How to Do an Image Transfer Onto Wood (Easy Label Paper Method)

You need very little for this transfer. A cheap paint brush, paper towels, a piece of bare wood and a scrap of wood or a card to push out air bubbles. For the glue, the Crafsman uses Liquitex gloss heavy gel medium, which most craft stores carry. Acrylic polyurethane works too. Put on gloves if you like to keep the gel off your hands.

The secret ingredient is a sheet of shipping labels. You are not using the sticker part. Peel the labels away and keep the slick backing paper underneath. Save the labels for mailing, or give them to the kids to decorate. Look at the backing and you will see one dull side and one glossy, shiny side. The glossy side is the one you print on.

Feed the backing sheet into a laser printer so the image lands on the glossy side. Color or black and white both work. This method needs laser toner. Inkjet ink tends to smear on the slick surface. Remember the image will come out reversed on the wood, so mirror any words in your print settings. Trim the print to the size of your board.

Choose a smooth piece of wood with no paint, stain or finish. Light-colored woods like pine or birch show the image clearest. Sand any rough patches, then wipe the board with a dry paper towel so there is no sawdust left on it. Dust caught under the print shows up as specks and gaps in the finished transfer.

Scoop out a generous amount of gel medium and spread it over the board with the brush. Then keep working it, brushing it out into a thin, even film that covers the whole area where the picture will go. The thinner the film, the quicker it dries and the clearer your image. Thick spots leave cloudy patches.

Hold the print by its edges, image side down, and line it up over the board. Lower it gently onto the wet gel. Get it where you want it the first time. Once it touches, try not to slide it around, because moving it even a little can smear the toner. Press it down lightly with your palm to tack it in place.

Take a thin strip of scrap wood, an old gift card or a plastic scraper. Press it across the back of the print and push from the center out to the edges. Work slowly in overlapping passes. Every bubble you leave becomes a blank spot in the picture, so take your time. You will see the image show through the paper as it bonds.

Gel medium squeezes out around the edges as you smooth. Wipe it away with a paper towel so it does not dry into a shiny ridge. Then leave the board alone. The Crafsman sped things up with a heat gun and waited 45 minutes. He suggests leaving it overnight to be safe, which gives the gel time to grip all the toner.

Once the gel is fully dry, lift a corner of the backing paper and peel it back slowly and evenly. No water and no rubbing needed. The slick backing lets go and the printed image stays on the wood, crisp and bright. If a spot sticks, stop and let it dry longer. Seal the finished board with a clear coat to protect it.