Elements in the interior made of wood make it more elegant and attractive. This decor can be made with your own hands. The most simple option will become a wooden board with a pattern applied to the surface in accordance with a certain technique. To make a product correctly and beautifully, you need to know exactly how to transfer a design to wood in several ways.
How to decorate a tree with drawings
There are several techniques in which a drawing can be projected onto wooden surface. In every situation, it’s worth knowing exactly how to transfer a drawing to wood:
- Burning with special device. The drawing is clear and embossed. The contours are noticeably limited; you can create a shadow or shadow transition effect.
- Decoupage is the most popular and simple technique creating a drawing. As a result, the image can be colored or black and white, the drawing can be of any complexity.
- Wood carving requires a sketch that is projected onto the surface using several methods: using carbon paper, redrawing, relief copying using sharp tools.
You can partially combine several techniques in one work. This is possible provided that the person has artistic talent, which will help to abstractly imagine the result of the work.
Preparing the wooden surface
Before transferring a design to wood at home, it is worth preparing the surface correctly. Both the work process and the result depend on the quality of the wooden base. The service life is also directly determined by the quality of wood preparation.
Wood surface preparation:
- Choose correct tree. It is best to work with pressed sheets of plywood, chipboard and other analogues, but also natural material quite suitable.
- Decide on the parameters and shape of the wooden base. Immediately get rid of excess parts and sand the edges.
- The surface itself should be smooth and even. For this you should use grinder, A hard to reach places handle sandpaper or a file.
- Only then is a sketch of the image itself prepared for transfer.
Thus, preparation consists of three simple steps that even a child can do.
woodworking
In order for the burning procedure to be carried out quickly and efficiently, it is necessary that the pattern on the surface of the wood be as accurate and high-quality as possible. Several methods are used to transfer an image to a surface. The most popular option remains transfer using a carbon copy.
How to transfer a design to wood for burning using carbon paper:
- You need to take a sheet of carbon paper. It is advisable to use paper that has been used more than once.
- Place the carbon paper with the ink side facing the wooden surface. Place a sheet with a pattern on top and secure the structure with tape or tape.
- Use a graphite pencil to trace the lines of the image. You need to work carefully, limiting the interaction of your hands with the paper as much as possible.
- After completing the tracing of the lines, remove the layers of paper. The drawing for burning is ready.
This method is very reliable, but requires special care in execution. During the translation process, carbon marks may remain, which are almost impossible to clean from the surface of the wood.
Drawing without carbon copy
In order to learn how to transfer a drawing to wood without a carbon copy, you can use several methods. Each one has a different set of tools and materials, but is simple in terms of implementation.
Image transfer methods:
- Graphite print. Take a simple pencil with a soft core and trace the contours of the drawing on paper. Rotate image to wooden base and press quickly without moving. In order for the graphite to be printed well, you can run it over the paper with a hard roller or a plastic strip.
- Thermal transfer. First you need to select an image taken on the right device. Using thermal action, a photocopy or printout made on a powder printer will be printed. Place the back side on the wooden base and heat the paper with an iron.
- Reprint using white spirit. The picture must be printed on laser printer or copier. Attach the sheet with the pattern to the wood and wipe with white spirit. It is worth applying a little product to the cotton pad so that the paper does not become soggy.
There are other options, but the principle of implementation is much more complicated and requires more time and money.
Preparing wood for carving
To form an image on a board or plywood, you need to know just a few basic rules. If the work is done incorrectly, the carving process can become significantly more complicated.
How to transfer a design to wood for carving in order to comply with all the rules:
- Apply a grid onto the surface of transparent paper. The size of the cage will depend on the required size of the pattern.
- If you need to create an ornament, then apply part of the image onto tracing paper and fold the sheet in half. Trace the image onto the other half of the tracing paper with a pencil.
- Symmetrical design can be achieved by using carbon paper.
The method of transferring an ornament or image can be used from the options presented above. The main thing is to lay the sheet with the applied ornament so that the direction of the pattern coincides with the location of the fibers.
Decoupage technique - a simple option for transferring an image
Often not only production is required interesting jewelry for the interior with an image on wood, as well as a more practical use of technology. Knowing how to transfer a drawing to wood, you can restore old furniture, do wooden element designer.
To realize such ideas, the decoupage technique is used. The principle of such work is simple and does not require special skills or availability unusual materials or tools.
How to transfer a design to wood using PVA glue using the simplest algorithm:
- The prepared surface must be coated with PVA glue. The layer should not be too thick. Strokes should be made smooth and uniform.
