Today's topic covers a problem that all scale modelers eventually face...
problems with decals.
Or, rather, lets call it, "Fun With Decals," to keep things positive.
The particular method covered here is a good hack to have in your modeling tool box, especially if you're one of those fearless hobbyists who works with older kits and their decals. Besides..., it IS different and a lot of fun!
It all started with...
I recently got a pre-owned, "open-bag" kit of Hasegawa's Hawker Hurricane, their discontinued SEAC* boxing, Kit #JT-152.
The boxtop
Now, I like Spitfires as much as the next guy, but the rugged Hurricane is my favorite British WWII fighter, and this Hasegawa molding is good.
It is what I would call a first generation, "high detail" kit, from the 1990's. It has a couple of engineering oddities – a Hasegawa trademark - but it has very good detail across the board. In my opinion, it holds up well alongside more modern Hurricane kits in that regard.
I hope to add a few more to the stash (hint, hint 😉).
The bagged kit as received, in all its glory
So what is an open-bag kit?
"Open-bag" kits, as the name implies, are kits wher a previous owner has removed the outer wrap of the kit box AND has opened the sealed parts bags inside. See the above foto.
Sometimes they've started the kit, sometimes they've just looked at the parts, and sometimes, well, something goes awry during ownership and the kit is in a, "disorganized" state. These kits are a gamble, for this reason, as fiddly parts are sometimes missing. That puts off many people, but I enjoy the challenge of resolving these minor issues.
This open-bag kit was missing the instructions and a couple tidbits, but both "problems" were overcome quickly. But you do have to wonder about the careless handling some kits often endure.
The kit in question came with the original decals, which are the subject of this article.
In this SEAC* boxing, Hasegawa provided markings for two WWII SEAC Hurricanes....
1. No. 34 Sq., RAF, code EG * N
2. No. 1 Sq., Indian Air Force, code A*A, "Red Elephant" markings. This one is often seen on the internet, as it is kinda cool.
* South East Asia Command (SEAC) was the WWII adminstrative body in charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre.
Decal Troubles – See photo below
Any parts problem with these pre-owned kits is usually a minor inconvenience. But the fragile decals are sometimes the worse for wear, and this one was no exception....
As you can see...
#1 - The national markings and fin flash have the wrong colors.
They should be dark blue and "India White" – 4 parts white to one part dark blue, an azure blue.
Instead, the kit markings are dark blue... and a sickly grey-green. I don't know if time has aged them this way, or Hasegawa goofed up... I suspect the latter. Regardless, they need some attention.
#2 - The decal sheet has taken some hard knocks.
As a result, the decal sheet was a bit crumpled, and both the theatre ID stripes and one of the RAF individual aircraft codes, "N," were damaged.
#3 - The white lettering for the aircraft codes and ID stripes have yellowed since being printed 3 decades ago.
Remember, though, we're thinking positive here. We find that the decals do appear sound, and they have passed the, "wet test."
So, I can work with the color and damage issues.
But the yellowing calls for something special.
The Bleaching
So how to deal with the yellowing problem on decals? By digging deep for an old-school trick I remember from my scale modeling past: bleaching the decals in the sun!
Due to the nature of decal printing in general, and the papers used, decal yellowing is always possible - and it was fairly common in the past. It results from oxidation between the paper and the decal carrier film, and thicker decals seem prone to it.
I suspect we don't see it as much today, for two reasons:
1. The printing process has changed
2. Most modelers are working with newer kits.
And if something is wonky with decals, we rush out and plop down more hobby money on aftermarket decals.
We're spoiled in this regard.
But back in the day, you had to work with what came in the kit, and if the kit markings were yellowed, you used the sun bleaching method to reduce the yellowing.
What is sun bleaching?
In short, this process involves placing the decal in a sunny window, so the sun's UV rays can work their magic on the yellowing and reduce it. Hooray for science!
How to Sun Bleach Decals
Decals prepped for bleaching. The white portions have been mounted to an index card, and the red elephant part of the markings has been masked with bits of paper.
Preparation: Place the decal sheet in a clear, sealable plastic bag or document sleeve to protect it from dust and potential condensation on the window. I add a small dessicant pack to the ziploc bag for insurance.
Placement: Tape the bagged decal sheet to the inside of a window that receives direct sunlight. A south-facing window (in the Northern Hemisphere) or an east-facing window generally works well. The decal sheet should be slightly curved to prevent it from sticking to the glass.
