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Read Thread: How Do You Transfer?

How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Aug 31, 2016 6:31am
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To transfer an image, I print a picture, turn it over, trace it with a pencil, toluene the paper back over, and then rub it on the stamp. It seems time consuming, and there must be an easier way. I know that people do different things and wonder if there is a process that is quick and easy.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933967 by RDHG
Aug 31, 2016 6:43am
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UtMP1hAMjwg

Also, what is not on the video, but essential to using this method:
"For this method, you must use a toner printer or copier to print your image (inkjets will not work), and the older the machine, the better. Copiers/printers such as those found at libraries often work. My home copier/printer is a Canon D420, purchased about three years ago on sale at Office Max for less than $100, and I am still on the original toner cartridge after several hundred prints."

To see the full text of this demo handout:
https://thespeckledrose.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/wintergreen-essential-oil-transfer-by-wise-wanderer/
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933968 by Wise Wanderer
Aug 31, 2016 8:25am
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It's not only easier, but it also gives you a much better transfer. The image will be SO much better and it won't smudge as you carve.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933976 by Angel and Demon
Aug 31, 2016 9:05am
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it won't smudge as you carve.

I highly recommend stamping the transferred image (before you start carving) with Stazon yellow or mustard, and stamping off the excess ink. This will "seal" the transfer lines, help you to see where you've carved and haven't carved, and best of all, you can do test stamps as you carve, with a water-soluable ink, see your progress, and rinse off the stamp without affecting the image lines.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933967 by RDHG
Aug 31, 2016 11:23am
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This very question was brought up at the Hogwarts event in Raleigh. Someone was raving about the method Wise Wanderer gave you.

I usually use laser jet prints from the library and 100% acetone nail polish remover. Then, it is just print, put it face down on the rubber, and wipe the back with a small paper towel sheet with some nail polish remover on it.

I have also printed from an ink jet on some wax paper and parchment paper. That is a delicate process with greater opportunities for smudging.

A year ago, a blender pen was added into my collection, but it has 50% success rate with me. Personally, tracing and rubbing might be faster than the blender pen.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933999 by koalacat
Aug 31, 2016 11:47am
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I am an acetone gal too. I xerox my image, then I place it on my carving block and swipe acetone on the paper. Voila.

I get my 100% acetone at Rite Aid with the other nail polish removers.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933967 by RDHG
Aug 31, 2016 12:43pm
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I use the Parchment paper method. I do wipe my carving material down with acetone first.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933983 by Wise Wanderer
Aug 31, 2016 1:04pm
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I was going to try that, but the local stamp store only carries Stazon in black!
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934003 by LROSEM
Aug 31, 2016 1:06pm
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It's that easy, huh? How do I know if I have the right kind of printer ?
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934010 by christmas6
Aug 31, 2016 1:11pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I've heard great things about that method, and I've seen some amazing transfers using it, but I haven't been able to make it work with our printer.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934017 by Sunia
Aug 31, 2016 1:29pm
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How do I know if I have the right kind of printer ?

Trial and error. There is a list (link below) but i think it is outdated. My cheap okidata printer with cheap refilled cartridge from amazon does not work for acetone or heat. But the expensive HP CP4525 printer that I, um, have access to...with the genuine $$ HP toner transfers really well. I only know that because of trial and error

http://www.atlasquest.com/about/wiki/search.html?search=laserjet;answer=1
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934016 by Sunia
Aug 31, 2016 5:32pm
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Stampeaz.com carries the yellow. Very worth it. I dont use Staz On ink, but I do use the yellow.

As for transfer, if I draw my own images, I just use pencil and tracing paper. I can seal it with Staz on and it won't budge. But when I do print an image, I use acetone transfer. It only works with my cheap laser toner, Linkyo. Does not work with my Canon toner.

However, I saw Wise Wanderers wintergreen transfer demo in Minnesota. .. and it gives MUCH better images than what I get.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934022 by Bon Echo
Aug 31, 2016 5:37pm
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See, totally opposite here. I just use really cheap toner. Linkyo, which we ordered from China, works. The new toners don't transfer. They are "new and improved and won't smudge".
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933968 by Wise Wanderer
Aug 31, 2016 5:45pm
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I was so lucky to be standing right next to her on the right! (Off camera). Now I feel like i met a famous person.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933967 by RDHG
Sep 1, 2016 4:04am
Thread (disabled) Board
I use the laser print with acetone transfer method. One thing I found recently is that success also depends on the carving material. I replaced my printer several months ago and could not make transfers with the new printer. Both are lower cost HP laser printers. Then I purchased a slab of Inovart Karve Majik (which I like a lot) and the prints from the new printer transfer to it just fine.

