Spuetz

Hello Zippi,

I am not sure if Kustom Rides offers paper in that size. And the printer is limited to its tray width, of course.

I would suggest, though, that you cut those large decals into pieces and join them on the surface, that you apply it to. This is also because I think that water slide decals can only be handled up to a certrain size. If they get too big, it will be difficult to apply them without ripping them or having air bubbles and so on... But if you work accurately, the joints will not be seen. Also I would recommend giving the finished model a layer of clear coat. This way you will protect the decals further and the places where they join will not be seen.
On your computer you can of course create pictures of any size. Then it depends on the program you're using, whether it will distribute it over several pages or not. If not, you just do it manually, by creating several letter sized files that you paste the pieces in.

Bt what kind of decals are you intending to make, that are so large? If it is just ornaments, like stripes and so on, I like to spray them on (ore use iron-on stuff, like monokote). If you use a very narrow contour tape - you can buy those from car paint suppliers - you can create all kinds of intricate shapes. They can be led around corners quite easily. A little airbrush art, maybe? Or just use spray cans (one component) and just seal the finished artwork with two component clear (if you are using a glow or gas engine. Electric is easier)

I don't know any brand of paint in the US, since I am located in Germany. I am using Standox, since a Standox shop is down the road from where I live. But if you research the yellow pages for car paint suppliers, you'll find someone who will give you the right stuff. Any paint, that body shops use for repair is good.

Another good idea when painting models, especially on those areas that are covered with fabric or similar (like between ribbed wings and so on), is to add quite a bit of softener. You can buy that where you buy the paint. I know people that add up to 50% of softener. What it does is, it keeps the paint kind of rubbery, flexible after curing. This way you will never have cracks. Just immagine a two stroke gasser and its vibrations. All the free spanning fabric parts will vibrate like a drum felt...

Just one more thing: Car paint is expensive. At least here in Germany. They only sell in quantities of at least a quart and charge easily up to 60 dollars for the can. And they do have a "use-by-date" of about 24 month. Especially the hardener gets old after a while. So another idea is to go to a local body shop and try and talk them into giving you smaller quantities...

The disadvantage of spray cans is, that you have a fixed mixture and a set nozzle size. Can be too thick. I like to add quite a bit of thinner, to keep the coats thin and light. So I do reccommend using a spray gun and compressor. Another thing that a lot of modellers do here is to give the model to a body shopor professional car paint shop (they might know someone who works there) and have them paint it. They use clear coat all the time as the top coat for metallic paints. Sometimes it only costs a couple of bucks for the kitty.

Hope this helps.
As always in our hobby. It's all about communication...
cheers, Martin