Gel Plate Image Transfer of InkJet Images in Two Simple Steps

I've perfected this method of image transer to capture both the soft colored details and the higher contrast areas of an inkjet printed image. You will need an inkjet printer, two kinds of paper for the process, your final project surface and matte medium. Leave any questions in the comments. I'm happy to answer. I made this video at the height of the holiday season - so it is not shot from my usual rig - but I wanted to answer questions I'd received after posting the artwork I had created online. Thanks for watching!
Baking Parchment Paper Sheets:
amzn.to/3mBPjSw
Canson Coated Palette Paper:
amzn.to/34u2AGs
Golden Matte Medium:
amzn.to/38mqV27
#imagetransfer #gelprinting #gelliplate

[@lauramead131]

How do you run the parchment paper and palette paper through your printer?

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

@lauramead131 use a temporary dots adhesive to attach it to copy paper as a carrier. Just run along the top edge and attach it. It will only work with your standard inkjet, like an HP, not something that has roller wheels like a big Epson, which will just jam up.

[@lauramead131]

@@SallyLynnMacDonald brilliant thanks! I have a 4 color HP printer so should work fine.

[@materialgirl338]

I printed out a few prints on hp I think its ink Jet Printer on regular copier paper its not transfering the print. I do have golden med. What am I doing wrong,?

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

A usual issue is the word regular copy paper. Use something higher quality like the hammer mill color copy digital. If there's too much recycled content in the paper it soaks up so much of the ink that it doesn't transfer.

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

And it has to be inkjet. Laser will not work for this process, and Putting pallette paper through it might also harm the printer.

[@vickigregory709]

Do you let the image dry before adding the gel medium? I tried it and my ink just smeared.

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

When you're doing this step with the pallette paper onto the gel plate, it's been sitting there for at least 10 minutes. So the ink should not be wet, but you need to apply the gel medium with as few brayer strokes as possible so that you don't move the ink. You just need to get matte medium, on in a thin layer so that it can adhere to your printing substrate in the last pull.

[@AnetteY11]

Omg this is so clever. I had seen image transfers onto lino using the backing of sticker paper but this would also work and save my abusing stickers just for the backing! Thanks so much!

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

Yes, it would be far less expensive than sticker paper as well. Enjoy!

[@totalaccesscaptioning6194]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do this video. What is the purpose of separating out the dark color and printing it separately? Why not just print the entire thing on the palette paper? Thanks.

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

Palette paper really only gives you the deepest darkest details. And if you try to print the dark details on the parchment paper the ink bubbles and becomes indistinct because of the silicon treatment on the paper. But parchment gives you amazing results with the fine and light details including colours, or just line work. So that's why I break up the steps.

[@vonaldautterback8831]

Thank you, Sally! Any advice for those of us that do not have Photoshop?

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

Absolutely. There is a wonderful program called Photoshop Elements that I use for simple editing like this: www.adobe.com/products/photoshop-elements.html

[@johanvanhuyssteen9217]

This is awesome. Thanks for sharing

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

You are so welcome!

[@marcelamaha4547]

Thanks for sharing! What kind of paint is that? Acrilic paint?

[@marcelamaha4547]

Does it work with couche paper?

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

​@Marcela Maha no idea. I use palette paper because it is non-stick and won't absorb the ink, leaving it available to the transfer process. While he same is true for the baking parchment paper, It doesn't work for dark ink because it just bubbles up, when it's so heavily applied like that. That's why I use the pallette paper for that portion. You get clarity AND transfer.

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

It's acrylic medium. Think acrylic binder with no color, but more adhesive quality without harming the gel plate or sticking to the paper. Matte Medium.

[@marcelamaha4547]

@@SallyLynnMacDonald Thank you!

[@johnlacy4940]

Hi Sally Lynn: Thanks for sharing. 1. Will this work with Canon Pixma (Pro9000 Mark II)? 2. Is there an easy way to make the light/dark separation using Photoshop Elements 8? 3. Will the newspaper transfer work with New York Times? 4. Do you use a glue stick to attach parchment and palette paper to the printer feeder paper? Your experiments and sharing are fantastic.

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

Generally a higher end inkjet is a no. The kind with 2 ink cartridges, one tricolor and one black tend to work like my HP. Multiple cartridge inkjets like my Epson do not.

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

Use the magic wand, NOT contiguous and vary tolerance to select darkest portions. Then Layer / New Layer via Cut, to seperate and hide as needed for printing

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

Newspaper transfer test a small section. Realize cleaning it off you will need baby/mineral oil. I don't have NYT, but my hometown Newtown Bee works great. For the same reason Silly Putty stopped working, it depends.

[@SallyLynnMacDonald]

I don't like running anything through the printer that has a 'wet' state, so I use dry adhesive roller, or painters tape in a pinch.

[@johnlacy4940]

Thanks for clear prompt responses. I will give it all a try even though the Canon has multiple ink cartridges. Just like you I have tried multiple methods with varying success.