These are my favorite methods of transferring images:
Acrylic transfer: Nearly any gel, medium or acrylic paint will lift an image. My preference is soft gel gloss and matte medium. Golden or Winsor Newton are my favorites. Images printed from a laser printer, toner based photocopy or ink jet printouts either on paper or transparencies work for this method. If I’m using an ink jet printout I use my Epson printer with Durabrite inks otherwise the transfer will fade over time with other inkjet printers. This method is good for paper, wood, fabric or organza ribbon.
Xylene transfer: Xylene (Home Depot) and old rags. *This method is toxic I do it outside wearing a respirator and thick rubber gloves. Please read warning labels as well. Toner based photocopies or laser copies and a burnishing tool. This method is good for paper, wood, fabric.
Caulking transfer: This is hands down my favorite transfer technique. It is very consistent and the final outcome is very stable and clean. Especially in assemblage pieces. For this you need Clear caulk. I like Elmer’s Squeeze ‘N Caulk is fabulous - no odor. I buy mine at Ace Hardware. Toner, laser or ink jet printouts and a burnishing tool. This method is good for paper, wood and fabric.
Heat transfer: A finishing or tacking iron, clothes iron or a heat transfer tool that comes with some wood burning kits. Toner based copy. This method is good for wood and glass.
Some Tips:
Remember to mirror the image in the copy machine or your printer if there is text or it will come out backwards.
For acrylic transfers, I usually take the image I am wanting to transfer and lay it image side up on a piece of wax paper to keep it from sticking to the table. Apply a healthy coat of medium to the image you are wanting to transfer. Note: If I am using an inkjet transparency as opposed to a paper printout. I apply the medium to the surface I want to transfer to instead of applying to the transparency.
Remember to only apply it to one side of the paper - the side with your image. Begin smoothing the medium out across your image. Make sure to not leave any globs. You can use a brush if you would like. I use my fingers as it is easier for me to get a feel for how much medium is on the paper. It takes awhile to figure out the right amount of medium. Basically, you don’t want it too thin but you also do not want it to be too thick.
Once you have coated the entire image carefully lay it down on the surface you are wanting to transfer to. Smooth it out with you hand. And holding it down a bit at least until it adheres begin to burnish it across the back starting from the middle. I use circular motions and just work my way to the edges. You want to press down with a fair amount of pressure but not so much that you distress the image underneath. Also, you don’t want the image to move - this can happen if you have too much or too wet of a medium. At this point I like to set the piece aside to dry for a few hours or overnight. You can speed this up with a blow dryer or heat gun. However, If I am using ink jet transparencies it’s not necessary to wait for the piece to dry. With an ink jet transparency, after about a minute or so of burnishing I pull up a corner and peak to see if the image is transferring well. Burnish more if it is not fully transferred and lift off the transparency if it is. Voila you are done if you used an inkjet transparency. If you used a paper printout then onto the next step.
When I use a paper printout I like to set it out for a few hours or overnight to let it dry. When it is dry I take a wet but not dripping washcloth and lay it across the back of the paper that I am transferring from and let it sit for a minute. Slowly and lightly I begin pressing the washcloth around the paper until is becoming more transparent and I can see the image underneath. Starting in the middle of the paper I take my fingers and slowly rub the back until the paper starts to come up. Working slowly and occasionally applying more water when needed I rub the entire back until another large layer of paper is gone. At this point as the image dries there is usually some bits of paper left leaving a sort of white haze. I usually leave this for 10-20 minutes, letting the newly surfaced image dry out again. I then start this process of wetting and rubbing over again until I have gotten all the paper bits off and the image is crisp and clear.
