Decal on finished headstock - major reflection from certain angles

[Stratastrophe]

Hi all. I'm new to finishing, and currently experimenting with applying a decal to a finished headstock. I've been spending time reading among these and other forums, and have been spending time practicing with spare decals and clear poly on blank wood panels. I have read advice on tips for blending edges, as well as ways to "soften" decals via either vinegar/water solutions or using proper decal softeners (Microsol, Solvaset, Mr. Mark Softer, etc.), and the sanding/clear coat process.

I recently experimented with putting a decal straight onto the back of the headstock of a finished headstock, as a test to see how it would look. This is sort of one step further in my experimentation, so I can observe and learn before trying any real actual finishing.

The decal has not had any clear coat put on top of it yet (as I don't intend to keep this one - it's just a trial). I have noticed that the decal looks pretty good when looking straight on, but under certain angles of light, the entire decal gives off a massive reflection - not just the edges, but the whole decal. As part of my learning process, I am trying to determine if this shine/glow is due to any of the following:
1. "Silvering", i.e., the adhesion is not good enough and/or there is air trapped behind the decal. (So this might be mitigated with use of a softener for future decal application trials)
2. It's a "coat mismatch", and would eventually fade as if I were to go through the clear coat and sanding process (something I will eventually do but not until I've got my processes much more fine tuned).
3. It's just the decal film itself - either too thick, or wrong material, etc.. In this case, I'm guessing I would need to obtain decals from a different supplier.

I would appreciate any insight you could give me into this. I know this decal isn't the greatest to begin with - the printing isn't perfect, it wasn't cut perfectly, etc., but for the purposes of this exercise just ignore that. I'm first just trying to determine where the shimmer/shine is coming from.
Photos linked below:

https://imgur.com/a/xN8zaHQ

Thanks very much for your support!!

 

[bagman67]

I think your decal just has a different surface sheen from the neck. I should expect that adding clearcoats to bury that sticker, followed by sanding/polishing, should alleviate the reflection.

 

[Stratastrophe]

I think your decal just has a different surface sheen from the neck. I should expect that adding clearcoats to bury that sticker, followed by sanding/polishing, should alleviate the reflection.

Thanks a lot for the response, much appreciated! I dabbed a tiny little spot of rub-on gloss poly into the middle of the decal (just on the decal surface, none on the headstock) to test whether it might clear it up to a similar sheen as the headstock. It's been about half a day, and sure enough, when I hold it up to the light now, the area of the decal with the small dab of poly is now totally transparent, the same as the headstock! I think this confirms your response as correct, which is good news - at least I can rule out the quality of the decal film as well as the transfer/adhesion process. Next up is further playing around on some blank wood panels with clear coats and sanding. I'm sure I'll be back with additional questions as I get further into this hobby. Thanks for the advice!
CB

 

[stratamania]

Please err on the side of caution and avoid talking about the application of decals, regardless of type or intent, as the information could be used for what falls outside the forum rules.

* Counterfeiting. Do not post content that facilitates counterfeiting. This includes links to other sites. For example, posting instructions on how to affix Fender decals to non-Fender guitars is forbidden. It does not matter whether it is being done for profit or personal use.

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[Spud]

Please err on the side of caution and avoid talking about the application of decals, regardless of type or intent, as the information could be used for what falls outside the forum rules.

Ya dammit!

 

[Stratastrophe]

Please err on the side of caution and avoid talking about the application of decals, regardless of type or intent, as the information could be used for what falls outside the forum rules.

I did consider this, but this is a case of applying a decal that was originally present on this model of guitar - I clearly don't have the skills to fake that serial number, which you can look up to verify the model. I get it though, point taken.

 

[stratamania]

I did consider this, but this is a case of applying a decal that was originally present on this model of guitar - I clearly don't have the skills to fake that serial number, which you can look up to verify the model. I get it though, point taken.

Many thanks and welcome to the forum. If we can help with anything else, on topic, we generally do so.

I am sure the intent was well-meant, though it is one of the stricter rules, and so I would not want new members falling foul unintentionally. The below linked thread was an example where that happened and has been cleaned up but provides more info.

Advice for clear glossing over a headstock decal...

Now to be clear right out of the gate: This is NOT for those unsavory practices involving faked guitars... Rather I've got a partscaster I'm building that isn't mainly Warmoth parts so rather than the Warmoth Metal decal I'm applying this: Clearly not fender, but holds the look nicely... My...

unofficialwarmoth.com

 

[aarontunes]

Welcome to the forum @Stratastrophe! Glad you our here. As others have already mentioned, please tread with extreme caution on this topic. We are about as close to the line as we can get ATM.

 

[Spud]

Does this push things over the top?