Iron Transfer Method

I can't speak for others. I can just describe what I do.

. . . copy the image I want to carve using a toner ink copier.
. . . place my carving rubber (pink stuff) on a hard surface, not the ironing board (too much give).
. . . place the image on the rubber and cover with a handkerchief.
. . . set the iron to "steam" and "cotton"
. . . press the iron onto the handkerchief (first press steams the paper onto the rubber, keeping it from moving)
. . . move the iron across the image, checking the image occasionally, until the entire image is transferred
. . . remove handkerchief and paper (some of the paper usually sticks to rubber)
. . . rinse stamp under water -- I gently rub the paper as I rinse, and it pills and washes off
. . . dry and check stamp -- rinse again if paper remains
. . . carve
. . . scrape black toner off with fingernail

It's nice when no paper sticks, but that's rare. Even when it sticks, that's not a problem. I know that many will offer suggestions (lower iron heat, no steam, no hanky, etc.) and I have tried most of those suggestions; but, i get the best image this way. Your call.

I've included a scan of one stamp ready to carve. You can see where I scraped a little of the toner off. It leaves a stain.



Mama Cache

So one more question: I print the image on a laser printer. Do I immediately iron or wait awhile? Then, I iron straight from the backside of the image to the stamp material. Correct?

You can transfer immediately or wait. I have a stack of images in a drawer...when I'm ready to carve, I transfer the image. Well, this is MY preference, but I just apply the heat directly to the back of the image. Some will advise using a cloth in between the iron and the image.
Again, this is just me(!) but I have more success without the cloth. The trick is moving the iron pretty quickly but allowing the heat to penetrate. You may be better off using a lower temp to start until you figure out the heat/pressure/time you need to successfully transfer. So far...no totally melted out carving material and no damaged iron!
Good luck!

Wow! That's an amazing image! The pink stuff is definitely easier to transfer to. I haven't used it in awhile but just got a new piece and transferred 3 images last night in about 5 mins. I don't use steam, though...I will have to try that!
Thanks!

OMGOODNESS... YOURE AMAZING! :) NEVER THOUGHT OF THIS METHOD. I CURRENTLY AM FINNISHING OFF MASTER CARVE SO I CAN GET THE GOOD STUFF, WILL THIS PROCESS WORK WITH THIS STUFF?

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So one more question: I print the image on a laser printer. Do I immediately iron or wait awhile? Then, I iron straight from the backside of the image to the stamp material. Correct?

In my experience, a fresh print is better than an old one, but I have transferred images that I've had sitting around on my carving table for years (literally).

I also think that the ironing method works a little better for white PZ Kut than for orange, though lightly sanding the surface before trying the transfer helps. There seems to be some sort of residue/film/extra-pressurized carving material on the blocks as they emerge from the extruder. I have washed them all with soap and water, but that doesn't always completely cut the resistance that I feel on those blocks. I'll bet Kirbert's acetone wipe would do the same thing as the light sanding to condition the carving surface.

Webfoot (who would rather be carving than playing with databases today...)

I CURRENTLY AM FINNISHING OFF MASTER CARVE SO I CAN GET THE GOOD STUFF, WILL THIS PROCESS WORK WITH THIS STUFF?

I have no idea. ;-) I have enjoyed carving on MasterCarve before (all six sides . . . fun) but I think I transferred using a combination of pencil transfer (for lettering) and pencil freehand for most of the rest.

If it carves like butter . . . will it melt like butter, too? ;-)

Just don't know.

Mama Cache

Thank you, thank you, thank you to both Pasta Mom and Mama Cache. I needed someone to walk me through and you both did a beautful job of it.

Mama Cache, that image is beautiful. I know it will be a work of art when you are finished.

The iron on method will probably help me a lot. I do not have a problem with the pencil method on simple images, but could definitely use the help with details.

Thanks everyone so much!

I used the iron transfer method over the weekend with some new pink carving material.

I found that after I applied the heat to transfer the image (this part worked well). The texture of the carving material seemed to change a bit and was harder to carve than the areas where no heat was applied.

Has anyone else every experienced this?

Mama Cache, that image is beautiful. I know it will be a work of art when you are finished.

That image is an assignment! I have two sisters who actively letterbox and four children who are excellent carvers for their ages. My mother handed out copies of this sweet bird to us -- she is holding a carving contest.

There is no use protesting, though. I'm not really thrilled about the contest aspect of the carving, and I'd rather have seen some variety and not the same image for each of us. But, I'll honor her request. It is due on the first of October. ;-)

The little bird looks so nice as he is. Hope I don't butcher him!

Mama Cache

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The little bird looks so nice as he is. Hope I don't butcher him!

I think he'll be even nicer as a stamp. :)

And the idea of a contest sounds fun to me, but I'm a competitive person by nature.

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For those that don't use the pencil transfer method, would you take these steps?

1) lightly sand the surface as Webfoot suggested
2) transfer the image (with iron or acetone or xylene)
3) ink entire surface with dye ink
4) let it sit long enough to stain the surface
5) rinse off ink, leaving a light ink stain
6) carve

On the presumption that the acetone or xylene may take the tint right off, perhaps. I generally tint the entire surface first and then transfer the image, but I'm using the inkjet/plastic sheet method which won't remove the tinting.

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I generally use an iron for transferring my images -- I use a hot iron (most recommend warm) and go back and forth over the image several times quickly...

