Engraving Transfer Technique

[BBennett]

Recently, I needed a much better transfer technique for a Perazzi project.
It had to be very accurate, very durable and very readable.
My design was so complicated that old transfer methods just kept me getting lost
in the maze. Bet you know how that feels.

I have posted the instructional video. to YouTube.
The name is Engraving Transfer Technique. (Go Figure)
The link is:

I sincerely believe it could be valuable to you.
Please check it out.
I truly want to share it with everyone.
It made my life much easier.

Good Luck!
Bill

 

[monk]

the result speaks volumes. a great transfer. why the fingerprint ink "pull" ? just not understanding that. tyvm for posting this.

 

[Sinterklaas]

Very well made video. Thank you!

 

[pkroyer]

Does this method require a laser printer or ink jet?
thanks
After, I posted this, I watched the video in a larger format and saw that the Grafix film was for inkjet

 

[sam]

It's a lot of steps but the results look great.

 

[tdelewis]

I have found that the acetone, laser printer method works well even for fine detail. The way you make it durable and not rub off is to use a heat gun and heat the item. It will fix the toner on the metal so it will not rub off. Heat is used to fix it on the paper it will make it adhere the metal as well.

 

[BBennett]

the result speaks volumes. a great transfer. why the fingerprint ink "pull" ? just not understanding that. tyvm for posting this.

Good question. You copy an existing engraving, using fingerprinting ink and pull it with tape. Placing the tape pull onto the DYKEM/Hair Spray layer the ink makes a exact copy of the existing engraving you wanted to copy. Once it dries, it is very durable and engraves very well. The black ink on the white surface is very readable. Thanks for asking.

 

[BBennett]

I have found that the acetone, laser printer method works well even for fine detail. The way you make it durable and not rub off is to use a heat gun and heat the item. It will fix the toner on the metal so it will not rub off. Heat is used to fix it on the paper it will make it adhere the metal as well.

Excellent points. I have used this a lot, too.
With small, complicated designs it can be too easy for me to get lost in the design, as I engraved. So, I just needed a transfer that provided the maximum readability (if that's a word)

Good question. You copy an existing engraving, using fingerprinting ink and pull it with tape. Placing the tape pull onto the DYKEM/Hair Spray layer the ink makes a exact copy of the existing engraving you wanted to copy. Once it dries, it is very durable and engraves very well. The black ink on the white surface is very readable. Thanks for asking.

It's a lot of steps but the results look great.

Thanks, Sam.
You are exactly right. Lots of steps.
While engraving, I just kept getting lost in the small complicated design.
So, just needed to see it better. I won't use it for everything.
Just like everything in our options, it's at least in the arsenal.

 

[BBennett]

Does this method require a laser printer or ink jet?
thanks
After, I posted this, I watched the video in a larger format and saw that the Grafix film was for inkjet

My printer is an ink jet. I don't know, if a laser would work well. If someone could try it and post results, it would be super.

 

[BBennett]

Very well made video. Thank you!

You're very welcome.
Now you have one more option in your "bag of tricks".
And thank you, too.

 

[oniemarc]

I used somewhat the same technique with wax paper and a laser printer. With this sheet you can actually see where you place your transfer, whilst with the wax paper it's a bit hit and miss...

One thing I noticed when using the hairspray transfers...is while you are cutting, the hairspray layer will sometimes lift off the metal, taking the transfer along. Most of the time that isn't a big issue, but when lines get really close to each other...they tend to flake off along with the bit you are cutting.

Marc

 

[monk]

Good question. You copy an existing engraving, using fingerprinting ink and pull it with tape. Placing the tape pull onto the DYKEM/Hair Spray layer the ink makes a exact copy of the existing engraving you wanted to copy. Once it dries, it is very durable and engraves very well. The black ink on the white surface is very readable. Thanks for asking.

ok tyvm

 

[BBennett]

I used somewhat the same technique with wax paper and a laser printer. With this sheet you can actually see where you place your transfer, whilst with the wax paper it's a bit hit and miss...

One thing I noticed when using the hairspray transfers...is while you are cutting, the hairspray layer will sometimes lift off the metal, taking the transfer along. Most of the time that isn't a big issue, but when lines get really close to each other...they tend to flake off along with the bit you are cutting.

Marc

Your post has very very thought provoking for me, oniemarc. I appreciate it more than you know. You have some excellent observations. It took me a good while to think it over. And I would like to offer a little of my insight.

When your hair spray would lift from the metal, it just didn't have enough adhesion, obviously. That would make sense. With the DYKEM for my selected/best results hair spray to adhere to I never had the hair spray layer lift.

The DYKEM is an alcohol based acetate. The acetate vigorously adheres to clean, bare metal, when the alcohol is driven off.

Hair spray usually has one or both of two solvents, water and alcohol.
The hair spray that worked best for me, the Tresomme, they say is water based. But, in the ingredients there is an alcohol. Must be a small percentage. Both the water and the small amount of alcohol appear to be advantageous to this method. The alcohol in the spray could help it adhere better to the DYKEM. The water base, even though, driven off, would leave the dry spray layer that could be easily activated by the breath moisture to attract the ink from the Grafix. I would think an alcohol based spray wouldn't work well. That may be why some that I tried didn't work. I haven't check them, yet.

