Photo transfer to wood

[Randy Rizzo]

Got a project going that’s going to need a photo transferred to wood. Been doing a lot of research, and I’m ready to give it a go. Going to do it on scraps to test it out. The process involves an inkjet printer, white glue, etc. One thing I’ve not seen, how can the image be removed if you botch up the job on your finished piece? Obviously, that will be part of my testing process, just wondering if any of you have been there, done that, and what kind of results you got with removing the image.

[Lee Schierer]

If the glue is wet, the ink from the inkjet will likely bleed...

[Kev Williams]

I tried this once with a photo of some parrots and some scrap bamboo flooring, I was surprised at how well it worked!

What I did was to put an 'empty' address-label sheet in the printer and printed it on the slick side, then just laid it onto the wood and pressed it down. It ended up smudgy, because I didn't really know what I was doing ;) --I think I used a vinyl-sign squeegie to press the paint onto thewood, and the paper probably moved and I probably used too much pressure on the squeegie. Maybe some flat styrofoam with a little weight on top set gently on the print, and a little time to dry would work...

As for testing, instead of wood, unless you have a ton of it, try paper or cardboard...

[Jim Koepke]

If you haven't already seen this on WoodWorking for Mere Mortals, then you may want to watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=bdo64-wo63Q

If you have seen it, you may want to review the process.

The transfer part comes at about 6:10.

If you first attempt comes out poorly, you can likely clean things up with some light planing.

jtk

[Randy Rizzo]

If you haven't already seen this on WoodWorking for Mere Mortals, then you may want to watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=bdo64-wo63Q

If you have seen it, you may want to review the process.

The transfer part comes at about 6:10.

If you first attempt comes out poorly, you can likely clean things up with some light planing.

jtk

Thanks Jim, I’m going to try a couple of different application methods. My concern is, if I manage to mess up the application on the finish piece, how do I get it off. Planing is not an option. A chemical such as lacquer thinner, acetone, etc may/may not work. I’m not sure sanding would get all the pigment out of the wood. Just wondered if any have tried this and what did/didn’t work to remove the inked on image. I did a transfer years ago, using a tissue paper transfer along with lacquer, and thinner. My first attempt was satisfactory, but I’ve been unable to repeat. Beginners luck? I’m doing another pet urn for my daughter’s pup who recently passed, and she wants a picture on the urn

[Bill Dufour]

Ball point pen ink comes off with soaking in rubbing alcohol. No idea if printer ink will do the same. Best to use 180 proof so no water to affect the wood. Probably try acetone or similar before alcohol since they have no water..
Bill D

[Ron Citerone]

My nephew somehow used a laser printer to put a family house pic on a project and it turned out awesome! He actually had it done at a public library.

[Keith Outten]

Not the same process but I used to use LaserJet prints and transfer them to wood with an clothes iron. Very simple process and the results were quite good. Sanding will remove just about any transfer, how much sanding depends on the type of ink and the wood species.

[miki samor]

it sounds interesting, i do not hear about it before

[Roger Feeley]

Laser print toner is really a very fine plastic powder. It stick to the paper electostatically and then it’s baked on to the paper.

i would think that the paper used would affect the transfer a lot. You want something shiny that doesn’t hold the toner very well. I wonder about silicon parchment baking sheets.

ive been playing with sublimation. A special ink gasifier at around 400 degrees and dyes the substrate. You can have the sheets made. There are people on Etsy that will do it for under $2.

[Mike Null]

Roger
I'm sure there are many ways to do this but the two I have experience with are dye sublimation and color laser transfer. For wood, CLT is the better way. This involves using a color laser printer with transfer paper. Typically, you press this for a minute or two at about 300 degrees F. Let it cool and peel the transfer paper.

Dye sublimation is done at about 400 F and requires both sublimation inks and a polymer substrate.

[Yonak Hawkins]

My nephew somehow used a laser printer to put a family house pic on a project and it turned out awesome! He actually had it done at a public library.

Ron, I need to know more about this. They did it at the library ? Would you ;ask your nephew for more information ? Thanks.

[Ron Citerone]

Ron, I need to know more about this. They did it at the library ? Would you ;ask your nephew for more information ? Thanks.

Will contact him, he is in CO and I am in PA. The public library there has a printer that they print stuff on, I think he said it took 15 minutes. Will call him when I get a chance, hopefully in the next several days and post.

[Yonak Hawkins]

Will contact him, he is in CO and I am in PA. The public library there has a printer that they print stuff on, I think he said it took 15 minutes. Will call him when I get a chance, hopefully in the next several days and post.

Thanks....

[Ron Citerone]

Thanks....

Here is what I got. I really don't understand it, because I never did it myself.

He said " I used a computer controlled laser engraver with software capable of dithering."

I asked if it worked right from the photo and he said. "The machine I used was able to accept it as a .png.

He said some machines work differently though.

Hope that helps.

Ron