer, maybe I need to try inkjet.

I picked up an HP 1513 inkjet printer from Staples for $40. My first try with photo paper was promising but the paper was too heavy and not as translucent as the original. I had to special order Epson *** "Photo Paper GLOSSY" which is a 200g/m^2 paper (thinner/cheaper). This seems to be pretty close in translucency to my original plastic.

Maybe it is the HP printer but the blacks are not just as -- well -- black as the original silk screened plastic. For the hell of it I printed the image onto the paper twice, now it looks nice and saturated just like the original! Blacks are looking good and alignment seems perfect.

So I finally have hope that this replacement plastic will do the trick! Some more experimentation may be needed. I might try to print only the black a second time.

PrintedSlingshot.JPG

Update: I ended up double printing just the black. I tried photo adhesive, Clay's 3M tape, adhesive backed Mylar, clear labels...none were as clear as I was after. Packaging tape to the rescue! You can get crystal clear packaging tape, I got a 2.83" wide Gorilla brand from Home Depot. It adheres the photo paper to the underside of the PETG at the edges. So finally this replacement plastic is installed -- not perfect but about as good as I could get it after a ton of trial and error.

Graphics always seemed washed out with laser or inkjet decals, I could not get decent results. Brochure paper is even lighter than the cheapo photo paper I used, it might let more light through.

The cheap 200gsm paper is close in translucency to the existing plastics -> but not quite as translucent. I found regular paper was really blotchy looking, a coated paper looks good.

If I had a better inkjet printer maybe the ink would look richer/more saturated. Running it through the printer twice worked pretty well for me.

If I hadn't spent a zillion dollars already trying everything under the sun I would get inkjet glossy brochure paper and try that, e.g., HP has a 180gsm paper. Or maybe something like this: http://www.redrivercatalog.com/browse/32lb-premium-gloss.html

If you want a few sheets of the el cheapo photo paper to try PM me.

I tried both laser and inkjet waterslide decals. I wasn't satisfied with either, the photo paper worked better for me.

I found with the photo paper the cheaper the better to let enough light through. Looks great!

Anyone tried a material designed for backlighting like https://mcgpaper.com/products/backlit-film-for-inkjet-printers ?

I also used PETG, got a 4' x 8' from a plastic shop for something like $60