In the variety of materials used for finishing, wood occupies a special place. This material is notable for its unique texture, environmental friendliness and natural origin. The wood itself, especially when varnished or otherwise decorated, is quite beautiful. However, at the same time, it often becomes the basis for placing certain images. Moreover, the latter can be transferred independently. And there are several ways to do this.
Unlike paper and canvas, painting on wood is something new and interesting in our design. Therefore, such paintings will attract attention, and those people who want to create an interior that can surprise can consider this particular option.
In addition, you can decorate the wood that is used directly in the decoration, making the interior that is familiar to many look completely new. In addition, in this way you can decorate a variety of wooden crafts from boxes to furniture.
Finally, transferring the image to wooden surface it can be a hobby for children and adults, and for someone it can be a way to earn money. After all, things self made are actively purchased today.
What needs to be done with the drawing and wood before transferring
- Transferring an image onto a wood surface, like any other, is in some cases impossible without the mirroring effect. In the case of an image, this is not so important, but it is better to initially make letters and numbers mirrored, so that after transfer they will take on correct view;
- Any drawing is best transferred in high resolution. During the work, blurriness may appear, and if the image resolution was initially low, this can greatly deteriorate the quality of the final result;
- The quality of the transfer directly depends on how clean and smooth the surface is. Any contamination is unacceptable, as are unevenness. In the latter case, you can use sandpaper;
- The color of the wood can also play a role in transfer. It is best to use options that are as light as possible.
Transfer with sublimation paper
A special type of paper that, when heated, can adhere to a surface, such as wood. Anything can be printed on such paper, and the process of transferring an image with its help is as simple as possible.
Ironing paper
It is often used when it is necessary to transfer images to wood for subsequent tracing with a special soldering iron and thus creating a picture. Some people draw by hand, while others prefer this method. However, the method is also suitable for creating final products, and due to its cheapness and simplicity, it is very accessible and popular.
To transfer, you need to print the desired image on a sheet of paper. The sheet itself is laid on a perfectly cleaned and smooth wood surface. In this case, the paper is moistened with a small amount of acetone, which will make the process of transferring pigment from it to wood when heated better.
Important! When working with acetone, all precautions should be taken. Remember that the material has a strong odor and evaporates rapidly. It is best to work in a ventilated area, and you should protect your respiratory system with a respirator or at least a mask. It is also important to have a fire extinguisher on hand to prevent static electricity.
By stretching the paper soaked in acetone until required sizes, we begin to iron it with a hot iron, and after a while the image will be transferred.
Transfer using decoupage film
Decoupage is becoming a very popular hobby, so many people know how to handle a film from it. Having printed the required image on it, also prepare acrylic paint white.
It is necessary to perfectly clean the wood, as well as give it a smooth surface. Next, we apply pre-slightly diluted paint in two layers. Moreover, the application directions must be perpendicular to each other.
The paint must be allowed to dry. After this has happened, dampened decoupage paper (about 30 seconds soaking in water room temperature) are placed on the surface, removing the base and rubbing with a sponge to ensure a tight fit. After waiting for it to dry, you can treat the surface with varnish.
Transfer using PVA or gel medium
Regardless of the material chosen, the process is approximately the same. However, in the case of the gel, the application takes place directly on the board, well, the glue is applied to the photograph. The photo itself can be a simple printout on plain paper. If it is important for the image, it is necessary to have a mirrored version in the photo, as subsequently the picture will take the correct form. Next, the procedure is as follows:
- The wood must be carefully cleaned and perfectly sanded to create flat surface. Can be used sandpaper with a grain size of 120;
- Processing photos with glue or wood gel. In the case of the latter, it is necessary to do everything as carefully as possible, without missing the slightest fragment;
- The sheet must be glued to the lubricated surface, and then walked over it with a roller for a better fit, the absence of wrinkles and air bubbles. The stage is extremely important, since it depends on how well the drawing will be translated;
- Leave the product overnight, after which, as soon as the gel is completely dry, wet the sheet and remove it with a sponge for washing dishes. The image is translated quite reliably, and it is not so easy to erase it. However, it is still better not to try too hard. However, in the case of PVA glue, it will be more difficult to erase the paper layer;
- After all the paper has been removed, make sure that there are no traces of paper left on the surface, as they may interfere with the next step - varnishing. You can use waterproof or clear acrylic varnish.
In this tutorial I will show you 5 in various ways prints on wood. These are great methods that will allow you to make custom designs such as signs, plaques, gifts, or simply brand your creations.
