Carrier Decal / Gloss Coat advice needed

[cvan]

I'm getting ready to start decaling the 1/350 Enterprise that I'm working on and need some advice from those more experienced.

My plan is to have a flat finish when the model is complete, but I will be applying a gloss coat (future) prior to decaling and weathering. My question is this:

For the hull areas that will get decals, should I gloss coat only the decal areas, or should I gloss coat the entire hull in order to maintain consistency after the flat finish?

I plan on gloss coating the entire flight deck, decaling, weathering, and then sealing with a flat coat as that is pretty straight forward, but the hull is a heck of alot of area to cover.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Chad

[Kelly Quirk]

Chad,

Always gloss coat the entire surface. If you don't, you will be able to notice a change in the reflectivity after you apply the flat coat.

[cvan]

Thanks Kelly! I had almost decided to go with piecemeal approach.

Chad