Okay, so a few people asked me how I do image transfers, so I thought I would show everyone. There are lots of different ways to do this, I think there are several threads on craftster about different techniques, but this is just how I do it.
What you will need: A photocopy or laser printer printout of your image, a piece of fabric, a spoon, and a transparent blender pen.

This is the type of pen I use, although I think there may be other brands. I got mine at an art supply store, if you ask for a blender pen they should know what you are talking about.

Put your image face down on top of the fabric. The right side of the paper and the right side of the fabric should be touching. Then, go over the entire area of the image with your pen. It should make the page wet and you will be able to see the image through the paper. Its good to have something like a table cloth or another piece of paper underneath your fabric because it can go through onto the surface below.

As soon as you cover the area of the image, press firmly with a spoon on the image. The harder you press, the better of a transfer you will get. I sometimes use the edge of the spoon for more pressure. Be careful not to move the fabric or the paper or your image will blur.

And voila, your image should transfer nicely. I usually go over it with an iron to heat set it, although I have no proof that this is necessary, but it makes me feel better.

You can also use this to transfer images onto all kinds of surfaces, like plant pots, book covers, etc, although some surfaces will take the transfer better than others. As well, plain cotton fabrics take the image better than textured or synthetic fabrics, I have found.



Posts
Is that the same kind of pen that we used to transfer onto the paper of my wedding invitations? Is the fabric with the image washable?
3/8/2005 @ 5:46 pm
so neat!
3/8/2005 @ 6:10 pm
you make it look so easy — thanks for sharing this! i will definitely make something soon using this technique
3/8/2005 @ 8:31 pm
Wow, I have a blender pen for my expensive marker set (that I don’t use) just sitting around here, and never knew it could be used for that. Neat! Did you know that those pens are great for blending pencil crayon too?
3/8/2005 @ 10:40 pm
I’m thinking this might be a good way to transfer a simple image for embellishment with embroidery, too… tried that?
3/9/2005 @ 9:22 am
Yes, this is the same technique we used for hundreds of wedding invitations and thank yous. I think we were a little bit nuts to do that Shaundra, when I think about that now.
I have experimentally washed some fabric with an image and it seems to hold up. I wouldn’t really trust it on something I washed often, like a t-shirt, but it should be okay for an occasional washing, I think.
3/9/2005 @ 9:24 am
Wow – great tutorial! Thanks for the explanation; now I need to try it!
3/9/2005 @ 11:15 am
Thanks for the info! What a great alternative to iron-on transfers which is what everyone expects these days. This could be a very fast and cute way to do a baby-shower gift…just the right image and a onesie!
3/9/2005 @ 1:06 pm
what is so cool about your way of doing it is with photo-transfers, the fabric gets that plasticy feel-where as with this way, it still feel like fabric-
3/9/2005 @ 1:36 pm
Great! thanks for sharing. I have one question: can one transfer a color image with this tecnique?
3/9/2005 @ 5:32 pm
Thanks for sharing. Gotta find a blender pen so I can try it!
3/9/2005 @ 7:21 pm
cool! thanks for the new idea!!
3/10/2005 @ 1:49 am
wow! i never knew this could be so applicable to my newbie-ness!
thanks for the ginger tea post and the image transfer post.
leg.
3/10/2005 @ 9:05 am
thanks for the info. i just got one of those pens tonight. gonna give it a go. oh and cool that you are just in toronto. i’m in ottawa
3/11/2005 @ 4:34 pm
Did you know wintergreen oil (the candy flavoring) works the same way as a transparent blender pen? I’ve transfered stuff onto wood, rocks, seashells, fabric, you name it.
3/15/2005 @ 8:05 pm
I have clip art bird book,could I use this process to transfer these birds. Thanks for the info on how to do it.
6/3/2005 @ 11:36 am
I have tried using the technique to transfer a copy of a photograph unto vellum paper and regular cardstock, and I can’t make it work. Any suggestions.
6/19/2005 @ 3:53 pm
This is a very nice site – straightforward and filled with images. I usually skip sites that explain too much and have no images. Thank you for the technique.
11/22/2005 @ 12:15 pm
wow – so cool thanks for the great infor!
