Making your own decals is a great way to make the exact image you want and use it to decorate walls, miniatures, or whatever you want. There are many techniques for making your own decals and which one to use will depend on how much time and money you intend to invest in this project and how good you are with software. image or graphic editing. Simple Venilia sticker paper designs make wall decals that add color and style to a large-scale room, without spending a lot of money. For both hobbyist and professional decal designers, it may be worth investing in the equipment needed to design and produce decals digitally.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Make decals by drawing by hand
Step 1. Gather your materials
You will need sheets of plain paper, self-adhesive Venilia paper, wrapping paper or newspaper, a felt-tip marker, and scissors.
- Making decals from Venilia sticker paper is cheaper than using a computer and requires little material.
- This method is best suited for simpler drawings that do not require detailed rendering.
Step 2. Sketch your design on a piece of plain paper
You can also work on your design using image editing software.
- For wall decals, create a sketch of the room where you intend to put your designs.
- Make sure your sketch is to the correct scale and include the furniture.
- If you are using software like Photoshop, scan a photo of the part and add the design to the photo digitally.
Step 3. Find the amount of Venilia sticker paper you need
Do this from your design and based on the size of the room or object where you are going to place your designs.
- Venilia Self-Adhesive Paper is available in rolls of various sizes and colors at online and hardware stores.
- Make sure you have purchased enough for your project and plan ahead in case of errors and losses.
- If you are working in a large space, it is a good idea to buy in bulk to save money.
Step 4. Reproduce the design on inexpensive paper to scale it
Wrapping paper or newspaper will be best for this first model.
- Tape the design to the walls to make sure the scale and shape are right for you.
- Pay special attention to the corners and make sure the design fits where you want it and is oriented correctly.
- Make the necessary arrangements until you are satisfied with the result.
Step 5. Remove the paper from the wall
It is this paper that you will use to trace the outlines of your image on Venilia sticker paper.
- Make sure the tape you used to temporarily hold the paper to the wall doesn't crease the newspaper or damage the pattern.
- Double check your pattern to make sure it looks correct.
- Make changes if necessary.
Step 6. Lay out the Venilia sticker paper on a flat surface
The back of the paper should be face up.
- Put weights in the corners if it is a large room that is in danger of falling.
- Place the paper design on top of the Venilia sticker paper.
- Trace the outline of the pattern on the back of the Venilia sticker paper with a felt tip marker.
Step 7. Carefully cut out your pattern with sharp scissors
If your drawing is detailed with a lot of negative space, it may be easier to work with an X-acto cutter.
- If you are using an X-acto cutter, be sure to place a mat underneath to avoid scratching your work surface.
- X-acto cutters are very sharp and can slide easily from your fingers. Be careful!
- Children should be supervised during this step.
Step 8. Transfer the Venilia sticker paper to the wall
Do this by starting at the bottom of your design and working your way up.
- Peel off the film on the back of the sticker as you go.
- Take it slow to avoid making creases and bubbles in your design as you press it against the wall.
- Press firmly to make sure the sticky surface of the Venilia sticker paper adheres well to the wall.
Method 2 of 2: Make decals with a computer and a printer
Step 1. Gather your materials
You will need a printer or graphics tablet, scanner, photo editing software, printer, vinyl sheet, laminate sheets, laminating machine, scissors and / or an X-acto cutter.
- You don't necessarily need a graphics tablet, but it may be easier to edit images on this type of device because you will then be using your fingers or a stylus instead of a mouse to make the changes.
- This is not required, but you can use a Pantone color chart to standardize your colors.
- You can use this color chart to select a color and then use the Pantone color palette on your photo editing software to get the correct color when printing your design.
Step 2. Scan the image you want to reproduce on your computer
If you are good at digital design, you can also output the image in Photoshop or other graphics or image editing software.
- Make sure your scan is of the best possible quality to make sure your image is not distorted.
- It is recommended that you scan your decal on your computer at a resolution of 600 dpi or 300 dpi minimum.
- You can also get images from the internet to edit or use as is.
Step 3. Edit the decal using computer software
You can use popular software like Photoshop or GIMP for this.
- Make the necessary changes in terms of colors and shapes.
- Resize the image to fit the space you want to cover.
Step 4. Insert the white vinyl paper into the printer
Make sure you put it the right way around, because if you print on the wrong side of the page it may render your sheet unusable.
- If you are not sure how to place the paper, test it first with a sheet of white paper.
- Make a mark on one side, then print to identify which side is printed.
Step 5. Make a decal sheet
This way, you will be able to fit as many decals as possible onto a sheet of paper.
- Make sure the patterns don't overlap, as you will need to cut them out later.
- This is a good way to save on vinyl paper, as it can be expensive.
- You can do this using photo editing software.
- Print your decal sheet. Make sure to print this on the white vinyl sheet.
Step 6. Print the decal sheet onto plain white paper
Check colors, brightness, and contrasts to make sure the printed version gives the results you want.
- Sometimes colors and shapes don't look the same on paper as they do on screen; it is therefore a good idea to perform this step to verify your drawing.
- Make any necessary changes to your design and print it again to verify.
- Hold your model close to the wall or object that you intend to place the decal on to make sure the rendering is correct.
Step 7. Print your decal sheet onto the vinyl paper
Make sure it is facing the correct direction, as printing on the wrong side may render the paper unusable.
- If you are not sure whether the paper should be placed face down or face up, use a blank sheet of plain white paper to test.
- Make a mark on one of the sides then print to see which side receives the ink.
- If the printer ink does not adhere to the vinyl paper, you printed on the wrong side of the paper.
Step 8. Laminate the page with a cold laminator
Follow the laminator's instructions to place the image correctly.
- The laminator will project the pattern and prevent the colors from fading.
- Press the laminate sheet onto the decal sheet, adhesive side down. The film on the back of the sheet should be folded back several inches.
- Pass the laminate sheet through the cold laminator. By doing this, the film on the back of the laminate sheet will peel away from it.
- For best results, trim the excess laminate sheet from your decal sheet before running it through the cold laminator.
Step 9. Cut out the decal and apply to your object
You can do this with sharp scissors.
- Carefully cut out the decal, making sure to stick well to the outline of the design.
- You can use an X-acto cutter to cut out the pieces that protrude from the decal after application.
- Peel off the clear film from the vinyl sheet and stick the decal on your item.