With a minimum amount of material and time spent, you can make a memorable gift or retro-style decoration for your interior with your own hands. The tree will give the photo a special inner glow, and you will also get beautiful matte shades in the transferred frame. This is a step-by-step illustrated master class on creating real works of art with your own hands.
You learn:
— Select color images to transfer to wood;
— Work with gel medium (gel medium transfer - transfer gel, gel for transferring images; freely sold on the RuNet);
— Transfer any image to the surface;
— Competently complete the work of transferring the image to the surface.
1. Select suitable source materials.
The wooden base can be of any shape, but its surface must be perfectly smooth so that the image lies flat and without breaks in all senses. It is also preferable to use light wood, since it is this that gives that “inner glow”. A particularly light base is important for portraits so that the skin tone does not change for the worse.
As for the photograph, it must be printed on a laser printer and from the very beginning in a size equal to the size of the wooden base for transfer. Therefore, after printing, it is good to trim off the excess white paper from the frame to make it easier to work with later. The picture should normally be high-contrast (you can process the image in a graphics editor on your PC if this is not the case). But they give an excellent retro effect on the tree and the pictures are almost out of focus and with very soft shades flowers. For examples of suitable shots, see below - from bottom to top and from right to left: a contrast shot, but out of focus; the photo is out of focus and has soft tones; contrast shot in perfect focus. Wood will enhance color rendering in any case.
Any transfer medium gel can be used, but the best image is produced by a gel with a matte effect (marked “matt” on the package) and the most dense/thick consistency (marked “heavy” on the package).
Also to you will come in handy:
- unnecessary plastic roller,
- (or) a wide wooden stick (purchased at a pharmacy),
- a pair of medium-sized flat brushes for applying the composition (glue brushes),
- soft sponge or dish sponge (new),
- water in a small bowl or low glass,
- paper towels/napkins/handkerchiefs/toilet paper or thin kitchen towels,
- a small amount of oil (any liquid from the kitchen).
2. Right before you begin, wipe your wood base several times with a clean, dry towel to remove any crumbs or dust.
3. Apply a good layer of transfer gel to the surface of the wood: definitely not thin (a lot of wood shouldn’t be visible through the gel), but not very thick (the gel layer shouldn’t look like impenetrable icing on a cake either). Just squeeze the gel out of the tube or transfer it with a spoon from the container onto the wood, and then spread it in a more or less even layer with a brush (or a wooden stick, or a plastic card - whichever is more convenient for you). Don't forget to make sure that the layer on the edges of the wooden base is no thinner than in the middle.
4. While the gel is still wet, place the print side down on the gel. The photo can be cropped to a size slightly smaller (or much smaller) than the wooden base, then you will end up with a thin or wide wooden frame around the image. Using your fingers carefully (so as not to move the photograph even a millimeter, hold it with one hand and gently smooth it in all directions with the other), smooth out the superimposed photograph, slightly pressing it to the surface and removing air between the photograph and the gel on the wood. It is important not to press so hard that the gel begins to squeeze out on the sides!
5. Smooth it with your fingers, take a plastic card (it’s more convenient to use than a stick, since the first edge gives more uniform pressure) and, again holding the photo with one hand, continue to smooth the white surface of the photo with the second edge of the card.
6. After this, set your workpiece aside until the gel dries COMPLETELY overnight. Resist the temptation to hold up the photo and see what happens: you will probably ruin the work. If you work in the summer, you can also put the workpiece in the sun for a couple of hours (but not on the radiator!!) and then check the degree of drying, and this may(!) be enough.
7. After the gel has COMPLETELY dried, take a sponge, wet its edge a little in water (do not saturate it with water, just wet it) and start applying water directly to the back white surface of the photo on the tree. Do this carefully in several passes (wetting the sponge several times), first blotting the image with a sponge, and then, when there is already a lot of water on the paper, continuing to move in gentle circular movements. That is why - so that the material does not immediately begin to rub off in pellets of water - you must initially print the photo on special photo paper, and not on ordinary office paper. Make sure you are working exactly soft part sponges, and not with a hard layer for scrubbing. During this process, when squeezing the sponge into the glass, a whitish liquid will flow, and this is normal. The paper should be completely wet from the center to the edges without gaps.