Notice the dessicant packet in the ziploc bag
Exposure Time: Leave the decals in the sun for a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the severity of the yellowing and the strength of the sunlight. Its not fast, but its free!
Monitoring: Check the decals every day or so to monitor progress and prevent over-bleaching, which could fade the decal colors themselves. I masked the colored portions of the decal to prevent this.
Reinforcement: Since this discoloration usually happens with older decals, the decals themselves may be brittle due to age. After bleaching, you should apply a thin coat of a liquid, decal-film product (such as Micro Scale Liquid Decal Film) over the entire sheet to reinforce them and prevent shattering when used. As always, cut closely around each decal before soaking in water.
NOTES
UV Light is the Key: The process works thanks to ultraviolet light, so an artificial UV lamp (like a nail polish curing tunnel or horticultural light) might work, especially in winter or cloudy climates. The sun is free, of course, so unless you live in the arctic or just like doing your own nails, Old Sol is the way to go.
Not A Permanent Fix: The yellowing is caused by an ongoing chemical reaction with air – oxidation. Since you can't get rid of the decal film or the paper, the conditons that cause the discoloration aren't removed by bleaching. This means the problem could return over time.
Storing the decals in an oxygen-depleted environment should arrest the process, so a kitchen vacuum sealer could become part of your scale modeling hobby! Barring that, keep them sealed in a sealed ziploc bag and use them relatively soon after the bleaching treatment.
Decal Brittleness: Sun bleaching only addresses the yellowing of the carrier film; it cannot fix any inherent fragility of old decals. Always test a small, non-essential decal (like a kit ID number) in water, first, to see if the decals are even worth using.
Alternative Solutions: If the decals are too old and brittle, or the yellowing is a characteristic of the ink itself (not just the carrier film), then you might want to try scanning the decals, and print new ones on blank decal paper. Of course, as we've already mentioned, you can just pony up for some aftermarket replacements and carry on.
Updates To Follow
At this point the burning question is: "Will this work?"
As of this writing, the decals have only been subjected to the sun bleaching process for a few days. So, I will monitor and do an update in the next couple of weeks to see how things have progressed - stay tuned!
As always, I sincerely thank you for reading and happy modeling!
Yours Truly,
David Hutton
References
1. Scalemates.com - great site for kit specific info; I sourced free, downloadable instructions for this kit from Scalemates.
2. Stevens Intl. - Hasegawa's U.S. distributor
3. ChatGPT - a place to start for info
4. Experience - I've been building scale models my whole life, on and off.
All rights reserved David Hutton, Liberty Scale Models ©2026
The bagged kit as received, in all its glory
So what is an open-bag kit?
"Open-bag" kits, as the name implies, are kits wher a previous owner has removed the outer wrap of the kit box AND has opened the sealed parts bags inside. See the above foto.
Sometimes they've started the kit, sometimes they've just looked at the parts, and sometimes, well, something goes awry during ownership and the kit is in a, "disorganized" state. These kits are a gamble, for this reason, as fiddly parts are sometimes missing. That puts off many people, but I enjoy the challenge of resolving these minor issues.
This open-bag kit was missing the instructions and a couple tidbits, but both "problems" were overcome quickly. But you do have to wonder about the careless handling some kits often endure.
The kit in question came with the original decals, which are the subject of this article.
In this SEAC* boxing, Hasegawa provided markings for two WWII SEAC Hurricanes....
1. No. 34 Sq., RAF, code EG * N
2. No. 1 Sq., Indian Air Force, code A*A, "Red Elephant" markings. This one is often seen on the internet, as it is kinda cool.
* South East Asia Command (SEAC) was the WWII adminstrative body in charge of Allied operations in the South-East Asian Theatre.
Decal Troubles – See photo below
Any parts problem with these pre-owned kits is usually a minor inconvenience. But the fragile decals are sometimes the worse for wear, and this one was no exception....
As you can see...
#1 - The national markings and fin flash have the wrong colors.
They should be dark blue and "India White" – 4 parts white to one part dark blue, an azure blue.
Instead, the kit markings are dark blue... and a sickly grey-green. I don't know if time has aged them this way, or Hasegawa goofed up... I suspect the latter. Regardless, they need some attention.
#2 - The decal sheet has taken some hard knocks.
