Wood beer cases: Image transfer on to wood

A graphic designer and all around artistic friend of mine clued me in to the technique of transferring images from a laser print/photocopy with a 'blender marker'. Esther kept this in mind and picked up the Chartpak blender pen from Blick at the Landmark Center in the Fens.

The technique was very easy...

1. Print out the image (in reverse, VERY IMPORTANT, you'll see why...)

2. Use some easily removable tape to fix the printout in place

3. Use the blender marker to wet the area you wish to transfer. I noticed if you are heavy handed and use too much (three or four passes vs. one or two), the laser toner tends to run a bit, especially in the porous wood. this might be OK/preferable, if you are looking for a more rustic look.

4. Burnish the area with the back of spoon. You don't need to press too hard, just enough to ensure good contact with the dissolved toner and the wood.

5. Work in small area 'batches' ...the transfer will only work if the paper is wet with the marker's solvent.

Proof of concept achieved! ...I'll just be sure to print the images out flipped 180degrees next time. Oops.

The original idea was the trace the transferred image with a wood burning tool, and I still might do that, but this looks pretty darn good, and the results are achieved pretty quickly, too.