Having a colour multifunction printer at home is an absolute blessing if you're in the process of building a tabletop army and you need high quality decals and transfers. Rather than buying these online or in your local gaming store, why not design and print your own for a fraction of the cost. It'll really help to make your army stand out as a unique force to be reckoned with, and it makes the whole process of modelling much more enjoyable. All you need is a printer, a laptop, and a few other bits before you're on your way.

Printer 

Buying a printer isn't always the easiest thing to do, as you never know what the quality will be like, whether it's going to be reliable or if it'll be compatible with your computer. The best thing to do is to check on local modelling community sites to see if there are any reviews about printers that have been used to print decals. Secondly you must decide whether to buy an inkjet or laser colour printer. Both are acceptable for this type of job; however, lasers tend to be more cost effective over time and more efficient with ink dispersion on the paper. However, if you don't plan on printing a lot, then an inkjet may be better for you as the printers are often cheaper, despite the higher printing costs.

Software

After you have your printer sorted, ensure you have a suitable programme on which you can draw or paste the designs of decals you want to print. Having a colour printer will give you more options when it comes to colour design, and investing just a little more into it will ensure the prints are crisp and clean.

Decal Paper and Fixing Spray

Ordinary paper won't work for decals; you need special decal printing paper. It's available for both laser and inkjet printers and inserts into the printer just like regular paper. Once the image has printed, you then need to fix it with decal fixing spray and leave it to dry. Once you're ready to apply the decal, cut around it with a sharp blade as close to the image as possible, before soaking it in a small dish of water. By the time you have moistened the area of the model with water and cleaned your brush, you need to be ready to apply the image. Using a paintbrush, lift it on to the surface and slide it off with a second brush. Leave it to dry before coating with a gloss or matte varnish to seal it.