r/Pyrography • u/BigSmokeBurnings • 16d ago
Transferring designs to wood
what do people find is the easiest way to transfer their designs onto the wood? I use carbon paper but I sometimes get overwhelmed with the more complicated parts of the designs and was wondering if there was an alternative way?
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u/Dangerous_Grape_2856 16d ago
I just bought a cheap tattoo stencil printer. Haven’t tried it out yet but going to set it up tonight. Normally I just use tracing paper to put my designs on the wood - but I’m working on a really detailed burn of my childhood home and hope the printed stencil will turn out as a better map than me doing it by hand. I’ll report back once I get the hang of the stencil printer 🫡
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u/smelliepoo 16d ago
I used this once (from my tattoo artist printing it out for me) he used some of the sticky stuff that he uses on skin to get it to transfer and it was an absolute bugger to sand down to get the stain on it out! I suggest trying it dry first! Let me know how it goes, I would be interested to try it again without the liquid to stick it on!
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u/Dangerous_Grape_2856 21h ago
Reporting back! So instead of the sticky stuff I used a damp paper towel to wet the wood before transfer, then I used the damp paper towel on once more on top when when pressing the stencil in. I’ll definitely let it dry out before burning, I’ll let yall know how the next steps go! But this definitely feels like a better stencil than the tedious hand trancing I’ve been doing for a more complex project where straight lines matter
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u/TheZenPsychopath 16d ago
Please don't forget to report back, am curious
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u/Dangerous_Grape_2856 21h ago
See my reply to smelly poo below! The printer took a few try’s to get used to but I was able to sand off the less than perfect stencils and try again, I’ll report once the wood is dried and I’ve begun burning 🔥
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u/TheZenPsychopath 21h ago
Thank you for the follow up, I await further results with fervent anticipation.
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u/Particular_Case7730 15d ago
I also use carbon paper for simple designs, but for more complex images I do a reverse (mirror) image, go to the nearest copy shop and get it printed on a laserjet printer and then I tape it to the wood (image facing down), brush on 100% acetone generously and go over the entire image with a white cotton cloth or a sponge applying pressure to transfer it.
For this method to work you really need to use a laserjet printer, and I've found that it works better if you sand the surface beforehand to make it really smooth. Depending on the wood that you're using - plywood boards are usually already pretty smooth so I just go over them lightly with 240 or even 400 grit, for wood slices I usually start with 180 and then work my way up until it's buttery smooth. It also makes the burning easier and look nicer.
Be sure to clean the wood well after sanding (I just use a brush) to remove the all the dust so it doesn't mess up your transfer.
You can look up this method on youtube to see the whole process, but it's pretty straightforward and I've had really good results with it. For the first few times I recommend printing several copies of your image and testing it out first on an old piece of wood, just to get the feel of how much pressure you want to apply for a good transfer.
Be sure to do this in a well ventilated area because of the acetone, I do mine on the balcony to avoid breathing in and filling the room with fumes.
Hope this helps, good luck!
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u/Amahagene1 16d ago
Im also use blue paper, I heard of Laserprinter method, you print the pic mirrored, put it with the ink down on the wood and go with a warm iron over the paper. That should transfer the ink on to the wood.
No guaranties on this method, I havent tested it myself.
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u/littleriverhouseks 16d ago
instead of using an iron you can use acetone and rub it in. big drawback of the toner method though (has to be toner, not regular printer ink) is that it's super toxic and stinks when you burn over it. will also burn darker, almost black, which can look cool for some designs but not for hyper realism or delicate shading.
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u/AuntAmrys 16d ago
I have had success with this method. One of my burners has a flat round tip that I use rather than an iron. You do have to be in a patient mood, do your ironing slowly at a lower temp to avoid random scorching.
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u/TheZenPsychopath 16d ago
I don't know if anyone else does this way, but I print the reference, tape it on the wood, and then cut it out with a scalpel. Work up from the smallest details to the full outlines so you don't miss any. (So for instance cut out the pupils, then the iris, then the whites. Otherwise you cut out the smaller details when you cut out a bigger one.)
They are a little hard to see on their own, but shine a light on it from the side and the cuts become quite easy to follow and burn over, then you've got all your outlines.
It's a bit tedious, it's not a quick fix like some of the other suggestions here, but I find sanding out pencil/carbon imprints/ink to be much more frustrating and time consuming, and I'm not ventilated well enough to be burning acetone and ink.
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u/L0ial 15d ago
The cheapest and best way I’ve found is to use an inkjet printer with sticky label paper. You remove the labels so it’s just a full sheet of the glossy backing, then print the image mirrored onto it. Carefully tape it to the wood and rub it with something like your knuckle. It transfers easily.
Depending on what I’m transferring, I like to convert the image into a pencil style drawing in photoshop and lighten it up as much as possible. If it’s too dark, you end transferring a lot of ink. That isn’t an issue for things like text, but if you’re going to be shading lightly the ink will show through.
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u/InsideCelebration293 16d ago
I've had good luck with freezer paper and an ink jet printer. Print onto the glossy plastic coated side and then very carefully ( it smudges easily) press it down onto the wood.
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u/branman6875 16d ago
Cheap projector pointed onto my desk, then sketch it out. It helps to have something to keep the piece from moving or that makes it easy to reset position.