Transferring image to metal

Darrell

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Because it's part of the forum software packaged and there's no way to easily remove it.

Can it be labeled as "preferred" or "less preferred" as an identifier?

on subject, I have the Brother HL-L2340DW Laser, works great!
 

Andrew Biggs

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So far I am drawing directly on the metal but I keep rubbing bits of it off when I make a pass. It's pretty frustrating.

Then once you have drawn with a pencil, go back and lightly scribe the lines. That way you don't lose anything.

I use a scriber with a slightly rounded tip that doesn't scratch the metal. It burnishes.

When you have made your main cuts, lightly sand with the grit paper backed by something solid.

Cheers
Andrew
 

monk

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I appreciate the recap of an old conversation, the direction, and the clue in about the search function.

At this point I want to use a graver to put my art on metal. I had hoped not to get too bogged down in transfer methods.
Sounds like there is a lot to learn there too.

:) Imagine my surprise to learn that being a metal smith meant I had to know the internal workings of office equipment.

Thanks for the heads up. I'm off to FedEx to see what printers I can get my hands on to test.

please be aware-- not all printers lend themselves to the transfer task. the reason is the type of ink or pigments that the printer uses. i use an old hp inkjet that uses a #92 black. works very well using a variety of techniques for transfer.
 

mitch

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Transferring printed designs certainly has its place, but please don't think it's mandatory. Many of us draw directly on the metal, which is how we learned back in the day. I caution all my students not to become slaves to transfers. If you do, then you are putting huge limits on how far you can go with this art. If you're just a hobbyist and just want to have fun engraving, then that's fine. If you're going to get serious with it then drawing is an absolute must.

sometimes we make a transfer of something we ourselves drew on paper first. i often work out a design on paper, clean it up to a usable pen & ink line drawing, then reduce it back to actual size for a transfer. using transfers does not necessarily mean we're not using our own designs/artwork.
 

dhall

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Quick and cheap to keep transfers from rubbing off - a couple of spritzes of cheap hair spray (unscented, hand pump, not aerosol).
 

BarryB

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I use a laser printer and tape cookie baking sheet to the paper. You only have to tape it on the in-feed side. Dab a little Damar varnish on the metal and hit it with a heat gun until it's tacky. Then lay the transfer on that. The good thing about the cookie sheet is that you can see through it just enough to position the artwork accurately. I use a pencil to rub my lines on, and you can see that the line has transferred too, which I like. Then I hit it with a very light shot of hair spray and dry that with the heat gun. It is almost always a perfect transfer, and it won't rub off. It's almost like it's painted on there. I learned this method from Tom Sterling.
 

Tira

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If you do get a printer that works with acetone try a Q-tip instead of a cotton ball to transfer the design. For me it seems to hold just the right amount of acetone and the stick part allows for a slight pressure to slightly burnish the design onto the metal. Usually this results in less bleed.
 

Sam

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sometimes we make a transfer of something we ourselves drew on paper first. i often work out a design on paper, clean it up to a usable pen & ink line drawing, then reduce it back to actual size for a transfer. using transfers does not necessarily mean we're not using our own designs/artwork.

Very true, Mitch. Thanks for the reminder.
 

Crazy Horse

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Then once you have drawn with a pencil, go back and lightly scribe the lines. That way you don't lose anything.

I use a scriber with a slightly rounded tip that doesn't scratch the metal. It burnishes.

When you have made your main cuts, lightly sand with the grit paper backed by something solid.

Cheers
Andrew

I've had this problem in the past and my solution was to buy a small (Travel) can of hair spray and just give the metal a very light spray with it after you are finished drawing. The only disadvantage I found was that you cannot draw over the spray should you want to change your design. Other than that, it works just fine.

(If I had enough hair I'd use the hair spray on myself.) ;~)
 

monk

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If all else fails, and you don't want to buy A new printer- clean metal surface with alcohol after lightly abrading with 2000 mesh. Print or photocopy your lettering/drawing onto 45gsm Bank Layout paper available from any artists supplier, you may have to carefully tape it to your heavier 80 gsm normal printer paper for it to go through your printer. Lay down a thick layer of artists 'Multi Medium Matte' ( which is a weird kind of gel glue mine is from Ranger Ink) on your metal and laminate the mirror image down onto it with a brayer using heavy pressure.
Do this in the morning, then after lunch soak it in hot water with detergent, then in the evening rub the disintegrated paper fibres off with your fingers. Takes all day to get your transfer done and only on flat plate but permits me to use a printer that doesn't work with other methods

what is, "bank layout paper"? never heard of such paper.
 

