Tracing Paper vs. Tracing Film

In this video, Daniel goes over key differences between tracing paper and tracing film, in terms of visibility, durability, smudgeability, and versatility. He also goes over tips and tricks for successfully using the two tracing mediums in your projects. Both options have pros and cons, depending on how exactly they're being used.
What are your favorite ways to use tracing paper or tracing film? Comment below!
Tracing Film: www.weaverleat...
For more supplies and project inspiration, visit weaverleathersupply.com/?ref=danielreach

[@Nonakame]

“Full transparency”. LOL! Love it! Great tutorial, really enjoy learning with you guys at Weaver. Thanks for the great content.

[@markedis5902]

Cover your cased leather with cling film (Saran wrap) and use a red ballpoint pen to go over the lines of your pattern printed on plain paper. The red lets you know what you’ve done and the cling film stops the paper getting wet. I keep all my patterns in soft copy and print out as needed. Cheap and easy use once solution.

[@larrycumba2741]

You can use butcher’s paper instead and skip the Saran Wrap. Still prefer film. It allows you to center the pattern on a circle or any odd shape besides a square or rectangle.

[@bfinney479]

Thanks for the tip about layering by putting the words, etc. on seperate pieces of film! Brilliant!!!

[@wild-radio7373]

I had no idea!♡ I am enjoying your videos very much. Also, say hello to Chuck for us!❤let him know that we love and miss him :)

[@DanielReachCreations]

Thank you! Really glad you're enjoying the videos! Chuck hasn't gone anywhere, and hopefully he's making videos for Weaver for a long long time. His videos come out on Friday mornings like always... mine come out on Mondays. I'm just here to supplement what he does so well.

[@wild-radio7373]

@@DanielReachCreations I really appreciate your response! I'm new and very grateful for you!

[@daveturnbull7221]

That tracing film looks very much like the draughting film we used when making maps (talking back in the 1970s). The stuff we used was called ozatex and it came in a variety of thickneses. Another good use for it is as a diffuser.

[@davidshorb7453]

I was thinking the same thing, thoughi didn'tknow what it was called other than drafting film. I have been using drafting film for yrs. However, the drafting store I got it from is no longer in business, and I'm running very low. Think I'm about to give this a try

[@mezmerizer0266]

Ozatex is a drug.

[@drewbacca1981]

We always called it Mylar. Got a 500'x36" roll of it when my old company got a wide format machine once

[@mezmerizer0266]

@@drewbacca1981 also known as polyester drafting film in a generic term.

[@martinstults9419]

I use printable transparency film and printer a lot of my patterns. It's a little thick but moisture dosen't effect it. When I use tracing paper, I laminate it with clear shelf paper to protect it from moisture. Both work well for me.

[@williamshetler4954]

Just be sure to get the right film for your printer. There are several types. Inkjet film can melt in a laser printer which is an expensive mistake. Laser film is very smooth and has no "tooth" so ink jet ink smears.

[@larrycumba2741]

I tried the Tandy printable tracing sheets. Printed a pattern and came out great. The fail came when using a stylus, removed the ink. At $12.00 for six sheets will not buy again. I did try turning the sheet over with the print side down. There is coating on the print side that came off and onto the leather.

[@th.burggraf7814]

Just a comment to keep the algorithm going. Keep up the good work. 👍🏻

[@halloooo1duuuuu]

I always use baking paper as a layer between the drawing and the leather. Saves me a lot of time because instead of tracing I can just use a printer to copy my design. Never had any issues with the DIY option and I'm happy to have more time for the tooling and actual leather work. Never thought about the precision aspect, you definitely have a point. I guess I just corrected a lot of things while swiveling. Thanks for the video! This is valuable and definitely much appreciated information!

[@DanielReachCreations]

Very welcome my friend! Happy tooling!

[@startrek2365]

There are a lot of risks and challenges with it but when I have nothing else or I'm working with kids I use parchment paper. It's cheep and easy and it's in the kitchen when I oops and need it.

