The Imperfect Image Transfer

Image transferring is the process of taking an image, logo, and/or design and replicating it onto the surface of another object. It can be transferred onto paper, canvas, fabric, and wood.

If you’ve ever done an image transfer, no matter what kind, the expectation is a perfect replica but it’s not always the case. It’s more like an old photograph that has aged over time that has a grungy faded look. But sometimes it works perfectly! I have a trick that appears to work really well!

The imperfect image transfer has its place in many beloved art journals, mine included. It can also be used as a starting point to work on top of with other mediums.

The paper transfer is done by printing an image with a laser printer that uses toner onto plain copy paper. The final transfer is a mirrored image of the original so it may need to be reversed before you print. The best images have a high contrast of light to dark values.

Glue is applied to the surface of the substrate (paper, canvas, cloth, wood) and to the image, then burnished to adhere to the surface. The most important tip is to not let the glue touch the back of the image or the paper may not peel off. After the glue has dried, preferably overnight, wet the paper, let it sit for a moment, then peel off the layers of paper to reveal the image.

Make sense? You can watch my video tutorial on YouTube and see my trick! I’m also including a bonus section that shows where I find copyright-free images, change it to black and white, adjust the contrast and mirror the image. Most image transfers are done in black and white, but I discovered that color also works too!

Tip: Print copies of the image and practice first. Remember to mirror the image before you print if needed.

Have a peek at the video and give it a try! Let me know how it worked out for you.