Step 1: Gathering materials
Materials:
- pine board
- Liquitex gel medium
Step 2: Setup
I tested 4 methods for transferring a design from paper to wood and one method using a technique. On each board I used the same image, which had my logo with a large block of text, a picture and regular sized text, so for each type of application it would be clear how well the wood reacted with different options application.
All pictures were printed on my laser printer(not jet). I also mirrored the image so that it displays correctly on the tree.
Step 3: Method 1 - Acetone
The first method is to use acetone to transfer the toner to the wood. All you need is acetone, a paper towel, nitrile gloves to protect your hands, you can also use an old plastic card. When working with acetone, be careful and read the safety instructions.
I placed the mirrored image on the plywood and wrapped it to secure it in place. Then I dipped a napkin in acetone and placed it on the picture, pressing it firmly on top.
After several repetitions, the toner transferred to the wood and the paper came away from the wood.
Pros: very fast, decent image quality, clean process
Cons: Image quality is average, acetone is a strong chemical
Step 4: Method 2 - Ironing
The next method is to use a regular iron. All you need to do is iron the paper. As in the last step, I wrapped the paper around the piece of wood and then ironed it, being careful not to move the sheet against the wood. I tried to press hard on the iron, and the iron itself was set to high temperature, but it seems to me that the temperature was not high enough.
The picture came out so-so, and I think it was because the iron didn't heat the paper up enough. I've heard that using wax paper can improve the situation, and some craftsmen also transfer images using a soldering iron with a special tip for branding.
Pros: the cheapest method, done quite quickly
Cons: poor image quality, possibility of burning yourself, charring wood or paper
Step 5: Method 3 - Polyurethane Varnish
The third method is based on the use of polyurethane on water based. I used Polycrylic (this is just the name of the manufacturing company, so you can buy any equivalent). You need varnish, an acid brush, a stiff toothbrush and water.
I applied the polycrylic with a small brush, trying to create a thin film so it was wet but didn't puddle. I then pressed the paper directly onto the wet polycrylic and pressed the paper from the center to the edges, removing any air trapped under the paper, and then moved the wood to the side where it dried for about an hour.
After the piece was dry, I wet it with water and then peeled off as much paper as I could remove with my hands. Next, I took a toothbrush and gently rustled it across the surface until all the remaining paper was cleaned off.
The quality turned out to be excellent! Everything except a small defect on the letter “F” looked very good. I was truly surprised by this wood printing method.
Pros: Excellent image quality, safe water-based coating
Cons: paper removal is a rather messy method, takes an hour to dry
Step 6: Method 4 - Liquitex Gel Solvent
The fourth method was a gel solvent. I used Liquitex gloss, a foam brush, an old plastic card, a toothbrush and water.
The process is similar to the one that used varnish, the only difference is that we have a gel in our hands, not a liquid. It is better to work with the gel with foam, because the brush leaves a lot of tubercles and stripes.
I pressed the picture into the gel and removed the air that got under the paper, first with my fingers, and then with a plastic card. Then I left the blank to dry for 90 minutes, and then scraped off the paper with a toothbrush.
This option also looked great, but there were a few pieces of paper left on the tree that could not be scraped off with a brush.
Pros: Excellent image quality, safe water-based gel
Cons: it is more difficult to remove polycryl, the surface becomes rough, it takes a long time to dry
Step 7: Method 5 - CNC Laser
So, now let's try the technological method. I had access to a Full Spectrum Laser Hobby 20x12 device and used it to render the same image. Setting up the device is very simple.
Image quality, as expected, was good. The only problem area was the photograph, which was difficult for the laser to copy. But the text and logo, completely black in the photo, look great.
Pros: excellent detail of text and logo, set it up and the machine will do everything for you
Cons: Expensive to buy, hard to find rentals, doesn't handle photos very well
Step 8: Applying the Finish Coat and Final Opinion
I decided to apply finished works lacquer to see how to change appearance products and this procedure slightly changed my opinion about each of the methods I tested.
The acetone darkened a lot after varnishing and I liked the final look much better, which is why I'm ranking this result higher than the gel sample.
The option with an iron ... remained of poor quality.
Polycrilic darkened even more and began to look even better. This is a definite favorite in my ranking.
The gel also darkened, but the surface of the wood was not leveled, and pieces of paper that I could not remove were noticeably sticking out. To achieve a result similar to polycrylic, I had to spend a lot more time.
Option on laser CNC almost did not darken, but became a little more like a scorched tree, the detailing was still excellent.