I get my acetone at the hardware store in a quart can. It is a lot but I use it for other things also.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933967 by RDHG
Sep 1, 2016 8:03am
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I really like heat transfer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wIEAVGVujQ
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934003 by LROSEM
Sep 1, 2016 8:37am
Thread (disabled) Board
I will check Rite Aid out sometime. Mine came from Wally World for .97, but it was hard to locate.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934017 by Sunia
Sep 1, 2016 8:46am
Thread (disabled) Board
You need a laser jet, but some don't work as well. The best option is to visit a library. They may have some older laser jet printers. One library that I used had the old laser jets that provided excellent results. A year and a half later, they replaced them with a new model and the acetone transfer stopped working.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934059 by nosox
Sep 1, 2016 9:49am
Thread (disabled) Board
The only difference form the video, is I use a smaller craft iron. It is much easier to work with then a full size iron. You can also touch up light areas easier with the small head.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933967 by RDHG
Sep 1, 2016 12:24pm
Thread (disabled) Board
If your printer image won't transfer with nail polish remover, try photocopying what comes off your printer through a copier and trying again. This is what I do. It's a two-step process, but it works great. As an unexpected side benefit, I've found that having the printer image still intact is helpful to refer to when I carve, especially for the details that may not have transferred very clearly.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934085 by Origami Hen
Sep 1, 2016 2:13pm
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or use wintergreen oil. I witnessed its miraculous powers of transfer recently. The magic was performed by Wise Wanderer.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934063 by koalacat
Sep 1, 2016 3:26pm
Thread (disabled) Board
The paint department at Lowe's or Home Depot is arguably a far better place to look for acetone. For one thing, it will be pure, pure enough to clean paint brushes, not watered-down as the nail polish removers sometimes are.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934055 by lonnewsom
Sep 1, 2016 7:15pm
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I get my acetone at the hardware store in a quart can. It is a lot but I use it for other things also.

Like what?
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934112 by Oberon_Kenobi
Sep 2, 2016 9:23pm
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Mostly removing adhesives and inks from where they don't belong. Kids!
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934097 by Kirbert
Sep 3, 2016 5:48am
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My 100% acetone from Rite Aid cost $1.99 and is a nicely sized bottle that can sit in medicine cabinet. :)

I only added the Rite Aid as a detail because my delay in trying acetone was due to the fact that I don't get to a hardware store that often and I would forget acetone every time I was there. Had I known that I could get 100% acetone a half mile from my house, I would have much sooner.

My drug store acetone is pure enough to transfer my pack and mail photo copies just fine.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #933967 by RDHG
Sep 3, 2016 6:37am
Thread (disabled) Board
Erasable typewriter paper. Not sure if that shows my age or my borderline hoarding tendencies. I have inkjet printer, I greyscale image and print, then just rub it on carving medium (OZ). I like that it gives more detail than tracing and its not wet so I can figure out how to fit it on medium without smearing.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934186 by Explorin Orren
Sep 3, 2016 10:30am
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erasable typewriter paper

How long can the image sit befor you can no longer transfer it?
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934197 by Baqash
Sep 3, 2016 12:43pm
Thread (disabled) Board
How long can the image sit befor you can no longer transfer it?

Haven't tested how long, but a day or two works. I'll do some testing and report back. I read about it on a thread probably a couple years ago.
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934207 by Explorin Orren
Sep 3, 2016 1:35pm
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Thanks
Re: How Do You Transfer?
Board: Stamp Carving and Mounting
Reply to: #934208 by Baqash
Sep 4, 2016 11:42am
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I started with pencil/rubbing,
then went to heat
then tried acetone (I still have a big, largely unused bottle),
blender pen
before finally settling on wintergreen oil.

acetone would be my third choice.
My problems with it are three-fold:
(1) the stink .. it lasts for days
(2) caustic nature of the acetone (it *WILL* ruin your table/floor if it gets on it..trust me)
(3) doesn't render as consistently a good image as wintergreen oil

blender pen would be my second choice....
pluses: ease of use, not-caustic
minuses: not quite as dark an image as quality wintergreen oil.

wintergreen oil is my top choice..
pluses: ease of use (almost as easy as blender pen)
consistently best image
pleasant residual smell (if you like the smell of wintergreen as I do).

My one caveat to using wintergreen oil is that you *have* to get the real, not the synthetic stuff.
I wasted eight bucks thinking I was getting a bargain on a big bottle, when it turned out to not be directly derived from the plant, and it did not work.