- Place the design on the surface of the wood and carefully straighten the paper. It is necessary to expel the air and position the edges of the cellulose base.
- From above, coat the image again thin layer PVA. Wait until everything dries and duplicate the layer again.
Further processing is chosen in accordance with the preferences of the “creator”.
Additional finishing
After you have transferred the design to the wood and completed secondary surface treatment, it is worth considering your options further processing surfaces.
There are several options:
- Cover with varnish.
- Paint it.
- Prime.
- Leave the product untreated.
- Laminate.
Additional decoration includes making a stand, frame, pendant for finished product. Here you can show your imagination and skills.
I want to add a couple of nuances when using colorful magazines. Apparently, temperature plays a role here first rather than pressure. therefore, using denser pages increases the warm-up time. but the temperature is more uniform and the heated area lasts longer. Thinner sheets have several disadvantages. 1 this laser printer jams thin paper SOLUTION to pass a sheet of regular 80 paper together with a thin sheet
2. thin paper It warms up faster and therefore, in addition to your stencil, a magazine drawing can also stick to the workpiece. SOLUTION It is necessary to control the transfer of the stencil without overheating the sheet too much or simply neglecting it if the drawing does end up on the workpiece. In principle, it does not interfere in my case because I use it for cutting. and then followed by sanding with sandpaper. If, however, the cleanliness of the stencil is still necessary, then experimentally select the temperature of the iron. Because the toner adhesion temperature is lower than the paint peeling temperature.Here is an example of overheating.
Here is an example of a more precisely adjusted temperature
here is the media sheet from the top second photo. you can see how almost 100% of the stencil design has peeled off, but the magazine design has not been damaged
The work shown in the example was done for a person who is interested in aviation, so the photo for processing was chosen to correspond to his favorite topic. You should choose a photograph that is suitable in its content and mood for the person for whom this work is being prepared. Above is a before and after image.
Step 1. Materials needed for work
Below is a list of all those necessary materials that were used. You don't necessarily need this entire list in your specific work. You can get creative and replace some materials with others.
Here's what it took to create this work:
- Printed photograph;
- Wooden plates, same size as photo;
- Gel Medium (gel based on acrylic paint);
- Brush for applying gel to a wooden board;
- Spatula or knife to evenly distribute the image;
- Wood paint and fabric (optional);
- Pigment;
- Sandpaper;
- Wax for smoothing and compacting the applied photograph;
- Wax brush;
- Hanging bracket;
- Brackets for fastening (since two planks were used).
Step 2. Image search and processing
At the first stage of creating a picture, you have to find, process in a graphics editor and print a photograph. Please note that the example used a color photograph, good quality, and the result was monochrome painting made to look antique. To ensure that your photo does not come out too noisy when printed, the original image must be of high resolution. We create monochrome and the effect of an old photo using a graphic editor, such as Photoshop. At this stage, you completely form your future picture. How you make it now will determine how it will look when finished.
Step 3: Print the Photo and Find the Wood Plate
Having prepared and processed the image, you need to print it. Decide on the size. The example shows a work of 20x30 cm, that is, A4 format, and perhaps this is the most best option both in price and in size, to do more will cost more and take longer, to do less will result in the work being too small.
Finding the right wooden plaque is a little more difficult than printing a photo. It is quite possible that you will have to go to several hardware stores to do this. There is a more expensive one, but convenient option– you can make a plate the right size and custom format. But again, this option may cost you a lot more. You can also take two plates and combine them together, as shown in the example.
Step 4: Apply gel to wood plate
Let's get straight to work. Applying gel to wood is the most crucial moment in creating a painting; the final result depends on how well you do it.
Carefully apply a small layer of gel to the entire surface of the board. If you apply a layer that is too thick, the picture will look unsightly; if you apply a layer that is too thin, it simply won’t adhere and will sag in some places. Try to make the layer as even as possible over the entire surface. Once the gel is applied to the board, it's time to transfer the image. I must say, this is as complex and meticulous a process as applying protective film on your phone screen, it requires enormous concentration and nerves of steel. Air bubbles will appear during application in any case, so try to smooth the picture as much as possible and eliminate bubbles. You can smooth it with a spatula, but very carefully so as not to scratch the photo. Also, for this purpose you can take a ruler or fabric; this option is less “traumatic” for the image.
After you have transferred the image to the plate and got rid of any air bubbles, leave the painting overnight and make sure that no one touches it until the next day.
