About Syhart Decal

1 - How is born Syhart Decal ?

I'm Sylvain Hautier, fascinated by aviation since I was young, I followed my father through the airshows and models shows, it is also with his help that I started modeling from the age of 12.

In the early 2000s, when I was student (to be mechanic), I start to customize my models to complete the aircraft I seen in airshows. Attentive to the smallest details, I draw and print my first "laser" decals.

Faced with the problem to print white and metallic, I'll have to wait until August 2005 to buy my first ALPS printer. It was from that moment that I share my works with friends then on Ebay.

On May 2, 2006 - Founding of design and decals printing (by ALPS) company.
Called Syhart Decal ... I has only 20 years old.

SY (Sylvain) HA (Hautier) , ART (design), Decal (Decals.)

Since 2009, the ALPS printers are out of use, some references become sold out, All the decals sheets are now screen-printed..

2 - Birth of a decals sheet

      The origins

As a modeler, and aviation enthusiast, I quickly wanted to make models of aircrafts I had seen during airshows, in magazines or on the internet.
The same squadron, same registration number, same "nose art"... Or the same paint scheme.

If the badges or a serials numbers are probably in one of my mountain of the boxes "in project", or in the spares decals box; The case become more difficult when it comes to model a specific chosen aircraft, especially when it is entirely overall specially painted...

After researches, if these decals do not exist, it will be necessary to realize the markings by oneself.

Several options: modify similar decals, do it by hand, paint, or make your own decals !

      Creating a decals sheet :

If the possibility of making one's own decals seems to be an unstoppable solution, decal design itself raises many challenges; Documentation, Logistics, Technique, Practice ... Here are the steps of the design of decals set :

- Creating a decals sheet
          1. Documentation : (From week to years)

If you plan to complete decals for an airplane, do it well !

But to do it well, nothing should be left unknown and the collection of documents on a project is crucial. Views from all angles, details, if possible shades of colors... there is never too much !

It takes weeks, months, or even years to assemble and sort the necessary documents (my personal record : 8 years).

Because special schemes are rarely worn for more than a few weeks or months, documents can be rare, and once the scheme is erased it is too late.

Sometimes small things are missing
- "an aircraft is decorated only on the right, why take a picture on the left side ?"
- "It does not wear anything on top side, or below ... why take the photo ?"

It's serious mistakes... because without the proof that there is nothing, it is still missing these infos !
And often this kind of miss do not allow a project to pass to the next stage.

- Creating a decals sheet
          2. A logistical challenge : (3 to 7 days… and nights…)

By analyzing the documents, (usually these are photos), the following questions must be asked :

• how to achieve all of this on a model ?
• What to do by decals ?
• what to do by painting ?

Knowing that :

• More the areas are "rough", more a decal is complicated to design for me and apply for the modelers, while painting would not be a problem.
• On the other hand it will be necessary to make the pattern by decals if the lines of the patern are too precise or complex to be painted for the majority of the modelers.
• The Decals should follow the edges of a painted pattern (thin lines for example), in some cases pre-cut adhesive masks may be proposed to ease the painting and keep the right shapes.
• To ensure the uniformity of a tone, it is preferable (as far as possible) not to make a pattern of the same color, partly in decals and the rest in paint (paint tones / decals are difficult to be fit prefectly, except for white and black).
• Sometime, a chronological order of installation of the decals could be necessary.

- Creating a decals sheet
          3. A technical challenge : (2 to 5 days in the initial stage, + the tests and decals corrections)

Be on the right scale seems to be obvious, but it is not so simple.

For a registration, or a roundel, a measurement on the real aircraft is perfect.

But when the patern are larger on a fuselage, or a wing (no, wings are not flat), it is necessary to take care about the forms and the curves. This is a very long process, done entirely by hand, which often leads me to draw the sketches of the decals directly on the model, then all have to be developped flat in the form of pattern 2D (which can ruined a day of work in 2 minutes).

Also according to the age of the molds, information and budgets invested in the study during the initial realization of each model, they are not always faithful to the shapes or the scales fo the real aircrafts... it is then necessary to check these variations for that decals adapt to it. It will sometimes be necessary to make decals specific to each mold.

- Creating a decals sheet
          4. A practical challenge : (10 to 45 days or more ... 30 days on average)

Once the sizes, shapes and patterns recorded at each scales, I then go on the decal drawing itself, for that I use computer.

I use the sketches and the drawn patterns, I superimpose pieces of photographs to found each details of the sketches (up to 30 photos by fuselage or wing), and I redraw everything by overlay; every details one by one! (not a single element of the photo is found on the final decal).

In the most of the big decals, it will be necessary to proceed to cuts :

• for train doors/bays
• Wing / fuselage junctions
• Fuselage / drift junctions
• Wing / flap junctions
• Dorsal spine, hinges, air intakes...

Once each decal is drawn, I draw their support film (and yes it is also drawing!), their shapes must be tested (dimensions, junctions, quantities ...), if necessary rework them, or even redo them !

Then it will be necessary :

• Place them on the sheet, not too tight, not too "clutter" (1 to 3 days of work),
• do not forget the legal mentions, logo, references, the (right) scale ...
• number the decals (if possible keep the same numbering at each scale)
• separate each color
  • no color under the other colors
  • white under each color except black and metallized
  • identify each color for the printshop (Federal Standard, RAL, Pantone ...)
• sending the decals files to the printshop.
• Wait the printed decals for weeks, or months.

- Creating a decals sheet
          5. The instructions : (4 to 15 days)

Instructions are considered before and during the design of the decals, but often remain as sketches, or notes until the decal files are sent to the printshop (for timing reason), as the printing of the decals require several weeks, it is the time to work on the instructions.

• Drawing of plans 4 views (structural lines) - (3 to 6 days)
• Establishment of permanent colors on the 4 views (canopies, lights, nozzles, shading ...)
• Background color, camouflage, paint colors on 4 views - (1 day)
• Placing the decals on all 4 views - (1 to 2 days)
• Drawings of accessories (pylons, tanks, armaments ...)
• Placements of 4 views for instructions, arrows, numbering, color chart, tips, special instructions - (1 to 4 days - even more for booklets)
• Composition of pages (cover, back, interiors, front and back ...)

- Creating a decals sheet
          6. Finalization : (4 to 10 days)

• Receipt of decals to be checked and quality tested (realization of correction if necessary)
• Printing & placement of instructions pages
• Cutting adhesive masks if necessary
• Packaging in bags instructions + decals + masks (at least 100 to 150pc at each scale)
• Preparation of photos, plans, decals for the site (name files, image size ...)
• Updating (creation of the "page of the new reference", the "News" page, and the "News letters", all in French / English)
• Order processing, (registration, packaging, postage, sending ...)

Note that the indicative timings are noticed in days and not in hours and not enough in weeks... because I do not count my hours, and that my weeks of work are often 7 days longs.

Thank you again for your interest in my work, and thanks to everyone who gives me a helping hand.