How To Make Inkjet Water Slide Decals
Create professional inkjet decals for wood, glass, plastic, and more—using your home printer and high-quality waterslide paper.
🧰 Essential Supplies
- Inkjet printer (color or mono)
- Waterslide decal paper
- Fixative spray (Clear acrylic)
- Scissors and a bowl of water
- Soft cloth or squeegee
📝 The Process
- Print at "Best" quality setting.
- Spray 3–4 light coats of fixative.
- Trim to the final size.
- Soak until the decal slides.
- Apply and smooth out air bubbles.
🎨 White Ink Simulation & Tips
Since standard inkjet printers cannot print white ink, use our White Decal Paper to achieve the look. Simply match your background design to your surface color, and the white paper base will provide the "white ink" look for your graphics.
Pro Tip: Scan your target surface (like wood grain or fabric) and use it as a fill color in your graphics software. This allows the decal edges to blend invisibly into textured items.
Clear vs. White Decal Paper
Clear Decal Paper: Best for light-colored surfaces where you want the background to show through the transparent areas of your design.
White Decal Paper: Essential for dark surfaces or designs requiring solid white elements that standard printers can't produce.