It’s nice to turn ordinary things “like everyone else”, with a little effort, into your own, cozy, personalized. Good way– decorate them with an original design. And even if you consistently skipped art lessons at school, and you draw a little worse than a fifth grader, it doesn’t matter. This simple method will allow at least all the textiles and wooden surfaces in the house to be decorated with funny drawings. And please your friends with original gifts.
Authors of a resource popular among designers shutterstock offer to try simple technology home printing. It is available to every owner laser printer. Or someone who is not too lazy to go to the nearest copy center and print the desired drawing. This method will allow you to easily transfer the image to a fabric or wooden surface.
You will need:
Acetone (or a nail polish remover based on it);
Cotton pads;
plastic card;
Scotch;
Ruler;
T-shirt/fabric/wooden surface on which the pattern will be transferred;
Desired image.
Step 1: print the picture on laser printer in a mirror version. An inkjet printer is a bad helper in this matter, because. does not guarantee even distribution of ink, which will be reflected in the final result. The darker the original image, the better.
Step 2: put down the sheet face down on a fabric or wood surface. It is advisable to fix it on one side with tape so that the picture does not “leave”. Soak a cotton pad or brush in acetone and carefully wipe the back of the pattern so that the paper becomes wet.
Step 3: take a plastic card and, using it as a scraper, go through the entire back side drawing. It's like you're rubbing it. First from bottom to top, then from top to bottom, repeat several times. Do not press the “scraper” too hard so as not to tear the print. The main rule is that all this time paper with an image should be damp with acetone. This will help the design adhere to the fabric or wood.
Step 4: Gently pull back the edge of the sheet with the image and evaluate how the “imprinting” process is progressing. When the drawing is completely transferred, remove the paper.
I want to add a couple of nuances when using colorful magazines. Apparently, temperature plays a role here first rather than pressure. therefore, using denser pages increases the warm-up time. but the temperature is more uniform and the heated area lasts longer. more thin sheets there are several disadvantages. 1 this laser printer jams thin paper SOLUTION to pass a sheet of regular 80 paper together with a thin sheet
2. thin paper warms up faster and therefore, in addition to your stencil, a magazine drawing can also stick to the workpiece. SOLUTION It is necessary to control the transfer of the stencil without overheating the sheet too much or simply neglecting it if the drawing does end up on the workpiece. In principle, it does not interfere in my case because I use it for cutting. and then followed by sanding with sandpaper. If, however, the cleanliness of the stencil is still necessary, then experimentally select the temperature of the iron. Because the toner adhesion temperature is lower than the paint peeling temperature.Here is an example of overheating.
Here is an example of a more precisely adjusted temperature
here is the carrier sheet from the top second photo. you can see how almost 100% of the stencil design has peeled off, but the magazine design has not been damaged
I was translating an image printed on a conventional laser printer. In the future, I'm thinking of looking for an inkjet printer for printing color images. Don't forget to flip the image horizontally. Well, I also made a small tonal correction in the bright side.
The surface onto which the image is to be transferred must be smooth. I used 120 grit sandpaper.
Main element technological process- gel medium. When I found a craft store in my city and asked the seller to give me a gel medium, he asked me a question that puzzled me: “Which one do you want?” “Well, well, on the Internet it’s written simply - gel medium. Let me translate the pictures.” Then it was the seller’s turn to be surprised. It turned out that translating pictures is just by-effect, which the seller had not heard of before, but in general the gel is used for various effects “under glass” and “with rhinestones”. From all the many gels, I chose a transparent glossy acrylic medium. It turned out he was not mistaken. The gel itself is similar to sour cream. And consistency, and color, and just as opaque.
Glue the sheet with the image and use a roller to push out the bubbles.
The idea of the method is that upper layer paper carrying the image is pasted into the medium ( liquid glass). After complete hardening (we left the workpieces to dry overnight), you only need to remove the layer of paper. To do this, the paper is soaked and rolled with your fingers. I used the hard side of the dish sponge. Here you must not overdo it and damage the image itself. But this does not pose a particular problem, the image is quite stable.
We have conducted many experiments on paper removal. The sponge showed itself with best side. But when the paper was rolled up with your fingers, a small paper pile remained, which rose when the varnish was applied.
After removing the paper, all that remains is the printer ink glued into the liquid glass. Moreover, after drying, the gel became transparent and the structure of the wood was clearly visible.
I must say, the technology is quite effective. The whole process takes two evenings. The image is translated clearly, not blurry. One jar of gel with a volume of 125 ml and a cost of 480 rubles was enough for 9 sheets of A4. The only inconvenience is that the image may be damaged when the paper is removed.
It remains only to cut off the excess.
Now, owning the technology, you can think about its application. For example, jewelry boxes or original labeling of products.
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