1/16/2006 @ 12:26 am
Just looking around your site and listening to the music and learning some stuff! So wonderfully cool! Our family has a site also http://www.studiobeerhorst.com we have some music and movies and lots of other stuff!
2/4/2006 @ 9:23 pm
Hi, I was interested in what you do with the blender pens, and I went to my local craftstore to find one for myself, but they had no idea what I was looking for.
Could you give me the brand name, and any other information you think might be useful to me?
Thanks, and I love your site!
Nina
5/6/2006 @ 4:44 pm
i was searching for image transfer how-tos, and this was the first one that popped up… ironically, my name is thimble! anyway, thanks for the helpful tutorial!
5/26/2006 @ 7:45 pm
This is a really neat site, not overwhealming like a lot of other sites, easy to followI will definately be bookmarking this for future vistits.
I am just starting to re-vistit some of the crafts I used to do before my kids were born I am also getting more adventurous and expanding where I go with my crafting.
Isn’t the internet just way way cool?
7/15/2006 @ 11:13 am
Is there a certain kind of toner/copier needed for this to work?
I’ve tried with copies from a kinkos and a library, and its not transfering at all.
Any suggestions?
8/5/2006 @ 5:03 pm
hey! nice tutorial! i was wondering when you wash the fabric in the laundry, does
it run off? Does it do anything to the other clothes? Is it safe to use?
11/4/2006 @ 10:06 pm
I was thinking of using this technique to transfer some schematics onto a project I was working on. Is there anything different I should be doing if I was transfering onto something thick like Bristol paper? Does this technique also work on surfaces that already have ink, paint, or pencil on them?
Thanx
11/29/2006 @ 2:13 pm
hey!!! Its really nice….I too prefer to get a pen like that…can you help me where can i get it?????…pls.
Fan of Don Lapre
larisa@larisajoyreilly.com
12/16/2006 @ 3:09 am
What is the pen name you used? I brought iron-on and they are not working for me. please help?
1/22/2007 @ 5:50 pm
Hi there! I am trying to transfer a image onto wood. I bought the blender pen but it doesnt seem like much comes out of the pen? Do you think the blender pen is the problem. Many Thanks!
1/24/2007 @ 1:56 pm
A couple of brand tips:
The Prismacolor brand does not work well for this — only a very faint purple-ish transfer results. The same is true for the Copic brand. It seems all the tutorials I’ve read using this technique use the Chartpak brand, but I am, thus far, unable to find a store in town that carries this brand.
However, using nail polish remover that contains acetone works WONDERFULLY!
You do not need a lot of liquid to acheieve the desired result. I dip a Q-Tip into the nail polish remover and go over the image or text (on the backside, of course…following the instructions about) once or twice. It should not take more than this to get results. The paper should not be soaking wet, as it will need to hold up during the “burnishing” step.
I use printouts from a laser printer. I have not been able to get any inkjet transfers to work, for those of you who may be wondering!
Hope this helps!
1/25/2007 @ 6:39 pm
i was experimenting with different types of pens. the pen you recommended is supreme.
this tutorial has changed my life. thanks!
i put bicycles on one of my sweater. i have washed it once, and so far it has held up.
i placed the project on craftster! i recommended your tutorial hope you don’t mind. http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=148718.0
1/31/2007 @ 11:29 am
So, I checked the internet to find a Chartpak Transparent Blender Pen… There are a lot of pens out there, but not one of them seems to be the one I am looking for… If someone found previous named item on the internet and was able to order it online, please let me know. Or if someone found it in a store in NYC or Brooklyn, you can let me know as well… Thank you very much. HANNA
2/12/2007 @ 9:21 pm
If you google charpak, you come up with many sites. The chartpak site is http://www.chartpak.com/. You can buy it from http://www.artsuppliesonline.com/catalog.cfm?cata_id=1895 or http://www.jadekraft.com/store-categories-Image-Transferring_212936.html or try ebay.
I believe there are also some other things besides the chemical in this pen that do the same thing – I believe wintergreen oil is another thing that will work if you can find that somewhere. Good luck!