Steve L S

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what is, "bank layout paper"? never heard of such paper.

Sorry Monk, I only just spotted your question today.It is a relatively inexpensive light weight paper used by artists for quick sketches Here is a link to Canson's Bank layout pad http://kadmium.com.au/canson-45gsm-bank-layout-a3/ This is the one I prefer. There is an even lighter version 40 gsm made by another manufacturer but it is crinkly and is very hard to get straight. If I am in a hurry I put the "sandwich" in my heat press on low for half an hour, but usually leave the transfer to cure overnight.

I should add in my work I rarely engrave or etch anything other than plaques ie flat plate
 

myxlplyk

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I have several Brother printers and the acetone method works with any of them. The acetone is nothing special.

Tape down the print.

Here is the important part - use something like a 1/2" thick x 2" wide x 6" long piece of metal or plastic. I have a piece of polyethylene cutting board. On the end I have several layers of fabric, about 3/16" thick. Double it back and use wire to keep it on there. Soak that in acetone, then push VERY FIRMLY on the paper and swipe across where the pattern is. You might need to experiment with how you do this part. I know what works for me. Then, immediately blow on the paper, or better yet use a compressed air nozzle to gentle blow on the paper and evaporate the acetone. Works great for me. Have something dark you need to put a pattern on? Use a color laser printer and print your pattern in yellow.
 

tdelewis

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Acetone works only with a laser printer or photo copiers that use a toner. Understanding how to transfer images requires some understanding why the process works. A laser printer uses a toner that is a plastic powder. The powder is laid on the paper by a static electric charge. It is then heated to melt this thin film of plastic so that it adheres to the paper. You must have noticed that the paper from a laser printer or photo copier is warm when it comes out of the machine. When the printed image is laid on the metal and the acetone is rubbed over it some of the plastic is dissolved and stays on the metal surface. Inkjet printers use a ink with pigment and acetone will not dissolve the pigment. Once I let some acetone get on one of my plastic cases. It melted a hole in it. So, be careful where you lay those acetone soaked papers. With inkjet printers you must print on a surface that will not hold the printed image well. Using a transparency sheet that has a very smooth surface or baking parchment paper that is coated with silicon. Bakers use parchment paper so things don't stick. My suggestion is, experiment. If you don't have a laser printer take your printed material to a friend or someone that has one and get it copied or printed out on a laser and also an inkjet. Try different methods until you find one you like. I think that is what most of have done. Everyone has a different method that they like. You might searching using the Prismacolor method. I like it but for doing practice plates I just use acetone. Prismacolor 40% grey marker only, not any Prismacolor marker will work.
 

dave gibson

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Another method of transfer is to use a Carbon Paper type method. Not sure if carbon paper actually works or if it's still available but "Saral" transfer paper is easy to find and works fine. You can even make your own transfer paper by blackening a piece of tracing paper with a soft lead pencil then smearing it around with mineral spirits. Simple as taping your design to the metal, slip the transfer paper between and retrace over your design. Saral sticks pretty good without smearing, a fixative spray coat to protect the transfered image is OK too.
 

jerrywh

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I use a HP inkjet printer and genuine HP ink. I print the image onto Mitsubishi Pictorio transparency film after sizing and reversing. Then transfer it to the metal using tom white's transfer fluid. You can also use shellac thinned with alcohol. Thin at least 50% or 1:1. I get flawless transfers and can see exactly were to put them. The printer needs to be set for black only and glossy paper with fine resolution.
 

dave gibson

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I think it's good to bring up old questions every so often to see what's new, to see what others are using. There's alway new people coming to the forums, some are old dogs with old tricks that we don't all know. Of course the Site Search can supply tons of information but there's usually no lack of response every time this subject comes up again.
 
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