Image Transfer Gel Print Ideas by Marsha Valk

Idea One:

Any image transfer gel print that you create on thinner papers, such as regular copy paper, tissue paper, rice paper, or other lightweight materials, becomes excellent collage material.

Idea Two:

Image transfer gel prints offer an excellent means of incorporating imagery into your prints, whether it's people, animals, objects, architecture, or anything else you can imagine!

It's essential to be mindful of the sources of your images and respect copyright ownership. When uncertain, it's safest to use your own photographs or obtain permission to use images from other sources.

Numerous internet resources offer copyright-free images on a vast array of topics, providing you with endless possibilities for your prints.

Each image needs to be carefully edited and sometimes altered to achieve a high-contrast, pure black-and-white format suitable for resist image gel printing.

Idea Three:

It's entirely possible to pull an image transfer print immediately. In other words, if you're quick, confident, and aware that your paint doesn’t dry rapidly, you don't have to wait for the image to dry on the plate. This approach offers the advantage of allowing you to add a focal point or a transparent layer to an existing print without obscuring what's already on the paper.

However, the downside to this method is that if the paint does dry too quickly, you risk creating a misprint. Fortunately, there's an easy solution: Instead of using acrylic paint as the pickup layer, opt for a tiny amount of matte medium or a pea-sized amount of soft gel medium.

Idea Four:

Image transfer prints can make beautiful and unique backgrounds for all your art endeavours. 

It works best to print backgrounds on heavier paper, like Bristol. However, if you print on thinner paper, you can always mount it on something sturdier later!

Idea Five:

Even if you don’t consider yourself a painter, experimenting with acrylic paints, markers, crayons, and gouache on top of an image transfer can yield fascinating results. Not only can you use these mediums to enhance the image transfer, as demonstrated in the video, but you can also utilise the transfer as a helpful guide for painting or as a foundation for further artistic exploration. This approach remains effective even if the image transfer didn't turn out as initially envisioned!

Idea Six:

Incorporate laser prints (or other printed materials) into your artwork as stencils, masks, or texture makers. Infuse your gel prints with added personal significance by utilising photographs you've captured yourself—whether they depict scenes from your home, garden, neighbourhood, or travels!

Idea Seven:

Laser prints and magazine or book pages serve as excellent tools for incorporating text and letters into your prints. While in the video, text is primarily utilised for texture, if you desire legibility and meaningful content, consider typing and laser printing names, words, sentences, dates, and places, then utilise your gel plate to integrate them into your artwork!

Which of these ideas are you excited to try out? Or has this sparked any other new ideas for you? Share your creations with us on Instagram using #createwitheckersleys. We’d love to hear from you!