You guys who use the iron method: Have you tried different types of paper? I'm thinking that some types of paper may release the image easier when ironing. I'd think that whatever they use for iron-ons would probably be best. It's sorta like wax paper, isn't it? That might not work, but perhaps tracing paper would work better than regular paper, being thinner and smoother.

sitting around on my carving table

ooo Webfoot, I am jealous. YOU have a carving table!!!

I like the iron transfer method better than the acetone method. It seems to leave less paper behind. But, that could be just me. I am rather new at this.

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ooo Webfoot, I am jealous. YOU have a carving table!!!

Well, that's sort of a glorified name for it -- it's a hollow door parked on a couple of sawhorses with an oilcloth tablecloth thrown over it and couple lights clamped to the edges. Then, there's a bunch of paper and ink and pencils and carving tools and images waiting to be carved (not to mention PZ Kut nerdles) cluttering it. ;-) It works, though!!

Webfoot

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If it carves like butter . . . will it melt like butter, too? ;-)

Didn't for me. Surface turned hard like it had vulcanized, and chunks stuck to everything. I'm sure the iron was a bit too hot, applied a bit too long, or both... 8((

The times I have tried this method since then, I got the photocopies somewhere else and they have not transferred well. So at the moment I'm just doing pencil transfers.

*sigh* ok, well ill just stick to the pencil pethod for now. thanx so much :)

Bambi wrote: "I CURRENTLY AM FINNISHING OFF MASTER CARVE SO I CAN GET THE GOOD STUFF, WILL THIS PROCESS WORK WITH THIS STUFF?"

FWIW, I love MasterCarve! (Cuts like butter, LOLOL!) I copy the image with a cheap HP copier, (#20 HP ink cartrige, black ink) then transfer the image to the MasterCarve using NON-acetone nail polish remover on a cotton ball. This method has worked very well for me.

BTW, I prep the carving medium first by lightly wiping with a cotton ball moistened with the non-acetone nail polish, then wiping with a dry cotton ball before immediatly transferring the image. And I've used this method with the pink stuff, too. (I have also found that a brief once over with extra fine sandpaper helps with conditioning the pink stuff to accept ink without blotching/pooling, an unnecessary step with the MasterCarve.)

Your milage may vary,
Connfederate

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I'd think that whatever they use for iron-ons would probably be best. It's sorta like wax paper, isn't it? That might not work, but perhaps tracing paper would work better than regular paper, being thinner and smoother.

I would encourage people to be very careful about what kind of paper they send through a laser printer. Any sort of waxy paper is bound to leave a residue on the toner that is going to shorten its useful life, possibly very quickly. Sending an ink jet iron-on sheet through a laser printer is a recipe for disaster, I have seen it happen. You would not believe the blank stares one receives when a roller from a laboratory printer comes out with the Hot Wheels logo transferred onto it. There may be a iron on or transfer sheets suitable for sending through a laser printer or copier, but I am not familiar with them.

I am curious about the ink jet transfer method. I have not seen the tutorial for this yet, and I am still playing around with transfer methods. I have had good luck with the pencil method on Orange A grade PZ. Sunnyside Mama made off with the rest of the PZKut, so I will have to wait until I can afford another order to try some of these other methods out...

Sunnyside Seeker

that is also an awesome way to do it....wow, i am going to try it...thanx!!! :0)

Okay... so I thought I would give this a try. So, how long does the 6th step usually take?

....move the iron across the image, checking the image occasionally, until the entire image is transferred

I must've been ironing for at least 5 min, and I only have a faint reddish image. Some of the ink is starting to speckle on, but the rubber is starting to stink and it's almost too hot to touch. I don't dare leave the iron on it any longer. Am I doing this right?

HPL

Unfortunately, this method doesn't work with all toners. They're making them different now so that the toner doesn't always transfer well. I don't think it's supposed to take that long.

Knit Wit

I'm gonna give it one more try (without peeking at it so much!) and if it doesn't take I may get a photocopy made to see if that toner's better. This one came from a laser printer.

Thanks,
HPL

I have to confess, that being new to LBing and reading about how some feel about stamp carving quality, NOT being artistic in anyway made me shy away from wanting to carve stamps.... then I read some threads about iron transfer and I thought "if I choose easy patterns... how much trouble could I get into?" I wanted to thank Mama Cache for her easy to follow iron transfer method.

. . . copy the image I want to carve using a toner ink copier.
. . . place my carving rubber (pink stuff) on a hard surface, not the ironing board (too much give).
. . . place the image on the rubber and cover with a handkerchief.
. . . set the iron to "steam" and "cotton"
. . . press the iron onto the handkerchief (first press steams the paper onto the rubber, keeping it from moving)
. . . move the iron across the image, checking the image occasionally, until the entire image is transferred
. . . remove handkerchief and paper (some of the paper usually sticks to rubber)
. . . rinse stamp under water -- I gently rub the paper as I rinse, and it pills and washes off
. . . dry and check stamp -- rinse again if paper remains
. . . carve
. . . scrape black toner off with fingernail

I used a sheet of paper instead of a hanky, but this method worked great for me. Well, *grinning* the image transfer did great.... now I just have to practice, practice, practice to get a "great"stamp.

great art isn't necessary; just make it a cool picture on the stamp (quirky is cool, so is an unusual subject for the picture), with a cool location for the box, and a neato clue.