As a result, the decal sheet was a bit crumpled, and both the theatre ID stripes and one of the RAF individual aircraft codes, "N," were damaged.
#3 - The white lettering for the aircraft codes and ID stripes have yellowed since being printed 3 decades ago.
Remember, though, we're thinking positive here. We find that the decals do appear sound, and they have passed the, "wet test."
So, I can work with the color and damage issues.
But the yellowing calls for something special.
The Bleaching
So how to deal with the yellowing problem on decals? By digging deep for an old-school trick I remember from my scale modeling past: bleaching the decals in the sun!
Due to the nature of decal printing in general, and the papers used, decal yellowing is always possible - and it was fairly common in the past. It results from oxidation between the paper and the decal carrier film, and thicker decals seem prone to it.
I suspect we don't see it as much today, for two reasons:
1. The printing process has changed
2. Most modelers are working with newer kits.
And if something is wonky with decals, we rush out and plop down more hobby money on aftermarket decals.
We're spoiled in this regard.
But back in the day, you had to work with what came in the kit, and if the kit markings were yellowed, you used the sun bleaching method to reduce the yellowing.
What is sun bleaching?
In short, this process involves placing the decal in a sunny window, so the sun's UV rays can work their magic on the yellowing and reduce it. Hooray for science!
How to Sun Bleach Decals
Decals prepped for bleaching. The white portions have been mounted to an index card, and the red elephant part of the markings has been masked with bits of paper.
Preparation: Place the decal sheet in a clear, sealable plastic bag or document sleeve to protect it from dust and potential condensation on the window. I add a small dessicant pack to the ziploc bag for insurance.
Placement: Tape the bagged decal sheet to the inside of a window that receives direct sunlight. A south-facing window (in the Northern Hemisphere) or an east-facing window generally works well. The decal sheet should be slightly curved to prevent it from sticking to the glass.
Notice the dessicant packet in the ziploc bag
Exposure Time: Leave the decals in the sun for a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the severity of the yellowing and the strength of the sunlight. Its not fast, but its free!
Monitoring: Check the decals every day or so to monitor progress and prevent over-bleaching, which could fade the decal colors themselves. I masked the colored portions of the decal to prevent this.
Reinforcement: Since this discoloration usually happens with older decals, the decals themselves may be brittle due to age. After bleaching, you should apply a thin coat of a liquid, decal-film product (such as Micro Scale Liquid Decal Film) over the entire sheet to reinforce them and prevent shattering when used. As always, cut closely around each decal before soaking in water.
NOTES
UV Light is the Key: The process works thanks to ultraviolet light, so an artificial UV lamp (like a nail polish curing tunnel or horticultural light) might work, especially in winter or cloudy climates. The sun is free, of course, so unless you live in the arctic or just like doing your own nails, Old Sol is the way to go.
Not A Permanent Fix: The yellowing is caused by an ongoing chemical reaction with air – oxidation. Since you can't get rid of the decal film or the paper, the conditons that cause the discoloration aren't removed by bleaching. This means the problem could return over time.
Storing the decals in an oxygen-depleted environment should arrest the process, so a kitchen vacuum sealer could become part of your scale modeling hobby! Barring that, keep them sealed in a sealed ziploc bag and use them relatively soon after the bleaching treatment.
Decal Brittleness: Sun bleaching only addresses the yellowing of the carrier film; it cannot fix any inherent fragility of old decals. Always test a small, non-essential decal (like a kit ID number) in water, first, to see if the decals are even worth using.
Alternative Solutions: If the decals are too old and brittle, or the yellowing is a characteristic of the ink itself (not just the carrier film), then you might want to try scanning the decals, and print new ones on blank decal paper. Of course, as we've already mentioned, you can just pony up for some aftermarket replacements and carry on.
Updates To Follow
At this point the burning question is: "Will this work?"
As of this writing, the decals have only been subjected to the sun bleaching process for a few days. So, I will monitor and do an update in the next couple of weeks to see how things have progressed - stay tuned!
As always, I sincerely thank you for reading and happy modeling!
Yours Truly,
David Hutton
References
1. Scalemates.com - great site for kit specific info; I sourced free, downloadable instructions for this kit from Scalemates.
2. Stevens Intl. - Hasegawa's U.S. distributor
3. ChatGPT - a place to start for info
4. Experience - I've been building scale models my whole life, on and off.
All rights reserved David Hutton, Liberty Scale Models ©2026
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