New decal manufacture

[speedster356]

Anyone have the skills to manufacture good quality decals from an image only? I can get higher quality images.
The images here are not of my bike but the same model.
comet1 by peter mcleod, on Flickr
comet2 by peter mcleod, on Flickr
comet3 by peter mcleod, on Flickr

[marc2131]

It is a rather labourious process to draw it out, but it can be done with the right computer program like Adobe Illustrator.
An image (on your seat tube, for example) will take a good 3 hours or more.
The next big problem is matching the colour properly. That is much more difficult. You can't match colours straight from a computer or smart phone screen. It will defer from computer monitor to monitor. By the time you print it out, the propensity for a huge difference is rather large. You will need to get hold of a 'Pantone' colour swatch book. Graphic designers use them. They find the closest match to the colour they can find comparing it to the various colour swatches in this book (there will be hundreds, sometimes a few thousand). Each colour will have a designated identifier or Pantone number. This number can be typed into Adobe Illustrator which will ensure the colour is reproduced accurately when printed.

[10speedsemiracer]

Maybe contact Cyclomondo,

http://cyclomondo.net/page47.htm

[speedster356]

marc2131, thanks, I think I might have access to a designer.
10speedsemiracer, have just sent off an email.
There's also https://h-lloyd-cycles.myshopify.com/
I got some Jarques Anquatil decals from them and were very good quality.

[speedster356]

Greg (cyclomondo) has responded already!

[10speedsemiracer]

Greg (cyclomondo) has responded already!

He's extremely good. Have used before.

[Clydesdale Scot]

Have a look at this page
http://www.lixbmx.com/tips-for-tracing-survivor-decals

If you have access to the original, a tracing such as this would assist.
If Greg is able to help you, go with him.
There are others, but Greg is world class.

[LG]

That is one stunning bike as it is!

[marc2131]

I don't believe Greg/Cyclomondo can retrace or redraw stuff. Correct me if I am wrong Greg.

[Clydesdale Scot]

I am sure Greg can expertly do that, and would be one of the best.
But the time taken would be difficult to be cost effective for low demand brands.
The page I linked to would assist in the generation of the artwork.
Greg has printed artwork I have generated, as has Velocals in the US and H.Lloyds in England.
Velocals as Greg was busy, H.Lloyds as they had already a form of the artwork generated by a customer that needed about 30 changes I sought to better match the original. I made the changes in Illustrator and emailed the file back.
I got what I wanted and there is now a better decal for the next customer.
Without a magnifying glass, you wouldn't see the difference. But I wouldn't have been satisfied.

Talk to Greg and see what is best. If you know someone who is competent in vector artwork it could help.

[speedster356]

That is one stunning bike as it is!

Yes it is, that's not mine. Mine is the house paint version, but still full of nice goodies and asking to come back to life.

[Kronos]

It is a rather labourious process to draw it out, but it can be done with the right computer program like Adobe Illustrator.

This... If you care about what it looks like (and you should brvause to me a bike is part of who you are, especially retro bikes) then you will pay a small sum to a graphic designer to trace out your image and then you will pay someone with a proper printer/plotter that can cut what you want out on canvas/vinyl.

Or if you don't care you could probably find someone on fleebay that will do it for a $10er. Colour will be a non-issue (especially if you use a wide colour gamut such as Adobe RGB). Finding a printer that can run you off a sticker in Adobe RGB will be a bit more difficult. The crux of it is, you get what you pay for so don't skrimp.

I'd think in the community, if you asked someone properly qualified you'd expect to pay at least $150 for labour and then some more to have it printed properly that's me being conservative.