Custom graphics for decals?

[TexVan]

Is there a company that has printing services for custom graphics for RC cars?  I am aware of MCI Racing in Canada, but it looks like they only print out existing designs.  I have a design that I came up with myself and would like to get it printed.  

[yogi-bear]

any signage shop should be able to help you out, but cost will probably vary.

Things that will affect the price is if they have to recreate your artwork to make it printable, and how it needs to be printed. A lot of signage shops have a minimum charge too, so maybe plan on maximising what you want printed.

[Mad Ax]

MCI can do custom decals if you message them, they have done several custom designs for me.

[MadAnt]

On 6/15/2025 at 6:46 PM, yogi-bear said:

any signage shop should be able to help you out, but cost will probably vary.

Some singnage shops are a joke. I had one try to replicate some hood decals for a larger IRL project. They took measurements and photos of the original that I had, then I waited a few weeks before I was called to come in and see the finished product. It looked like crap, no really it was awful, not one straight line and made up of layered vinyl instead of being printed. The shop owner tried to defend his crappy work and tell me it was all free hand with a hobby knife. Apparently he had never heard of a straight edge before because it was extremely wavy with varying thicknesses. For the price that he was going to charge, I'm glad I just left and found another outfit that was located in Texas if I remember right. This other place printed the replica decals that I needed and charged a lower price. The quality is night and day, much better and as good as the original.

[njmlondon]

On 6/16/2025 at 9:09 AM, Mad Ax said:

MCI can do custom decals if you message them, they have done several custom designs for me.

Interesting. I have some decals on my way to me from Nathaneal that I made up on the design tool but I was wondering if I could make my own in SVG format on my PC and send them to him. Is that how you did it?

[yogi-bear]

7 hours ago, MadAnt said:

Some singnage shops are a joke. I had one try to replicate some hood decals for a larger IRL project. They took measurements and photos of the original that I had, then I waited a few weeks before I was called to come in and see the finished product. It looked like crap, no really it was awful, not one straight line and made up of layered vinyl instead of being printed. The shop owner tried to defend his crappy work and tell me it was all free hand with a hobby knife. Apparently he had never heard of a straight edge before because it was extremely wavy with varying thicknesses. For the price that he was going to charge, I'm glad I just left and found another outfit that was located in Texas if I remember right. This other place printed the replica decals that I needed and charged a lower price. The quality is night and day, much better and as good as the original.

that sounds like terrible service! And also like they have no clue what they are doing either, I'd hate to see their actual signage work. Depending on the actual job, the layered vinyl I can understand as you should have a longer lasting job, but the bit about doing it free hand with a hobby knife is a concern. Although in saying that there are special knives and hand cutters for free handing pin stripping etc, so even then there is no excuse. I think the last time I had to do free hand vinyl cut was about 25 years ago though before I could afford a vinyl cutter. But it sounds very odd they way they went about the job, as it's also super easy to scan or photograph something, scale to size including getting rid of any angle from taking said scan or photo and then trace in a computer.  I guess like any service, quality can vary, but a proper signage shop should have no trouble recreating something. Here in Australia, while you can do an apprenticeship to do signage (I have an apprentice at the moment), you don't actually need any formal training to open a signage shop, and I have seen dodgy work from operators who don't really know what they are doing.

[Mad Ax]

On 6/20/2025 at 9:17 PM, njmlondon said:

Interesting. I have some decals on my way to me from Nathaneal that I made up on the design tool but I was wondering if I could make my own in SVG format on my PC and send them to him. Is that how you did it?

Yes, that's exactly right.  I use Inkscape to do all my designs.  As an amateur I find the process equal parts of creative joy and absolute frustration, trying to get to grips with the features of Inkscape and all the functions which are absolutely essential to get stuff looking right but the names of which are totally meaningless to a mere hobbyist like me.

But if you get to grips with it and figure it out (hundreds of vids on YouTube) you can design some awesome stuff.  All this was done on Inkscape and printed by MCI.

https://tcphotos.net/images/2020/05/10/P5100007.jpg

Most of the sponsor logos on the rear bed are from MCI's monster truck and NASCAR sponsor sheets, which are great value if you need to fill space on a vehicle.

https://tcphotos.net/images/2020/05/10/P5100011.jpg

 

[Mad Ax]

yeah.  no.  well, I got no idea how images embed any more, I only dropped in for 2 minutes and been here 10.  I'll have to work it out later.