Paint programs (programmes) to create decals

[perttime]

I am at it again...
Need to draw decals for the colour separation line in my GG-1 Santa Fe loco.
As I had horrible pixel results in bitmap programs, I dusted off Inkscape. BTW, downloaded the current version.
Drawn the shape I need, BUT haven't found how to resize it. Anybody knows where (if) is the command?
 Obvioulsly it should also conserve the proportions, and, ideal case, show object size in cm (or inches)

My Inkscape is in Finnish, but I might remember the English terms....
If your decals are still separate individual "Objects", you should "Group" them: select everything that you want to resize.

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Then go to the Object menu and select Group.

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Now they are all one item that stays together when you resize them.
In tool row, you can select what measurements you want to use: pixels, mm, inches, etc. Next to it, there's numerical values for the size of the selected item. When you change them, the width and height changes. You can lock the width and size together. To the right, the buttons (green oval) determine how line widths, corner radiuses etc. behave when you resize.

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[loupgarou]

Thanks to everybody. I have paint, and have tried using png file type, but really need to work in vector. BTW, for the LSR Lightning in the shelf queen GB, I have VERY small sponsor logos to print, already found in EPS.
Perttime, extra thanks to you: I had missed the padlock between the sizes and couldn't resize the bloody Santa Fe lines.
Now the next hurdle is to print decals that won't disintegrate, even after 4 coats of gloss varnish. The same paper used to work well 2 years ago. 

[killnoizer]

I can highly recommend COREL DRAW for working with vector  graphics together with gif or jpg , i use different versions for over twenty years  on any computer .  The export section for different formats is very huge !

[The Wooksta!]

Make sure your resolution is high. Minimum 200dpi but ideally 600dpi for mono and 1200dpi for colour.

You can't tell with a monitor as they work at between 72 and 96 dpi.  Try printing at that resolution and you get pixelated mush.

The same goes if you're scanning decals.  Start with the highest resolution it provides.  It will take time but is worth it.

When in doubt, remember crap in equals crap out.

I've spent a good chunk of my working life as a designer and learned this the hard way.

As for varnish. Microscale's liquid decal film. Paint that over the prints and it should be fine.

[loupgarou]

Thanks for the tips.
I am using Inkscape at the moment and managed to learn the minimum necessary for the decals I need. Next hurdle is having the decals not disintegrate.
And for another project (shelf queen) discover how to put different objects grabbed in SVG from internet on the same page.
I'll have to ask the last remainig well-stocked model shop in town if he has the Microscale liquid decal, else I'll have to wait next week-end when there is a model show in Verona.

[perttime]

You can simply copy and paste objects from one file to another in Inkscape.

Usually SVG objects are actually Groups of Objects. If you want to pick one item from the group, you might need to Ungroup several times to get the individual item.

[loupgarou]

Thanks.
I had grabbed various sponsor logos for my LSR build, and need them VERY small, so needed vector files. Obviously I don't want to waste a sheet of decal paper for one item, so I am collecting images for different builds and print everything together. The "active" job at the moment are the decals for the Santa Fe, when I have a satisfying result, I'll put all the SVG in one file.