Transparencies on Metal

I often like to use picture or photos in my metal work especially on Journal Covers. I think adding a photo makes it more personalized and it certainly adds a touch of colour when using artwork transparencies. If you have painted beautiful artworks or made some great mixed media textures you can scan these and incorporate it with metal! I have also applied this technique on white porcelain tiles and Verday reactive paint and you can see the video on my website “How to Videos”

I do not have a fancy printer-just a regular HP Office Pro Inkjet printer and the method of transparencies on metal is quick, clean and super easy. To appease my very frugal dutch ancestry I make sure to fill a whole page on a Word document by inserting rows of pictures and sizing them to fit my project. These pics are usually about 3 x 5 cm. I then print this word doc onto the rough side of a 3M Multipurpose Transparency sheet that you can purchase from Staples, Office Depot, or if all else fails Amazon. The sheets are somewhat costly so you might want to make sure that you fill your whole page-hence the Word Document crammed full of pics.

Once printed I tape a full sheet of the Ten Seconds Studio Humungo Killer Adhesive on the back of the transparency (rough side) . You can also use the Scorpad/Sook Wang/Be Creative Tape but it is a little more “cloudy” and not as clear as the TSS one. You can then cut out the image you need. Remove the backing tape and stick it on the metal. Make sure your metal base is shiny and clean to offer you that reflective quality through the transparency. Your picture is protected because of the transparency film but if you wish you can always throw some Ranger Glossy Accents over it or if you are feeling really industrious and have time to watch “paint” dry…some Envirotex Pour On for a super glassy look finish. Because your photo is not on paper the resin will not stain it and no pre-sealing is required.