A laser print transfer is another way to enhance mixed media artwork. In my example, I wished to have a crossword puzzle from a Burmese newspaper as the background for my Buddha image. This would have taken a considerable amount of time to paint or draw on canvas. I used my cheap laser printer to print out an enlarged version of this puzzle. I wanted my image to be 10″ x 10″ and the printer uses 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper. After darkening and enlarging it in an editing program (Photoshop or get one of the free programs to download), I printed it on 2 pages and cut/taped them together on the back. This process will work on unpainted canvas but I had painted a glaze of burnt orange and applied gold leaf on stretched canvas. The process is simple: brush an even coat of acrylic matte medium on the image side of your paper and then a coat on the area of the canvas where you want it to print. Remember your image will be reversed! Once both areas are coated, place the paper on your canvas – print side down. Next smooth this with a rubber scraper, or an old credit card so that it is smooth and well adhered. Let it sit overnight! The next day, using a container of water and a sponge, wet the back of the paper and start rubbing. The paper will “pill up” and start coming away from the toner image. Once you have a thin layer of paper left, begin rubbing with your fingers. This is important, your fingers work best at this point or too much will be removed. It takes quite a bit of rubbing but it works! It is possible to transfer mid tones (grays) as well, however, my image was a very strong black.
Laser Print Transfer