Step 5: Remove paper from wood
Now you need to get rid of the paper in the painting, so that only the ink from the print remains on the board. To do this, take a cloth and moisten it with ordinary water, then pass the damp cloth over all surfaces of the painting. This is quite a messy process, so just in case, it's best to do it in old clothes. In different places, paper can be removed in different ways, somewhere easier, somewhere more difficult, so it is very possible that you will be tired by the end of the work. Also, be prepared for the fact that you will not be able to remove all the paper at one time, and the process will have to be repeated several more times, with an interval of 20-30 minutes. And another small recommendation - keep a vacuum cleaner handy, because there will be quite a lot of dirt.
Step 6. Finish transferring the image
And now the most creative moment of the whole process begins. It is in your hands to make the picture the way you want it to be, to do this, turn on your imagination and get ready to work. In our example, the goal was to make the picture aged, so that it would look like a rare thing. If you want to get the same effect, look through a number of old photographs, images from the early 20th century, analyze them and start designing them.
First, apply a stain of paint to the wood and blot it with a cloth to remove excess, being careful not to overdo it. When the paint dries, rub it a little with the same rag for a more antique effect.
Now we sand the edges, get rid of excess gel and continue to give the painting an antique effect. Now we apply pigment along the edges. Using the applied pigment, you can create something like a vignetting effect, or you can add pigment only on opposite edges to create a kind of frame. To apply the pigment, you can use a regular sponge or porous cloth. The pigment package is smaller in volume than the paint package, so use it sparingly so that you don’t end up without pigment at the most crucial moment.
When additional effects using paint and pigment have been applied, we proceed to the last stage of work in this part. Apply wax to the finished image to give a glossy effect. Use a medium brush to apply a thin, even layer to the print. Just like paint, the wax must dry thoroughly. When the wax dries, go over it with a cloth to smooth the surface and remove excess. In the example, soft wax was used, so the resulting surface was not too shiny, but the surface looked smooth and beautiful.
Step 7. Hang the picture
When the work is done, the painting is presented, help the owner hang your masterpiece on the most appropriate place. If, as in the example, you used two boards folded together instead of one solid one, then you should first combine them together with two small mounting brackets, which can be purchased at any hardware store.
Then, attach two mounting brackets to the upper corners so that the painting can be hung on the wall. When attaching the brackets to the picture, make sure that the length of the screws is less than the thickness wooden plate. I wouldn’t really want to ruin all the work done because some little detail was not taken into account.
For a picture more small size You can attach a small board at the back, just like they do on frames. You don’t need to hang such a picture on the wall, but simply put it on a shelf.
Nice ordinary things“like everyone else”, with a little effort, turn it into your own, cozy, personalized. Good way– decorate them with an original design. And even if you consistently skipped art classes at school, and even draw a little worse than a fifth grader, it doesn’t matter. This simple method will allow you to decorate all the textiles and wooden surfaces in the house with funny designs. And please your friends with original gifts.
Authors of a resource popular among designers shutterstock offer to try simple technology home printing. It is available to every owner laser printer. Or someone who is not too lazy to go to the nearest copy center and print out the desired design. This method will allow you to easily transfer the image to a fabric or wooden surface.
You will need:
Acetone (or a nail polish remover based on it);
Cotton pads;
Plastic card;
Scotch;
Ruler;
T-shirt/fabric/wooden surface on which the design will be transferred;
Desired image.
Step 1: print the picture on laser printer in a mirror version. Jet printer in this matter a bad helper, because... does not guarantee even distribution of ink, which will be reflected in the final result. The darker the original image, the better.
Step 2: put the sheet down face down onto a fabric or wooden surface. It is advisable to secure it on one side with tape so that the picture does not “run away”. Soak a cotton pad or brush in acetone and carefully wipe the back of the design until the paper becomes wet.
Step 3: take plastic card and using it as a scraper, go over the entire back side of the drawing. It's like you're rubbing it in. First from bottom to top, then from top to bottom, repeat several times. Do not press the “scraper” too hard so as not to tear the print. The main rule is that all this time paper with an image should be damp with acetone. This will help the design adhere to the fabric or wood.
Step 4: Gently pull back the edge of the sheet with the image and evaluate how the “imprinting” process is progressing. When the drawing is completely transferred, remove the paper.
In this tutorial I will show you 5 in various ways prints on wood. These are great methods that will allow you to make custom designs such as signs, plaques, gifts, or simply brand your creations.
