The image transfer process has become a hot topic on my blog and social media pages over the past couple years and I felt it was time for another tutorial! With every project, I learn a little something new and I wanted to take this opportunity to share my tips and trade secrets with you! Over the years I have had my fair share of transfer project fails and I am hoping that you can learn from my mistakes!
I know I've shared a lot of tedious tidbits in this video, so let's break it down in a "Cliff's Notes"
10-step version for ya!
1. Prepare your surface with a matte paint, preferably a light color, depending on your image.
2. Choose an image! This is the fun part! I will share links to my favorite sites for images at the end of this post!
3. Print your image on a laser printer (think Kinkos, Office Max, UPS, FedEx...usually the businesses with big commercial printers have laser printers but ask them, just in case!)
4. Ask for a medium weight paper, something around 26lb and make sure that if your graphic has words that the image is printed in reverse!
5. Apply your Transfer Gel with a quality brush that leaves minimal brush strokes. Apply a full, even coat.
6. Immediately put your paper image down into the gel and smooth out the backside with your hands until all of the air bubbles are worked away.
7. Allow your gel to dry for 24-36 hours (I like to give it three days, personally).
8. Dampen the back of the paper with a sponge or damp rag.
9. Use your fingers to gently rub away the paper fibers.
10. When the surface feels smooth and you can no longer see a paper film, your transfer is complete and you can either distress lightly with a fine grit sandpaper, layer on a glaze or other medium or simply seal your project with Artisan Enhancements Clear Finish, Clear Topcoat Sealer, or a Wax.
Want even more guidance and inspiration? Check out this step by step transfer tutorial on the Artisan Enhancements site!
And if you're wondering where you can get your hands on Artisan Enhancements Transfer Gel, this page will point you in the right direction!
My favorite resources for images:
Project Printable - This is where I purchased the "Flakes of Snow graphic", "Christmas Magic" and many more for Image Transfer projects. Let me just say that Samantha is not only incredibly talented but she is a super sweet gal too! Be prepared to spend a good hour or two perusing her gorgeous graphics. And...you won't believe how reasonably priced they are! By the way, she is not paying me to sing her praises...I just really love her work, and enjoy doing business with her!
Verdigris Studio - Most of my favorite "Vintage Women" color images were purchased from Rebekah. The colors are amazing and the images are sharp! Her prices are also incredibly reasonable, and she has a wide variety of graphics to choose from. Check her out!
The Graphics Fairy - And of course there's The Graphics Fairy site where the images are all free! This angel graphic is by far one of my favorite images I have downloaded from this site. This particular project is from the transfer tutorial archives and you can check it out here if you'd like!
I sincerely hope that you feel inspired and empowered to try this image transfer technique if you have not already done so! Please feel free to pin the below image so that you can easily return to this post for future reference.
Thank you so much for your sweet visit today!
Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda
