Painting/decorating a bass drum head.

[Drumquest2]

Can anyone suggest right paints , preparation etc, when putting a band name/logo on the resonant head, please?

[burn-4]

A lot of companies can print you a vinyl sticker to put on the head- obviously this will deaden the sound slightly. Or there are others that print straight onto the head but this will cost you a fair bit more.

If you plan on doing it yourself then sorry but haven't a clue where to start- word of warning I imagine it won't look anywhere near as good as buying a print/ having one printed as they use professional grade printers and ink which will obviously look a lot better than someone spraying something on with a stencil (not saying that is what you plan to do, just getting the point across).
Plus if you mess it up you've ruined the head.

Personally I'd say spend the extra cash and get it done pro that way you won't end up buying 3 new heads to experiment on

Just my 2 cents :)

[shirerock]

Originally Posted by Drumquest2

Can anyone suggest right paints , preparation etc, when putting a band name/logo on the resonant head, please?

I'm an artist drummer with a decent amount of experience in painting my drum head. I'd stay away from any sort of spray paint or thick paint for that matter. It will dampen the resonance of the head and kind of kill the wet kick to your bass drum.

Although it is somewhat pricey, I'd suggest vinyl or screen printed artwork.

These options are expensive but will will keep your kick sounding punchy and looking super cool!

[Xero Talent]

Spraypaint won't stick well on pastic heads and will likely run if not done properly.

Vinyl sticker is the way to go.

[marko138]

I just applied my band logo to my head this weekend. Turned out great! I had it printed by a friend and applied it myself.

[AndyMC]

Very nicely done, I love the curly cue stuff around the edges. Could you give details on exactly what you did?

[marko138]

Originally Posted by AndyMC

Very nicely done, I love the curly cue stuff around the edges. Could you give details on exactly what you did?

Thanks. My buddy printed the vinyl sticker. All the detail is cut out rather than printed in black ink...so what you see is the drum head showing through.

Here's the sticker itself:



I used what they call the wet method to apply it. Spray bottle of water and dish soap. I measured and measured and measured then taped the sticker down (with all paper still on) so I could see where it would be. Then I tweaked and tweaked until it was lined up exactly where I wanted it.

With a piece of tape down the center of the decal to hold it in place I lifted up the right side, sprayed the water/soap mix and removed half the backing paper.

Then used a screen printing squeegee to get the air bubbles and water out. Obviously being very careful not to get water all over my drum. I left the head on the drum to keep a nice tension on it. Then I let it dry for about 6 hours before I pulled the clear transfer paper off. Then did the same to the other side and pulled the transfer paper off the next day.

Easy. Not quick. But it looks great.