[@kathybrigger9431]

I do a lot of stained glass and I use clear Contact shelving cover on my patterns because it's waterproof. I can grind a piece of glass and lay it wet right on my pattern without any damage to my pattern. I also use drafting paper without lines to draw my patterns on and then put the Contact on it. Have you ever tried that for leather and if you have, how did it work out? Thanks. Also, I work with many different kinds of media. Just as a suggestion, for erasing, try a Pentel click eraser or a block eraser. Out of all the erasers I have used in the past 55 plus years, in my opinion, it's the best. I trace patterns onto fabric lightly with a pencil. If I want to adjust something, I can eraser the pencil lines off the fabric with the Pentel eraser. I keep bunches of them. They are in my house and in my shop. Hope I am not being too aggressive, but I learn from others, and I always try to help where I can. Again, thank you.

[@DanielReachCreations]

You're not being too aggressive at all. That's a lot of great info. Thank you! I'll definitely check those erasers out.

[@northwoods3d]

@@DanielReachCreations the soft vinyl erasers (the block style Kathy mentions) are the BEST eraser going for pencil I used to work as a draftsperson years ago and that was all we used.. the pentel click erasers (white in color) are basically the same thing just in a different form (i use these as well, lol) I have a roll of the transfer film from Tandy (came in a beginners kit) and it reminds me very much of drafting mylar, perhaps a little lighter weight. It is also not quite as "cloudy"/opaque as the Weaver film you showed.. Nothing against Weaver, just another option.

[@northwoods3d]

the clear contact film would be no different than using the packing tape on the paper. your lines would end up being wider than they should be. (i have a roll of the clear contact paper as well, for other things). In fact, the contact film is heavier than most packing tape in my opinion.

[@larrycumba2741]

I learned something the hard way. I use film and a fine point sharpie. Normally I mark the top side of the pattern on the film. One time I didn’t and put the film on upside down. Not only did the ink rub off onto the leather but it gave me a reverse image. Got into a hurry and paid for it. Tried alcohol to clean it up but that didn’t work.

[@DanielReachCreations]

Thats a great lesson! Might share that one in the video so it helps others.

[@odalesaylor]

What I do very often is run my pattern through a copier, copying onto tracing film. It saves loads of time and gives you a better image of the pattern.

[@Lorddanielrushton371]

Thank you, Daniel. I normally use tracing paper, but I think I will try the tracing film. As for tricks, I use a lot of images off my phone. But the problem is the image moves or get a bigger or small. So I use an app called Tracing Paper Sketching. In the app, you can lock your screen so the image doesn't move. It's a great little app and it's free.

[@hobgoblin6551]

Thanks for the tips. Love you guys.

[@nicholaskindred929]

Quite informative , like you i didnt know about tracing film either . Thank you !

[@dougmulle2627]

Thanks Daniel. Like you I found the film on accident while looking for the paper. I like it a lot and like that it's transparent enough to make sure it's positioned exactly where I want it. I've been afraid to try taping it to leather, worried about glue residue, or sticking to damp leather

[@larrycumba2741]

I cut the film oversized and tape to the work surface just on one side of the film. This allows me to make any minor adjustments on where I want the pattern on the leather. It also lets me lift up the pattern to check if I have missed any portions of the pattern on the leather.

[@dougmulle2627]

@@larrycumba2741 I'll try that too, thank you

[@larrycumba2741]

I’tried several methods to transfer a pattern. The ink on a printer will not stay when using a stylus when printing on film. A pencil or ink pen will smear. Although time consuming, a fine point sharpie dries quick and doesn’t deteriorate on film. I buy the film by the roll .

[@james2592OldLeatherSmith]

OLD Leather Smith here, excellent any beginners will be able 2 follow. I have used acidtate sheets first because we didn't have paper at the time I started. 4 patterns I use cereal or cracker boxes its cheaper and easier 2 find. When I teach i always explain 2 my students fkake board is cheaper than leather abd mire durable 4 a pattern. GOD'S BLESSINGS ✝️⚾🙃

[@richardkatzman1215]

Great tips as usual.

