Emulsion-Type Transfers

These pix illustrate yet another way to make transfers from your inkjet printer using Jet Print Photo Multi-Project Glossy paper. I get this inexpensive paper at my local Walmart, but you can evidently order it online. (This is the same paper I talked about using for gel medium transfers and water transfers).

As you can see from the second picture, this particular mode of transfer results in an actual transparent film very similar to a Polaroid emulsion transfer. As an aside, let me say that I only use Epson printers with Durabrite inks; I'm not positive that this would work with other printers (like HP) whose ink runs in water.

Step One: print your image out on the Jet Print Photo paper. It doesn't need to be reversed, as in most transfers, because the emulsion will lift off the paper and can be placed down just as it was on the original.

Step Two: Coat your image with Golden Soft Gel Gloss Medium. I usually do four coats: horizontal strokes, vertical strokes, and both directions of diagonal strokes. Let this dry for at least overnight. This is the part I'm not good at. I don't like to wait.

Step Three: Trim the image so that it has a smallish margin around the edge. Then soak it in a pan of water, checking it occasionally until you can begin to separate the emulsion from the paper. This is not peeling off just a section of the paper. What you should be pulling off will not be opaque. Treat this gently and don't let it get folded back on itself, as it will stick. Unless, of course, you like that wadded-up look, in which case you don't need to be careful...

I usually let this sit on a non-absorbent surface to dry a little bit, as the medium may have absorbed some water.

Step Four: Attach this emulsion to whatever substrate you wish to use. In this case, I'm going to mount my digital photomontage "Visitor" to a canvas using acrylic medium. You can underpaint the canvas before you attach the emulsion, or even collage under it.

So, to summarize: You need the following materials:

JetPrintPhoto Paper, Multi-Project Glossy
Golden Soft Gel Medium Glossy (Other mediums may work, but they really should be glossy, as whatever makes it glossy also makes it more stretchable).
Digital image that you want to transfer to another surface
Inkjet printer

Any questions, let me know.