Step 1: Gathering materials
Materials:
- pine board
- Liquitex gel medium
Step 2: Setup
I tested 4 methods for transferring a design from paper to wood and one method using a technique. On each board I used the same image, which had my logo with a large block of text, a picture and regular sized text, so for each type of application it would be clear how well the wood reacted with different options application.
All pictures were printed on my laser printer (not inkjet). I also mirrored the image so that it would appear correctly on the tree.
Step 3: Method 1 - Acetone
The first method is to use acetone to transfer the toner to the wood. All you need is acetone, a paper towel, nitrile gloves to protect your hands, or you can use an old plastic card. When working with acetone, be careful and read the safety instructions.
I placed the mirrored image on the plywood and wrapped it to secure it in place. Then I dipped a napkin in acetone and placed it on the picture, pressing it firmly on top.
After several repetitions, the toner transferred to the wood and the paper came away from the wood.
Pros: very fast, decent image quality, clean process
Cons: Image quality is average, acetone is a strong chemical
Step 4: Method 2 - Ironing
The next method is to use a regular iron. All you need to do is iron the paper. As in the last step, I wrapped the paper around the piece of wood and then ironed it, being careful not to move the sheet against the wood. I tried to press hard on the iron, and the iron itself was set to high temperature, but it seems to me that the temperature was not high enough.
The picture came out so-so, and I think it was because the iron didn't heat the paper up enough. I've heard that using wax paper can improve the situation, and some craftsmen also transfer images using a soldering iron with a special tip for branding.
Pros: the cheapest method, done quite quickly
Cons: poor image quality, possibility of burning yourself, charring wood or paper
Step 5: Method 3 - Polyurethane Varnish
The third method is based on the use of polyurethane on water based. I used Polycrylic (this is just the name of the manufacturing company, so you can buy any equivalent). You need varnish, an acid brush, a stiff toothbrush and water.
I applied the polycrylic with a small brush, trying to create thin film so that it is wet, but does not become a puddle. I then pressed the paper directly onto the wet polycrylic and pressed the paper from the center to the edges, removing any air trapped under the paper, and then moved the wood to the side where it dried for about an hour.
After the piece was dry, I wet it with water and then peeled off as much paper as I could remove with my hands. Next I took toothbrush and gently rustled it across the surface until all the remaining paper was cleaned off.
The quality turned out to be excellent! Everything except a small defect on the letter “F” looked very good. I was truly surprised by this wood printing method.
Pros: excellent quality images, safe water-based coating
Cons: paper removal is a rather messy method, takes an hour to dry
Step 6: Method 4 - Liquitex Gel Solvent
The fourth method was a gel solvent. I used Liquitex gloss, a foam brush, an old plastic card, a toothbrush and water.
The process is similar to the one in which varnish was used, the only difference is that we have a gel in our hands, not a liquid. It is better to work with gel with foam, because the brush leaves a lot of tubercles and stripes.
I pressed the picture into the gel and removed the air trapped under the paper, first with my fingers and then with a plastic card. I then left the piece to dry for 90 minutes and then scraped off the paper with a toothbrush.
This option also looked great, but there were a few pieces of paper left on the wood that couldn't be scraped off with a brush.
Pros: Excellent image quality, safe water-based gel
Cons: polycrylic is more difficult to remove, the surface becomes rough, takes a long time to dry
Step 7: Method 5 - CNC Laser
So, now let's try the technological method. I had access to a Full Spectrum Laser Hobby 20x12 and used it to print the same image. Setting up the device is very simple.
Image quality was good as expected. The only problem area was the photograph, which was difficult for the laser to copy. But the text and logo, completely black in the photo, look great.
Pros: excellent detail of text and logo, set it up and the machine will do everything for you
Cons: Expensive to buy, hard to find rentals, doesn't handle photos very well
Step 8: Apply the finishing coat and final opinion
I decided to apply finished works varnish coating to see how to change appearance products and this procedure slightly changed my opinion about each of the methods I tested.
The acetone darkened a lot after varnishing and I liked the final look much better, which is why I'm ranking this result higher than the gel sample.
The option with the iron... remained of poor quality.
The polycrylic darkened even more and looked even better. This is a definite favorite in my ranking.
The gel also darkened, but the surface of the wood was not leveled, and pieces of paper that I could not remove were noticeably sticking out. To achieve a result similar to polycrylic, I had to spend a lot more time.
Option on laser CNC It didn't darken much, but became a little more like scorched wood, and the detailing was still excellent.