But, the end result is what really matters. And it worked very well for me.
It is not a "be all, end all" technique.
Just another transfer method, when valuable to have.

Thanks a lot.

 

[tdelewis]

If you want a transfer with exact detail check out master engraver. Engraving Quick Tips #1 - Transfers - YouTube

 

[Jim Disbrow]

It still seems like the quality of the transfer would also be a function of the printer ink and hence printer brand. I didn't see any mention of these two important variables. Or did I miss something?

 

[oniemarc]

Your post has very very thought provoking for me, oniemarc. I appreciate it more than you know. You have some excellent observations. It took me a good while to think it over. And I would like to offer a little of my insight.

When your hair spray would lift from the metal, it just didn't have enough adhesion, obviously. That would make sense. With the DYKEM for my selected/best results hair spray to adhere to I never had the hair spray layer lift.

The DYKEM is an alcohol based acetate. The acetate vigorously adheres to clean, bare metal, when the alcohol is driven off.

Hair spray usually has one or both of two solvents, water and alcohol.
The hair spray that worked best for me, the Tresomme, they say is water based. But, in the ingredients there is an alcohol. Must be a small percentage. Both the water and the small amount of alcohol appear to be advantageous to this method. The alcohol in the spray could help it adhere better to the DYKEM. The water base, even though, driven off, would leave the dry spray layer that could be easily activated by the breath moisture to attract the ink from the Grafix. I would think an alcohol based spray wouldn't work well. That may be why some that I tried didn't work. I haven't check them, yet.

But, the end result is what really matters. And it worked very well for me.
It is not a "be all, end all" technique.
Just another transfer method, when valuable to have.

Thanks a lot.

I will have to give it a try then. After posting I figured the DYKEM must be acting like a form of primer. Makes sense that the "primer" comes of cleaner and therefor the hairspray too.

Thank you for taking the time to think about this and your reply.

Marc

 

[BBennett]

It still seems like the quality of the transfer would also be a function of the printer ink and hence printer brand. I didn't see any mention of these two important variables. Or did I miss something?

You are exactly right, Jim. One of the many variables to this method is printer quality. Mine is an Epson Work Force 7520. It produces excellent quality. I just didn't want tell tell everyone to go get a new printer. Each person to try this would need to see what the results of their printer would be.

Interestingly, the example in the video is green ink. I would bet that, if you used DYKEM blue stain and white ink, that would work, too. Never tried it. That would be funky to work on, though.....
Contrast is the goal for readability, obviously.

Thank you for bringing up an excellent point.

 

[BBennett]

I will have to give it a try then. After posting I figured the DYKEM must be acting like a form of primer. Makes sense that the "primer" comes of cleaner and therefor the hairspray too.

Thank you for taking the time to think about this and your reply.

Marc

Thank you very much. I just wanted it to be valuable to all engravers to get us all out of special problems with transfers. Let us know how it works for you, please.

 

[RhoTu]

FWIW, Inkjet printers come in two different types of ink, pigment and dye. Many but not all have pigment black and dye color cartridges. Dyes do not transfer like pigment based inks. The Epson Work Force 7520 uses pigment on both cartridges. HTH

RT

 

[BBennett]

With your permission I would like to give a bit more insight into the background of this technique.

Let me tell the ups and downs of the several weeks it took me to work it out. I want to thank each of you and, especially, Jim Disbrow this morning for getting me thinking about what you could encounter with this, and what could I do to help you.

As I started to engrave the Perazzi, I had the design I wanted. I had transferred it to the metal, vie acetone transfer from a toner copy. I just kept getting lost in knowing exactly where I was in the design, so complicated with ups and downs and arounds, etc. I could not afford to make an inaccurate cut. This could have been a cause of variables, such as metal finish, lighting, me, etc. I made an enlarged copy of the design to refer to. Just took too much time.

So, I asked myself, is there a better way to see? My obvious answer was.....could be. Let me see. I went onto the internet for answers. I was intrigue by the hair spray method. Nick Francolini had already shown me the benefits of DYKEM white. And in the two years I worked with Ron Smith he literally GAVE me more (not just transfer methods) than I could ever repay. Contrast and readablity had to be the goal.

I must have the DYKEM white background. I couldn't do a acetone transfer, as that could lift the DYKEM. Hair spray seemed plausible. I concluded I would give it try.

Jim mentioned variables, e.g. printer. There are many more. I had to overcome them. Of course, you are hand engravers. Overcoming obstacles is second nature to you. Some, when not properly overcome, affect the quality of the subsequent others.

My first try with this was on a practice plate. I did the process, hinged up the Grafix, and was utterly thankful and excited. I got some quality transfer. It was not complete. But, it did work. I thought, "This is going to be a piece of cake". WRONG!!! I knew it was possible, but cannot tell you how many failures I had after that. The variables keep getting in my way. They had to be solved.

Please see the attached file for the points about variables and things I learned.