Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post Reply
User avatar
pamcook
Posts: 20219
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:11 am
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Contact:

Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by pamcook »

I have to admit it - I've never tried a transfer technique. Thought I'd post this early in case any of us have time to play today. I know some of you do various transfer techniques - please post them here. I don't have an inkjet printer at home so I can't do this particular one but here are the instructions.

Print a color image on light weight photo paper with your ink-get printer.
Use watercolor paper for the base.
Dampen the background with water.
Place your printed image face down on the damp paper - use a brayer to really rub it onto the paper.
Peel off the photo paper.
That's it - the image should have transfered to the watercolor paper.


Technique #2 -
Print your color image on light-weight photo paper.
This time apply gel medium to your background watercolor paper.
Brayer your image (face down) onto your card.
Gently peel off the paper.

Technique #3 - same as #2 but use muslin for your background instead of watercolor paper.
Pam Cook #48
Ruth Ann Landry

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by Ruth Ann Landry »

from LOTS AND LOTS of experience and experiments with transfer methods, i will add that toner copies work much, much better than laser copies with transfer methods.
you can also try:
1. packing tape transfer
2. gel medium transfer..put gel medium on substrate and apply copy face down and burnish, burnish, burnish...let dry and use water/rub method to remove paper from transfer.
3. heat transfer: mini iron may work...I have a heat tool that you can also use in sewing and fabric projects that gets REALLY hot. lay copy face down on substrate and apply heat slowly over copy....this works really well.
4. caulking method...use clear caulk and do the same as in method #2. this works quite well, but leaves a plasticky surface.

I'm sure I could dig up lots more...I have an art journal full of experiments!
User avatar
pamcook
Posts: 20219
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:11 am
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Contact:

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by pamcook »

Ruth Ann -
Could you please give us the instructions for the packing tape transfer? I know you've shown it before but for those of us with no experience with transfers, it would be really helpful!
Pam Cook #48
Ruth Ann Landry

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by Ruth Ann Landry »

place clear packing tape over top of a toner copy and burnish well. wet paper thoroughly and rub paper from tape with a finger until all paper is removed. The image should remain on the packing tape and there is usually enough "sticky" left on the tape to adhere to substrate.
Ruth Ann Landry

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by Ruth Ann Landry »

BTW....for those of you that have Claudine's sticky back canvas...did you know you can use that to do easy transfers? you can even transfer the design from cardstock and patterned papers as well as photo and laser copies....just put face down on the sticky back canvas, burnish well, and use the water/rub method to lift the design onto the canvas.....caution, unless flipped, words will appear backward....
User avatar
mpizzazz
Posts: 10316
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:33 pm
Location: Urangan, Australia

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by mpizzazz »

When it says use lightweight photo paper, they mean it! I tried the thinnest I have and the emulsion layer was still too thick. I had to do a lot of rubbing and spritzing with water to get the back paper layers.

I had better luck with some thin glossy printer paper. I had to use the gell medium as water didn't do anything. I printed images from the CD Pam sent me in my Valentine Box and they are beautiful so I may have to do the packing tape transfer on the ones I can't cover up the backward greetings.
marianne
#57 in the order of PAO

Our travels
http://ratbagp.blogspot.com
User avatar
mpizzazz
Posts: 10316
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:33 pm
Location: Urangan, Australia

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by mpizzazz »

I really don't know why I continue to try transfer techniques. Maybe because when you stop it feels so good. Or it could be like the Holy Grail-you know it's out there so you keep looking. The only time I have ever had transfers turn out consistently well is doing the transparency water technique on fabric that Lesley Riley did in ClothPaperScissors.

Ok, I feel better now so here are the attempts I did using BB's directions.

First I printed several images from the CD that PamC gave me for Valentine's Day. They printed beautifully and are gorgeous but my photo paper was too good a quality. Then I did a page of a quilt design on poor quality glossy printer paper and they did better.

1 and 2-are the quilt design on glossy paper. The first one was really bad but I put the Crackle Paint that Pam also gave me over it and it crackled nicely, rubbed some ink on it and it will be a background for something.
2-I colored a bit with oil pastels since I turned the color down to save on ink when I printed out the design.
3, 4, and 5 are images from the CD.
3-I transferred on a paper with text using the gell medium. Looks somewhat better in real life due to the glare on photo but not much.
4-I ended up doing packing tape for this one because it does usually turn out better and I hated to waste the image. The problem with packing tape is the picture looks great while it's wet but when dry you see all the paper you didn't get off. I solved that problem by coating the back and the front with glossy accents.
5-This one I ended up doing the layers of gell medium on the front and then rubbing off the back layers of paper. It's the same idea as packing tape but much slower. Also added some oil pastels to highlight the colors.

