Quick inkjet transfer

 

 

This is one of the simplest and easiest ways to transfer an image, mainly because the transfer is done without applying any transfer medium and also because it is an instant process.

What you need:

• Inkjet Printer
• Standard Sheet Protector (or any other non absorbent surface)
• Receiving surface such as watercolor paper, photo paper, wood panel etc.

Inkjet or printer transfer is a very simple process. It works because the photo is printed on a nonabsorbent surface, like glassine or wax paper, the back side of the sticky labels paper or my favorite; a standard sheet
protector.

As you print your photo into a non-absorbent surface the ink will remain wet for a while. All you need to do now is transfer the image onto the receiving surface of your choice (such as photo paper, but feel free to experiment) by pressing the print face down onto the receiving paper.

Now, a few words of wisdom:
1) It is recommended, especially if you have text in the photo, to print a mirror image of your photo – otherwise the final transfer will appear to be backwards.
2) If you are using a sheet protector and it does not go smoothly through your printer, try inserting a piece of standard printer paper inside the sheet protector before printing, and then try again.
3) You can set your printer to any of the paper/media type options available for your printer, but keep in mind that unless you wish to have the ink-smudge effect, the “plain paper” option will work quite well (not to mention it will help you economize the use of precious ink).
4) The ink works well on most surfaces I tried, but if you choose to transfer to a surface that is not so smooth such as canvas or watercolor paper it is a good idea to increase the amount of ink by setting the printer to a photo paper printing.
5) Using inkjet transparency film for inkjet transfer won’t work since this type of media absorbs the ink rather quickly. However you can still use  inkjet transparencies for gel medium image transfer.

 

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ADDING A CANVAS BACKGROUND LAYER TO YOUR PHOTO

 

 

This method is a quick and simple way to spice up any photo. The best photo choice to use with this technique is practically any photo you like and want to add a special touch to.

The first thing to do is make a quick painting on canvas, and if this part of the process leaves you feeling intimidated, all I can say is: don’t be. Since all you are doing is creating a background layer for your photo the painting does not need to be a masterpiece, just something simple that pleases your eye. If it makes you feel better I, myself, had never done any painting on canvas before and had quite a bit of fun experimenting with it.
Here is an example of a simple painting I made: painting on canvas

It’s a good idea to use an unframed canvas panel no larger than 8” X 10” so it is easy to scan when it’s dry.
You can use any type of paints that work on canvas; I like to use acrylic paints since they dry quite fast.

Next, scan your work of art at 300dpi and open your photo editor.
Now, open the photo you wish to enhance and make sure your layer palette is visible (Paintshop Pro: View/Palettes/layers or F8. Photoshop: window/layers or F7).
Place your scanned canvas painting onto a new layer above the photo layer and blend both images by playing with the transparency settings until you like what you see.

You can find this photo process and many others in my new book: So Much More than Photography – eBook edition is now on sale for $10 .

Unplanned photos

I hardly ever know what pictures I’m going to take ahead of time. I grab my camera on my way out the door with much excitement and some curiosity about the images I’m going to come across that day (although the hunting feeling that I’ll never make another great image in my life is always there)
Of course there are some photographers who prefer to stage their photos and there is nothing wrong with that, but in Street Photography, there’s no need for that, especially if you’re eager to capture the energy of the streets (or maybe too lazy for big productions). Just take advantage of what’s already out there. All you really need is to keep an open eye (Ok, an open mind as well won’t hurt).
And though I often try to avoid photographing kids in public, I just couldn’t help it this time.

Simple inkjet transfer

What you need:
Inkjet Printer
Standard Sheet Protector
Receiving surface such as a glossy photo paper.

This type of inkjet (or printer) transfer is probably the simplest transfer method on hand. It works because the photo is printed on a nonabsorbent surface, such as glassine or wax paper, the back side of the sticky labels paper or my favorite; a standard sheet protector. As you print your photo into a non-absorbent surface the ink will remain wet for a while. All you need to do now is transfer the image onto any type of photographic paper by pressing the print face down into the receiving paper.

Now, a few words of wisdom (the product of my endless tries):
1) It is recommended, especially if you have text in the photo, to print a mirror image of your photo – otherwise the final transfer will appear to be backwards.
2) If the sheet protector does not go smoothly through your printer, try inserting a piece of standard printer paper inside the sheet protector before printing, and then try again.
3) You can set your printer to any of the paper/media type options available for your printer, but keep in mind that unless you wish to have the ink-smudge effect, the “plain paper” option will work quite well (not to mention it will help you economize the use of precious ink).
4) The ink works well on most surfaces I tried, but if you choose to transfer to a surface that is not so smooth such as canvas it is a good idea to increase the amount of ink by setting the printer to a photo paper printing.
5) Using inkjet transparency film for inkjet transfer won’t work since
this type of media absorbs the ink rather quickly.   However you can still use transparencies for gel medium image  transfer.

You can find this article and many other photo processes in my new book:
So Much More than Photography
eBook edition Price: $10
Kindle edition Price: $10
Print edition Price: $35 (Subscribe and receive $5 off)
Black & White print edition Price: $20
Thank you for your support!

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