8. Next, still continuing to wet the sponge from time to time, begin to roll away the wet paper from the image. Make sure you're not just working in one central zone, but also equally around the edges so that the paper doesn't rub off in one place because you might start to remove your transferred image. Don’t be especially afraid of this, rub with light pressure, and the paper will come off quickly, the main thing is not to rub one place with force, as if you were scrubbing a stain; in particular, do not rub those places where the paper is no longer there.
The paper should come off completely this way. If some areas do not want to be rubbed off, use your own moistened fingers, as they are smoother and you can feel the pressure and progress better with them.
Run the sponge over the picture without pressing to remove all the pellets down to the smallest ones, and then without pressing with wet fingers over the same surface to make sure by the texture that there is no more paper left, not even a thin layer.
Wipe the image with a clean, thin towel to remove paper “dust” and any remaining moisture.
At the end of this stage, wet your fingers again and walk again several times, but with almost no pressure, over the image, since the paper hairs probably still remain: while the paper is wet, it is not visible, but when it dries, it will become very noticeable if it remains in the image.
9. Dry the picture on the wood again with a thin towel. Set aside the tree with the image until it is completely dry from moisture.
10. As you can see in the picture below, even if you rubbed very carefully, after drying, some of the paper fibers will still “show up” in the image. You can use water again and then dry the picture again. But here's another, more effective technique for finishing the job.
With one finger, literally take a couple of drops of oil and carefully apply it to the picture in a circular motion. And as you work, you will see how these fibers simply disappear. Once you have achieved the desired result, take a thin towel (paper or fabric) and start wiping the oil from the picture with the tip.
11. If during work a small amount of gel spills over the edges of the image on a wooden base, just carefully remove the frozen lumps of gel with your fingers.
12. By and large, the work is finished. But now you can decorate the frame, for example, using a special ornamental adhesive tape with a pattern - washi-tape (freely sold on the RuNet). Here the frame is presented in the form of an abstraction, repeating and shading the colors of the image. It is also convenient for sealing the side edges of a wooden base. You can also use acrylic paint instead of ribbons. It's also worth painting over back side wood in one color.
It’s nice to turn ordinary things “like everyone else’s,” with a little effort, into your own, cozy, personalized ones. Good way– decorate them with an original design. And even if you consistently skipped art classes at school, and even draw a little worse than a fifth grader, it doesn’t matter. This simple method will allow you to decorate all the textiles and wooden surfaces in the house with funny designs. 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 out the desired design. This method will allow you to easily transfer the image onto 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 design 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 the sheet down face down onto a fabric or wooden surface. It is advisable to secure it on one side with tape so that the picture does not “run away”. Moisten cotton pad or brush in acetone and carefully wipe the back of the design until the paper becomes wet.
Step 3: take plastic card and using it like a scraper, go over the entire back side drawing. It's like you're rubbing it in. 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.
Wood is an excellent material for decorative finishing and for construction, since it is durable, environmentally friendly and adds a certain charm to the external treatment of walls and floors in rooms.
Sometimes wood is also used to place various images on it, which can serve as individual paintings or be placed on the walls as decorative elements. Having said that, making an image on wood or transferring it from a regular photograph is quite simple with some tools and common substances on hand.
Transfer Methods
But how to transfer a photo, picture or pattern onto a wooden surface so as not to spoil it, but to get a beautiful result? There are several common ways to transfer an image onto wood with your own hands.
Most often used certain type paper, drawing or photograph in electronic format, as well as prepared for transfer wooden base- a board on which you need to transfer the picture.
Methods for transferring pictures:
- sublimation paper;
- paper and iron;
- PVA glue;
- gel;
- film for decoupage.
Sublimation paper leaves an image on a wooden surface quickly. Therefore, the method for transferring an image using it does not require detailed description. Simple instructions for using it will suffice.
In all cases, before transferring a photograph to wood, it is processed in a photo editor, and only then applied to paper. Depending on the type of paper, certain substances are used to transfer the image onto wood.
Preparing to transfer the drawing
It is important to properly prepare the wood surface before transferring the design onto wood.
Preparation for transfer is usually the same for each type of transfer and includes the following steps:
- Cleared first work surface. It is better that it is light and purified. The color of the wood can affect the quality of the future design, so you need to take into account what kind of material and type of wood is selected.
- To get the perfect pattern, you need to sand or process it with sandpaper. wooden board so that its fibers do not distort the image quality.
- When translating pictures, you need to use a mirror image of the picture. In almost every case, you need to take into account the method of transferring the image, since often the correct drawing from paper requires a mirror reflection.
- Photos should be in high resolution digital form if possible. This does not always guarantee a good result, but otherwise it can lead to distortion of the drawing.
- Texts and numbers must always be mirrored before transferring the picture onto wood. If portraits or landscapes can still be left as is, then the readability of the text directly depends on the location of the text on the transfer paper.
Transfer with a hot iron
This is the most cheap way transfer the image onto a wood board. It is best suited for transferring simple images followed by surface treatment.
For this method, before transferring the drawing, you need to have a printout of the image from a laser printer, as well as a surface for the drawing that has been sanded with fine-grained sandpaper or a sanding machine.
First, the pattern or design is stretched to required sizes, and then print it out. A sheet of paper must be placed on the board in the place where the transfer will be carried out and fixed. After this, iron the paper with an iron.
To better transfer the pigment, the paper can be pre-moistened with a small amount of acetone, but you must follow safety rules so as not to inhale the fumes. A gauze bandage should be used, and the room where the image is being transferred to the tree should be well ventilated.
Typically, this method is used to burn out patterns and simple images using a wood soldering iron. The pattern can also be drawn by hand and using carbon paper to apply the design onto paper and then onto wood, or directly through a piece of paper and carbon paper onto the surface.
Transferring the image with PVA glue and gel
When transferring an image with glue or acrylic gel medium, the procedure is practically the same. It is recommended that before applying the design, degrease the surface and sand it smooth.
The difference is in the procedure for applying the glue or gel. In the first case, glue is applied to the photograph, after which it is placed on a wooden base. In the case of gel, the substance is applied directly to the board, after which an image is placed on top of it. In any case, it is important to apply the substance in an even layer, not thick, but do not leave gaps or dry spots.
After this, the surface of the photograph or paper with a pattern can be leveled, air bubbles expelled and fixed in the desired position. In this case, a roller is used to smooth the sheets, like, for example, wallpaper on the walls after gluing.
It may take 12-24 hours for the glue to dry or the gel transfer to completely transfer the photo onto the wood. After a day, the sheet can be removed. In the case of glue, you can slightly moisten the paper with a sponge so that it is better separated from the wooden surface. The glue has to be carefully rubbed off with your fingers. It will be much easier to separate the paper from the gel - just roll it up.
The gel needs to be given a little time to dry, after which it is covered with paraffin. PVA glue also needs to dry somewhat, after which it is varnished.
Transferring with film for decoupage
This is a good way to transfer images onto wood without the help of glue or gel, which already leaves quite rich colors and bright designs.
This method uses a board surface prepared with sandpaper, onto which acrylic paint is applied. white. The paint is first slightly diluted with water, after which one layer is applied to the surface of the board in the longitudinal direction, and later a second layer in the transverse direction. After this, the paint is allowed to dry.
At the same time, decoupage film is used, on which a photograph or the desired image is printed. First it is soaked in water room temperature for about half a minute. After this, it is placed on the surface of the board, and then the base is removed.
By treating the film with a sponge, excess moisture is removed from it so as not to rub the pattern. After it dries, you can use a marker to correct image defects. The board takes on its final appearance after it is coated with varnish.
From all the available examples, it becomes obvious that transferring an image onto wood with your own hands is not so difficult. Enough to have neat hands and perhaps some photo editing skills, as well as at least somewhat good color taste.
After creating a design on a tree, it can be placed in any room of the house or used as a decorative element, multiplying it several times.
Some masters have turned this simple activity into a good business. But first of all, the main task of such a transfer is a beautiful drawing on wood, the creation of a beautiful object, gift or decor that will bring pleasure to its owner.
Let's try to transfer the photo to wood? This type of creativity has been known for quite a long time, and there are plenty of master classes showing how this is done. I also decided to try my hand at this process, and today I invite you to see how I did it (I will still hide my faces under the “veil” 😉).
I will show 2 options for translating the picture (why two? More on that below...) and tell you about the mistakes made in their execution. And at the end of the master class we will compare the results.
How to quickly transfer a photo to wood
So, in order to transfer a photo to a tree, we need:
- a suitable base (I have these pieces of board)
- sander or sandpaper
- soft brush
- rubber roller
- depending on the chosen option - PVA glue or acrylic varnish
First you need to prepare a wooden base. The surface of the board must be clean and level. That's why we need a sander. The role of the latter is played by an electric drill and a special sanding attachment. By sanding the board and smoothing the corners, we get suitable form for do-it-yourself photo translation.
Keep in mind that the wooden surface has its own structure that will show through your photo. Be prepared for this.
Now let's prepare the photo. The selected picture must be printed, and always on a laser printer, and always in mirror image. My photo is slightly smaller in size than the board; I deliberately left small margins so that the wood texture would be more noticeable.
Transferring photos to a wooden surface using PVA
In the first version, I used PVA glue to transfer the photo onto wood. And not a clerical one, but a construction one. I don’t know if they differ in composition, but it seems to me that with the help of glue bought at a construction supermarket, the picture is imprinted better and the paper is easier to remove.
We cover only the front side of the photo with undiluted glue, i.e. the one we will translate.
Place the photo on the board and press it well. It is better not to move the picture (the paper may tear or wrinkle). Let it dry.
My photo on the board took a day to dry. And as soon as it dried, I immediately noticed the mistake... See?
Yes, these are either areas not coated with glue, or poorly pressed with a roller. Well, there’s nothing to do, let’s continue... We remove the paper and use a spray bottle for this.
Do not wet the paper too much; just lightly spray the surface. We only need to wet the top layer for the transfer of the photo to wood to be successful. Let the paper get wet a little (2-3 minutes) and begin to roll it off the surface with your fingers.
Attention! Never use force to remove as much of the paper layer as possible at one time. The picture will come along with the paper.
Look at the photo - all the mistakes made are clearly visible. The lack of glue at the first stage and excessive pressure when rolling the paper led to the appearance of holes in the translated photo.
Well, let's start all over again...
Transferring photos to boards using varnish
Having sanded the board again, we proceed to the second option of transferring the picture onto wood, in which we will try to take into account all the mistakes made.
In this method, I used clear acrylic gloss varnish to transfer the photo. Varnish is often used to secure an image to a base, and we also used it in a craft to preserve appearance products. First of all, I covered the inside of the print with the photo with tape, cutting it off along the edge of the picture.
We glue the photo onto the board and, again with a roller, very carefully smooth out the picture. All air bubbles must be expelled. Leave it to dry in this form. At natural drying this takes two days.
Now take the edge of the tape and tear off the top layer of paper.
Then we repeat all the procedures that we did in the first version - moisten it with water from a spray bottle and wait until the paper is saturated with moisture.
