Quick carbon fiber ?

I have a quick question, does the decal have to be applied to a painted surface or can it be applied to bare plastic? Sorry for the lame question. Feedback please!!!

It can be applied to bare plastic just like any other decal.

Most C/F decals are transparent to a certain degree, the underlying color will make a difference to the final look, unless you're applying the decal to a grey or black plastic, I would recommend painting first.

I've actually found that decals don't stick near as well to plastic as they do to paint, though others may have a different experience. I'd go ahead and paint, just to be save. A nickel on paint will save you a few dollars of CF decal if it fails.

deprend of the brand. some cheap CF decal are transparent and need flat black base color

Decals are designed to go on painted surfaces. While you can apply them to raw plastic, they will not adhere very well and you run the risk of having them chip very easily. - Mark

NEVER!!! NEVER!!! apply decals to flat paint!!!!!!
doing so will leave air between the textured surface of the paint and the decal, thus causing it to "silver" and the decal won't adhere so it will flake off. best bet is to either clear coat the flat color, apply the decal then shoot it with flat or semigloss if you are going for a non reflective surface, or gloss respectively. and make sure to use a good decal solvent, and decal setting solution while aplying the decal and clean everything up before you put the clearcoat on.

I hope this helps you in your modelling endevors.
_Ken

NEVER!!! NEVER!!! apply decals to flat paint!!!!!!
doing so will leave air between the textured surface of the paint and the decal, thus causing it to "silver" and the decal won't adhere so it will flake off. best bet is to either clear coat the flat color, apply the decal then shoot it with flat or semigloss if you are going for a non reflective surface, or gloss respectively. and make sure to use a good decal solvent, and decal setting solution while aplying the decal and clean everything up before you put the clearcoat on.

I hope this helps you in your modelling endevors.
_Ken

half true. Yes, it's bad to use decal over flat paint, and yes it will silver. but since CF decals usually cover a full surface and they don't have the transparent part on it, there will be no visible silver.

All my CF job have been done over duplicolor black primer (which is flat)

I have used a really strong decal solvent that actually made the decal melt into the paint on some railroad cars. I don't remember what brand it was though.

I am suprised that the CF decal doesn't flake off of the flat paint. I can see how it would work for you on the large surface of like a hood or decklid, but like interior panels, or whatever may not work so well.

I've actually found that decals don't stick near as well to plastic as they do to paint, though others may have a different experience. I'd go ahead and paint, just to be save. A nickel on paint will save you a few dollars of CF decal if it fails.

I was lazy once and put the decals right on the plastic, they curled of shortly after.

Niclas

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but is it alright to apply decals over primer? There are some areas on my project which i dont have the paint for but primer will be there.

if you are going to paint it, then why put decals on it first?

thanks for all the responses, i decided to paint it just to be on the safe side, wow i feel like af is a family.

Ahh no wonder the CF on the wing of my Silvia came off soo fast! it was on bare plastic! :banghead: