[stalag8611]

This is surely a dumb question, but what the hey. Are Tampo Printed Graphics only applied by the manufactures, or is there a "home growed" variety available to the hoi poloi? I'd like to make some changes, but would prefer to avoid the standard wet decals.

[bsmith13]

Tampo graphics is another name for "pad printed graphics". Basically, a spongelike material is cut to the shape that the graphic is supposed to be, inundated with paint, and rolled over the surface to leave the desired imprint. "Tampo" is actually the name of the german company that first patented the process.

I have never heard of anyone doing this outside the factory, but if you got the right materials (which would probably be expensive), you could probably do it.

As a side note, this is probably another reason why aircraft models cost so much. In the diecast car world, tampo runs add a great deal of cost to a model. For example, your basic $1 Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars have 1 or 2 tampo runs each. If you go up to the Superfasts or Hot Wheels special editions, three or more tampo runs are involved to give the car more detail, and the cost jumps to $3 to $5. This is based only on the increased tampo passes! Aircraft have lots more than three tampo passes.

[stalag8611]

Thanks Mr. Smith. Greatly appreciated. Wet decals for me forever, I guess.