And now, lightly and gently, we begin to roll paper balls from the surface of the picture. I remind you once again - you can’t make any effort! If you feel that the paper has already dried under your fingers, you can spray it with more water. But! If there is an excess of the latter, it can saturate the top layer of the board along with the photo print, and then the drawing will be erased.
Having learned from previous bad experiences, I expanded the paper rolling into 3 stages. That is, when my fingers began to slide over the paper surface without rolling it, I stopped the process of transferring the photo to wood and put the board to dry. After the surface was completely dry, I repeated all the steps.
On last stage All I had to do was remove the few paper remnants from the base. And voila! The picture was transferred to the board without any defects at all!
Now, to smooth out the border between the photo and the wooden surface, I walked along the contour of the picture with fine sandpaper. Yes, the photo on the board will look a little faded, but that's okay.
Now we cover the entire surface of the board with the same acrylic varnish. Don't forget to brush along the grain. I applied the varnish in three layers.
Conclusions and comparison of options for transferring a picture to a tree
So, what conclusions can be drawn when transferring photos to wood? different options? I will express my opinion here based on my experience.
- When printing a photo, you need to increase the contrast a little (then the picture will be brighter)
- To transfer pictures onto wood, it is better to use acrylic varnish
- Varnish must be applied to both surfaces
- When drying the product, you must wait until it dries completely photo
- roll the paper ONLY with light movements of your fingers, without pressure
- It’s better to break the process into several stages with intermediate drying
Now, if these conditions are met, the result will certainly be successful. There is, of course, still a lot of room for activity and flight of fancy in terms of decorating the resulting image. You can come up with something to frame the picture or even a frame around the photo, make some kind of background, come up with fasteners. Here, for example, you can see how we did it, maybe some idea will come to mind... 😉
You can transfer a photo to wood using the method described above and get an interesting picture. It is quite suitable as a present for any occasion or just as a small gift surprise for friends.
PS. I have an addition to the article, with a refutation... 😉 I decided to test the theory that only those printed on a laser printer can be transferred to wood. And this is what happened...
How to translate a picture printed on an inkjet printer
I prepared the board using the method described above. I printed the photo on glossy photo paper for the jet.
All stages of transfer are similar to the previous method. The only thing is that I cropped the photo along the border of the board.
After everything has dried well (I also used a hairdryer to speed up the process), we begin separating the paper from the surface of the wood. And - oh, miracle! The photo paper came off very easily, but the image itself remained on the board! I didn't even have to wet it with water.
All that remains is to correct it a little - carefully using sharp knife, pry up the remaining pieces of paper and separate them from the image itself. All!
So, experiment and always test everything in practice. available methods. Good luck!
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, 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, this way you can decorate a variety of wooden products, starting from boxes and ending with furniture.
Finally, transferring an image onto a wooden surface can be a hobby for children and adults, and for some, a way to earn money. After all, things self made are actively being acquired 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 process, 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.
Having stretched the paper soaked in acetone to the desired size, 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 film from it. After printing the desired image on it, also prepare white acrylic paint.
It is necessary to perfectly clean the wood and also 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. Once this has happened, the dampened decoupage paper (about 30 seconds soaking in room temperature water) is placed on the surface, removing the base and rubbing with a sponge to ensure a tight seal. 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 gel, the application occurs directly on the board, well, the glue is applied to the photograph. The photo itself can be a simple printout on plain paper. If this is important to the image, it is necessary to have a mirrored version of the photo, as later the picture will take on the correct appearance. The following is the procedure:
- The wood must be thoroughly cleaned and perfectly sanded to create a smooth surface. You can use 120 grit sandpaper;
- 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 a lubricated surface, and then passed over it with a roller for a better fit, absence of folds and air bubbles. This stage is extremely important, since it determines how well the drawing will be translated;
- Leave the product overnight, then, as soon as the gel is completely dry, wet the sheet and remove it with a dishwashing sponge. 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 it left on the surface, as they may interfere with the next step - varnishing. You can use waterproof or clear acrylic varnish.