2/17/2007 @ 8:32 am
You dont need to use a blender pen for this. you can use cellulose thinners (known as xylene in the usa i believe). paint the reverse of the photocopied image and then place it onto the piece of material or wood, etc you are using. Burnish it with the back of a spoon or a burnisher, etc. Works the same! Be careful with the thinners – keep away from kids and pets. It strips paint so dont spill it either.
5/9/2007 @ 12:38 pm
I want to paint my leather boots. BUT, I am not a good freehand artist and would like to transfer a design onto the leather – much like we do for shirts. BUT… how do I do it? Obviously we cannot iron them on since they are knee high boots so I thought maybe I could trace the design with a light colored paint pen and then VERY carefully press down on the boot. HELP !!
5/9/2007 @ 8:41 pm
Do you know if cellulose thinners or blender pens will transfer a photocopied image onto handmade paper, or regular papers?
I’ve used Dylon Image Maker gel before, but you have to leave it a few hours then rub the paper off with water – does a good job though.
5/13/2007 @ 8:40 am
Hi I have a question, can inkjet printers print on vellum?
what are the washing instructions for this?
7/10/2007 @ 5:22 am
Hey, this is the greatest idea! I tried it with my prismacolor blender and got a faint mark, like you warned, but then i tried it with nail polish remover and it worked great!!! Next time (and there will definitely be many many next times) I think I’ll try less remover or an extra sheet of paper on top of the printout though because when rubbing it in it the paper ripped so the image wasn’t dark enough in some spots. I also did a quick trial wash with soap and water and it did seem to fade a tiny bit, so I would be careful when washing.
7/30/2007 @ 7:11 pm
I just learned the blender pen technique in a class I took. I think it does have to be a Chartpak Blender pen (P-0), and I get them at Dick Blick’s (www.dickblick.com) for about $2.50 apiece on sale. Real art supply stores carry these markers, but you won’t find them at Michaels or Joann’s or any of the big chain craft stores. I don’t even burnish the image; I just rub in plenty of the marker. I will try using less liquid and do some burnishing, though, to conserve chemicals. I will also try the nail polish remover and the wintergreen oil.
Thanks for the great tutorial and comments!
8/18/2007 @ 2:25 am
Jerry’s Artarama has the best price I find for Chartpak
11/30/2007 @ 8:50 pm
Well thank you so very much for putting this info on your site! I’ve been searching for a long time to make a t-shirt transfer that is better than the plasticy transfers they sell in the store. You know you might have just changed my life radically! Thanks, Kate
12/4/2007 @ 6:30 am
What is blender?is it with colourless ink? doseit contentins acetone,tolune or xylene compound.is it availasble in india?if yes what is commercial brand?is it safe for childrens use?pl.let me know.
2/15/2008 @ 4:49 am
Wow, I tried it using store-brand lemon nail polish remover. Few things to look out for:
-Keep to grayscale images. Color will work, but not as smoothly.
-Keep to white fabric if you’re doing fabric.
-Make sure you’re only doing one layer of fabric. If you’re doing it on a T-Shirt, you might want to try slipping the shirt over an ironing board.
-The ink WILL bleed through!
-Nail Polish remover cloth doesn’t contain acetone. It won’t work.
On the bright side, I was only able to remove the ink with the green rough side of a sponge. This is so cheap it’s amazing.
2/19/2008 @ 1:41 pm
This sounds such an esy way to do image transfer to fabric.Have been doing some fabric collage and wanted to incorporate some of my images…this should work well.Just hope I can get a blender pen in my local town of Porthmadog in North Wales!
3/16/2008 @ 2:51 am
Does anyone know where to get the Chartpak blender pen in Ontario, Canada? I work with silk and the avery transfer sheets leave a plastc like film that i can not remove.
3/23/2008 @ 10:22 am
Chartpak pens can be bought from Curry’s Art supply or Loomis (now called DeSerres I think) in Toronto.
3/23/2008 @ 10:50 am
wow, thanks for your quick response.
I read that acetone also works-nail polish remover with acetone. Did this work for you?
3/23/2008 @ 2:43 pm
I just tried some acetone containing nail polish remover with a laser printed black and white image and it DID NOT work!
