You've spent hours making it, now add the finishing touch with our personalised and custom guitar headstock and body decals. Our extensive range of guitar decals includes designs for the majority of models, and whether you want something personalised or to your own totally custom design we can make it.
Since the 50s waterslide decals have been used on guitar headstocks for the logo and model name. We've brought these traditional transfers right up to date, with our modern production techniques allowing for single piece custom designs. Gone are the days of needing to order hundreds of sheets - we can make you anything from a single decal for customising your own guitar, through to thousands of decals for your production run. We offer the following:
Personalised Decals in classic designs and layouts, but with your wording and choice of colour combination including metallic gold, silver, and opaque white.
Custom Decals made to your design, for example your company logo. Available in sheets, just upload your artwork and we'll do the rest.
Standard Decals in ready made designs, which covers things like flags, emblems and our vintage paisley body decals.
What's unique about waterslide decals, and why are ours special?
If you have your own design, for example your company logo, signature, or a special emblem, we can make this into your own bespoke waterslide decals.
Listen up folks, these are our preferred file formats for supplied artwork are listed below. Supplying artwork to these specifications will ensure best results and no further setup charges.
Other file formats aren't good to use for a variety of reasons, such as:
Common issues to avoid are:
How do I apply waterslide decals?
We include comprehensive written and illustrated application instructions with every decal order, along with a small sample for you to practice with before applying your decal for real. You can also have a look at our application Youtube video here: How To Apply Waterslide Guitar Headstock Decals
Can you make a decal for x headstock?
Probably, yes. Have a look through our standard headstock designs which cover most styles. If you don't see what you need there, we can print from your artwork or contact us and we'll see what we can do.
I've got my own design, can you make decals for me?
Yes! We sure can. Please have a look here to order sheets of custom decals using your own design: Custom Decals In Your Design
Cool, but what if I can't draw my design in one of the preferred formats?
Our fixed price Custom Decals In Your Design offering includes setup and a small amount of redrawing/rework. For larger jobs where a design needs finishing or drawing from scratch, we offer a professional redraw service at £45 / hour. Please contact us with your requirements for a detailed quote.
Do you offer a discount to guitar builders?
Decal pricing is purely based on quantity. We offer full sheets in all of our options which is the most cost-effective way of buying them, and even on the full sheets there are further quantity discounts for multiple sheets in the same design.
How long do decals take to make?
Typical dispatch time for decals is 3-5 days from ordering. Delivery time will then depend on the shipping service you choose.
Can waterslide decals be used on oil finishes?
Unfortunately not. The decals likely won't adhere to an oily surface. They also need to be lacquered over once applied - only a spray lacquer is suitable, and spray lacquers cannot be sprayed over oiled wood.
Can I wipe poly over decals?
No - wiping any finish over the decal will likely damage it and wipe the decal straight back off. Only spray lacquer should be used over the decal once it is applied.
Do I have to lacquer decals?
Yes. Waterslide decals are a means of applying a professional logo to the surface. We make them as thin and fine as possible, but the result of this is they don't have any real strength to stand up to daily wear. They are designed to be embedded in the lacquer finish, which will both make them look incredible and protect them for years to come.
Can I use x lacquer over the decals?
If it's a spray lacquer then probably, yes. Our decals are tested and work with nitrocellulose, acrylic and the majority of craft lacquers. Some 2K automotive finishes can react with the decal film but this seems to vary from brand to brand and even depends on the particular application method. If you're unsure, always test before using in full production.
Do I need to lacquer the decals before applying them?
No. A lot of how-to guides will recommend doing this. It's necessary with homemade decals, as inks in home printers are water-soluble so have a nasty habit of dissolving when you soak the decals. We use inks specifically for waterslide decals, though - totally waterproof, and the decals are supplied ready to apply.
My decal has gone cloudy. What happened?
This can sometimes happen after applying the decal or when you start lacquering, the unprinted film can go a little milky. This is usually solved with a bit more lacquer and some light sanding, which causes decal magic to occur and the film and edges will vanish.