projectologist Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 (edited) OK, I've posted this build before, but after I took some pics yesterday, I couldn't get over how nice this dial is considering it was printed with an inkjet printer. Artfully lumed by member Merlin... thank you my friend! You did an amazing job matching the hands too. Find a nice size image of your favorite dial (VRF is a great source), re-size it to fit your watch, then Print. Because it's glued to the backing plate, no warping. Think of the possibilities. Edited February 18, 2014 by projectologist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kin tama Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Most excellent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kin tama Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Do they fade much? How much would you charge for a sheet of 29mm tudor ranger no date dials to experiment with? Tried to pm you but it wouldnt go throughKindest regards, Kin tama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
projectologist Posted February 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 (edited) Do they fade much? How much would you charge for a sheet of 29mm tudor ranger no date dials to experiment with? Tried to pm you but it wouldnt go throughKindest regards, Kin tama Fading is not an issue. Today's inks are more stable than before, with many offering archival quality, same with paper. This is a hobby for me, so no selling. If you have a printer, you're already halfway there Here are some vintage dials I printed (from images found online). Hardest part is carefully cutting them out from the sheet. In the watch... Edited February 18, 2014 by projectologist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyB Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 All my dials are made the same way but using water-slide decal paper for inkjet printers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droptopman Posted February 18, 2014 Report Share Posted February 18, 2014 Man that is awesome. Who would have thunk it. Oh, you did. That is innovative/smart. I think I will try it. I have a couple of nice printers. Quality of paper make a difference, I would assume it would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyB Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 It does take a bit of practice, as you likely know. Using the photo shop program you have to tweak the picture is important. Most pics off the internet are not taken square-on, so the pic needs to be made true round. But once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. Water-slide decals come in clear and in white. Inkjet printers do not print white, and the lighter colors, such as the gilt on the dial does allow the background to show through. For white markers you can use the white decal paper, or paint the raw dial white. I let the brass show through for the gilt look, and it does 'age' depending on how much sun it gets and how much you wear it. The patina is very good for vintage dials, and you can adjust that to your liking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcotter Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Yup, Paper dials are a joy! Cutting is also a snap when you use a compass w/ a blade....Perfect circles every time. The blades are Xacto brand & are a hobby shop item, they're tiny & fit the compass as a lead would. The center hole is done last w/ a tiny tube punch. Thanks Joey B you provided the image for my " Rolerai" dial which was my first.....Best, mcotter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyB Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 My pleasure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
automatico Posted February 19, 2014 Report Share Posted February 19, 2014 Paper dials are Ok. A lot of older character watches had paper dials stuck over a brass dial plate. I have a 1970s Wonder Woman watch (Dabs & Co) and the dial still looks like new. It was printed with dots like newspaper cartoons. Elgin Watch Co recalled thousands of pin lever watches in the 1960s from drug store etc displays because they would not sell (Timex killed them) and they put paper character dials over the original dials and sold them under the Bradley Time brand name. Look up Dabs and Company Super Hero watches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
projectologist Posted February 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 A little more work on the Tudor... my first attempt at aging an insert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jex Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 nice work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
If you see Kay Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 The 1016 was done by an RWG member quite some time ago using the waterslide decal. Another good candidate for this procedure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
projectologist Posted February 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2014 The 1016 was done by an RWG member quite some time ago using the waterslide decal. Another good candidate for this procedure Yes, see his posts above, #5 and #7 that has the details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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