3/23/2008 @ 2:54 pm
I really think that you have to experiment with the type printer you use, Amelie. I’ve heard of better results using inkjet rather than laser, but others have had better luck with laser. Try transfering an image from newspaper print to see if you have the technique down. Also try going to this website for more suggestions for image transfers. Good luck http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/image.html
4/4/2008 @ 4:35 pm
Everyone has a favorite transfer method. Check out my favortite and a photo tutorial at http://www.collageorama.com/2008/06/30/best-image-transfer-technique/
6/30/2008 @ 4:54 pm
You can also do the same thing – with laser print outs – yusing CitraSolve – a citris based solvent that is non-toxic. It has a very, very intense orange smell and gave some of my students a headache
But the results are great!
I am going to try the colorless blender option though…has anyone ever washed any of these in the washing machine??
and, to me, it smells better than nail polish remover.
12/3/2008 @ 12:36 pm
Does anyone know if the Chartpak pens or wintergreen oil will transfer the image to plexiglass? I have a mixed media photography project and want to know if its possible or if anyone has done it before.
1/22/2009 @ 2:01 am
i can’t believe nobody’s mentioned this yet…
yes wintergreen oil is good for transfers, but it’s also extremely toxic, and when using it, you need a VERY well ventilated area. most people i’ve spoken to recommend using a respirator with oil of wintergreen.
2/3/2009 @ 3:26 pm
Following the same steps, you can use a cotton swab to apply tea tree oil to the back of a printed image, making sure the image was printed with ink that has toner in it. If your printer does not have toner in it than this won’t work. Let the ink soak in to the back of the paper. You’ll start to see the ink on the printed side look glossier and when it gets to this point, press it down on the paper you want to print on. Burnish it on the back (printed side down obviously) and carefully peel off. What’s great is you can use different amounts of pressure, different rubbing patters, etc to create different looking prints.
3/10/2009 @ 11:21 pm
By doing the Acetone transfer would color show up a t shirt?
6/15/2009 @ 7:14 pm
I’ve been struggling with this technique. I purchased a laser printer because it did not work with an ink jet. I purchased the Chartpak blender pen. The transfer works but the ink on the surface I transfer to (wood) comes out blochy and bubbly with not that much detail. I plan to do alot of projects with this technique but i do need some assisstance. Any help will much appreciated.
Thanks
Adam
8/14/2009 @ 8:35 am
A tip- nail polish remover will work… it has acetone if you get the type that says “with acetone”, imagine.
I have some lovely transfers that were used in a few of my best pieces!
** High contrast black and white images work best! Otherwise it can turn out muddy
8/29/2009 @ 9:06 am
I have a mixed media photography project and want to know if its possible or if anyone has done it before.
10/1/2009 @ 10:38 pm
Hello! Does anybody have any recommendations for a brand of shirt that will take in the transfer well? I’ve tried a couple of shirts so far and they don’t seem to work out. Thanks!
12/22/2009 @ 3:39 pm
I am having the same problem with the details bleeding into each other when i do the transfer on wood. Is it just because wood is so pourus? or maybe my printed image is too fresh. Would sanding it help? I don”t want to lose the detail. It seems like if there is a lot of solid black near small detail, it just turns into a big blob. What can I do?
12/24/2009 @ 6:15 am
I was interested in what you do with the blender pens, and I went to my local craftstore to find one for myself, but they had no idea what I was looking for.
1/18/2010 @ 2:57 am
“with acetone” nail polish remover works, but strait acetone works better. It dries very quickly, so you need to do small sections of your print at a time. The good thing about drying quickly is that the paper retains its structure better. Nail polish remover can saturate the paper, which makes it easy to tear when burnishing. I have found high contrast black and white Xerox’s work the best. Check your print settings to make sure there is no color in the black. When transferring to wood choose a very dense wood and prepare the surface with sand paper to make sure it is really smooth. The small striations in the wood can cause breaks in the lines of your image.
1/25/2010 @ 1:43 pm
I am trying to find the best way to transfer an image onto leather, such as a purse or wallet. Judging by your excellent tutorial, you seem to be the right person to ask. Thanks in advance for your reply.
3/24/2010 @ 9:19 am