[@davidshorb7453]

Another good video under you, Daniel. Thanks for all your work As someone else suggested, this film looks a lot like drafting film which I like because I can print directly on. Can the tracing film be run through a printer?

[@maddawgnoll]

I just laminate all my artwork patterns. This allows me to use a ball point stylus or (for those with fine detail) a scratch all. When I'm using tracing paper to make patterns for (let's say holsters) I'll use Super 77 and glue the paper to my pattern stock (usually cold cereal boxes make great templates) The tracing paper will eventually start separating from the template, but at that point I've already achieved making a template.

[@mikecowles966]

For transferring my drawing to my leather I usually use dura-lar and for fine lines I use the point of a modeling spoon (don't quite remember if that is a clay tool or leather)

[@txfishin73]

Good video Danial!

[@DNZ3_COG_SOM]

Very helpful thanks

[@jamestrudeau9437]

All apologies, but the random background music starting at about 10:25 into the video was so random that it was distracting from the content. Despite that annoyance, it was educational in the parts where I was able to maintain focus. Thank you

[@Oldflies]

I'm confused. What you are calling tracing paper looks like a thinner plastic film, not paper. The tracing paper that I have is paper, not plastic, very fragile and good for one tracing at best. It appears that you are comparing different thicknesses of plastic film, not paper versus film. Am I mistaken?

[@DanielReachCreations]

That's a fair point. I had totally forgotten the "parchment" type of tracing paper even existed. I've heard the thin plastic stuff called tracing paper ever since I got into leather work, but you're 100% correct. Good catch.

[@jgdevoe]

I know Tandy makes a laser tracing paper that I think is water proof. Haven't tried it yet so I can't say for sure. I have used vellum but it doesn't hold up to moisture. Hard to imagine with ink/lasers having been around for ages now, leather making also around for ages that no one has come up with the answer to our needs besides tape and saran wrap??? We put men on the moon... and still we're jury-rigging a solution for this.

[@michaelpeters8615]

Using tracing paper 45 lbs wgt. 9x12, to cover the art work between the pages of my sketch book vs. Acetate sheets which are much more expensive.😅

[@JeffRobertaBugbee-fk7xe]

I am new to leather craft, what kind of tape do you use to tape the pattern to the leather?

[@DanielReachCreations]

Masking tape is the most common, but would caution you about taping directly to the leather, it can effect the surface of the leather. If you leave a little extra leather around the outside of the design, you can tape to that...then cut it away after you've transferred the pattern.

[@HarryWallace-o3r]

Can tracing paper be used in an inkjet printer and can tracing film be used in an inkjet printer, and if so which type would be better without damaging the printer or the copy?

[@DanielReachCreations]

I have heard of people using special tracing paper for that, but I dont believe this kind can be.

[@honda200twinstar3]

Oh and if i can ask ,did your film come in a roll or flat sheets like a notepad ? as my film comes in a roll and it has a memory and want to roll back as soon as you let it go ,so i had to get my iron out and sandwich it between a tea towel ,then press the piece i cut out with the iron to flatten it.

[@DanielReachCreations]

Mine comes off a role as well, and yeah...its got a lot of memory. Just tape it down good and you should be good to go. 🙂

[@honda200twinstar3]

umm if i may state .i only have the film i haven't gotten any tracing paper so i haven't tried it ,but the question of will it tear ? yes if your not careful in how you remove the masking tape .i have had it tare on my.

[@DanielReachCreations]

It's not nearly as bad as the thinner tracing paper, but it will tear under the right circumstances.

[@rosemaryblock7751]

I have only used film, and I want to know how come your's doesn't smudge... cuz mine does, big time!

[@aquakitty6603]

Um, I have a question. can film paper be also used in art ??

[@NARAYAN0512]

Vellum ??

[@WeaverLeatherSupply]

It's not quite the same. You could probably use vellum as long as it doesn't get weird if it gets wet because you'll be tracing the pattern onto damp leather so the tracing film does get wet during that process.