Oh, my extra tip of the day, on the gold German Scrap on #3, alcohol takes off the gold color and then it is silver underneath. Handy to know this if you want to change the color. I rubbed it with black alcohol ink so that's how I know.
Attachments
BB Transfers and more
BB Transfers and more
Transfers Efforts.jpg (154.39 KiB) Viewed 2207 times
marianne
#57 in the order of PAO

Our travels
http://ratbagp.blogspot.com
User avatar
pamcook
Posts: 20219
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:11 am
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Contact:

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by pamcook »

LOL! I love your description of the "joys" of working with transfers almost as seeing the results.
Beautiful pieces dispite the traumas of the process. :clap:
Pam Cook #48
Ruth Ann Landry

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by Ruth Ann Landry »

I have never used anything but lightweight copier paper...never photo paper as it would be too heavy to remove well with the water method. As for the fuzzies that remain after you/ve wet and rubbed the paper several times, try rubbing something like microglaze over the image when it's dry. the waxy substance makes the fuzzies disappear and the image remains very clear.....Here is a photo of a couple transfers I did (and I've done tons more). The one on wood was done with a toner copy on text using gel medium and transferring to wood. The oval one is a photo of my grandmother and was done using that heat tool you see...it's called a Fabric tool and gets really hot. the secret to the water/rub method is to be patient and not rub the entire image off.
Attachments
2006 04 27 001.JPG
2006 04 27 001.JPG (32.68 KiB) Viewed 2187 times
User avatar
mpizzazz
Posts: 10316
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:33 pm
Location: Urangan, Australia

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by mpizzazz »

Thanks, Pam!

Yes, I agree with you about the photo paper, Ruth Ann. I thought maybe Bernie knew something we didn't know but I would go with ordinary paper, too. Back when I was doing the transfers for the quilt, Lesley Riley was recommending some photo paper called Jet Print Matte photo paper which was cheap and worked. I think I got it and tried it but then settled on the transparency technique to get consistent results.
I guess the microglaze would work like the glossy accents did to make it all clear. I'd like something else though as I don't like the glossy finish. Is microglaze what CS was selling? I wonder what other waxy thing would work.
marianne
#57 in the order of PAO

Our travels
http://ratbagp.blogspot.com
Ruth Ann Landry

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by Ruth Ann Landry »

microglaze is a judikens product...and i love it..i also use it to coat the outside of all book covers that i make from cardstock as it gives the paper a protective coating so that the book will not get fingermarks and such. Don't know if a tiny tiny dab of petroleum jelly would work or if it would be too greasy...prob worth a try, if it's a tiny smidgen.
User avatar
pamcook
Posts: 20219
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:11 am
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Contact:

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by pamcook »

With Bernie's technique, you don't rub off the backing. You lift up the photo and the image should be on the background paper - according to her instructions.
Pam Cook #48
ChristyB

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by ChristyB »

here are 2 I did a little while ago.
The top is an ATC using an old pic of my Dad
the bottom is ~5x7 piece in my art journal. And looking at this piece again only reminds me of how true it is.
Attachments
3334467681_eaf785de44_m.jpg
3334467681_eaf785de44_m.jpg (23.46 KiB) Viewed 2164 times
3323755645_78d874d25a_m.jpg
3323755645_78d874d25a_m.jpg (35.65 KiB) Viewed 2165 times
User avatar
mpizzazz
Posts: 10316
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 2:33 pm
Location: Urangan, Australia

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by mpizzazz »

pamcook wrote:With Bernie's technique, you don't rub off the backing. You lift up the photo and the image should be on the background paper - according to her instructions.
Riiiiiight! 'Should' is the word, but I don't ever see it happening especially not with just using water. I know that inkjet prints are not waterproof and when they get wet they smear. So they should come off, but it just doesn't happen that way for me. I think there are too many variables-printer, paper, etc, etc.
marianne
#57 in the order of PAO

Our travels
http://ratbagp.blogspot.com
User avatar
pamcook
Posts: 20219
Joined: Wed Nov 12, 2008 11:11 am
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Contact:

Re: Bernie Berlin - Transfers

Post by pamcook »

I used my Epson photo printer on plain paper with the water technique. You can barely see the image - when I took a photo, you really couldn't see it so no point in posting. The gel medium didn't work at all. I take my hat off to those of you who are able to get any image!
Pam Cook #48
Post Reply