Inkjet Water Transfer

How To

1) Paper (a page in your journal although you might want to experiment on
scrap paper first)
2) A fresh inkjet print (photos or artwork should be simple & have good
contrast and bold colours)
3) Can or cup of water
4) Paper towels
5) Burnishing tool (smooth rounded objects such as wooden spoon, ice cream
stick, rounded end of scissors, etc.)

An inkjet water transfer is fairly easy to make but there are many variables
that affect how the end result will look. You have to experiment a bit and see
what works best for you.

Using a large brush or sponge dampen the paper with clear water. The surface
should be fairly wet, but water should not stand in puddles. Remove any excess
water with the sponge or paper towel, and then lay the paper flat.


Carefully lay your inkjet face down on your wet paper without shifting its
position. Next, using your burnishing tool carefully burnish the back of the
inkjet print. Be careful not to rip the paper by burnishing too hard. When
you've burnished the entire image carefully remove the print.

You should have a light or ghosted image on your journal page. How wet you
make your receiving paper, and how hard or softly you burnish can make a big
difference.

These transfers have a soft pastel look and you can add handwriting to the
page or work with soft values using color pencils. You can also make multiple
transfers with a new print or the same one.

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