Fusible Web Image Transfers: A Tutorial

The Garden Gate: Fusible web, acrylic paint and non-porous digital ground on aluminum foil. ARTWORK BY SANDRA DURAN WILSON

Fusible web creates soft, distressed image transfers
that are easy to use. Learn more about this technique
in this excerpt from Image Transfer Workshop!

Fusible web image transfers are handy for projects of all sorts, like collage work and journaling—and you don’t even need adhesive! Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran Wilson, authors of Image Transfer Workshop, show you how to create these transfers in this technique.

(This tutorial was previously published in the book Image Transfer Workshop by Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran Wilson, copyright 2009; republished here courtesy of CreateMixedMedia.com).

 

 

 

 

Similar in texture to organza, this material will give you a soft diffused look. What’s great is you don’t need an adhesive, you just iron the transfer on to your background. When heating the material, it can develop holes giving it a distressed look, which has texture potential. You can even try painting with watercolors on the fusible web.

Limitations

Soft fuzzy image, but you can increase the saturation of your image in your computer.

Surface Options

You can adhere it to fabric, aluminum foil, paper, wood or lightly painted, porous, acrylic surfaces. You may need to glue the fusible web to surfaces you can’t iron on or ones that are too textured.

Archival Quality

Low to medium; UV-resistant spray or varnish finish will help with lightfastness.

Notes

Let it dry completely at the end of step 2 to prevent smearing.

Make sure all of the fusible web’s edges are adhered to the paper prior to printing; otherwise you could jam the printer.

Because the fusible web is heat-sensitive, you cannot iron this product onto freezer paper.

Don’t use a brand new printer; use an everyday, workhorse printer. Follow steps 1 and 2 carefully to prevent paper jams in your printer.

Don’t forget: The silicone sheet or backing paper helps prevent accidental fusing of fabrics or materials to your iron.

MATERIALS

  • ink-jet printer 
  • fusible web 
  • copy paper
  • background surface
  • tape
  • iron
  • towels or ironing board
  • silicon sheet (optional)
  • scissors
  • workable fixative

STEP 1

Prepare fusible web
Using the scissors, trim the fusible webbing (attached to its backing paper) slightly smaller than the copy paper. Remove the fusible web from its backing. Set the fusible backing aside to use later.

 

 

 

 

STEP 2

Print image
Using the tape, secure the fusible web to the copy paper. Make sure the part that will feed through the printer is securely taped down. Run the fusible web through the ink-jet printer, making sure that the edges are taped and the webbing lies flat. Spray the printed image with the workable fixative. Let the image dry for a half hour.

 

 

 

STEP 3

Adhere image to background
Using the scissors, cut out the desired fusible web image. Place the background surface on a towel or on the ironing board. Place the image onto the background surface. Place the fusible web backing over the image. If using the silicon sheet, place it on the surface of the art work. Place the thin towel over all the layers. Using the iron on a medium setting (no steam), adhere the image to the background by ironing over the towel.

 

 

TROUBLESHOOTING

WHY DID THE IMAGE SMEAR?
If the image is blurred, you did not spray it with a workable fixative. Be sure to spray it and let it dry before painting or sealing.

I LEFT THE BACKING ON WHAT NOW?
If you leave the fusible paper backing on and run it through your printer, it tends to get wrinkled. If you like the look this provides, use it! If not, start with step 1 and be sure to remove the backing.

From Image Transfer Workshop by Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran, 2009; courtesy of www.createmixedmedia.com.

To learn more about or purchase Image Transfer Workshop by Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran, click here.

For more about Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran:

Artist Profile: Darlene Olivia McElroy

Book Notes: Image Transfer Workshop

Painted Leaf

 

You might also enjoy:

Surface Treatment Workshop by Darlene Olivia McElroy and Sandra Duran

Pondering how to begin a new piece of art? Surface Treatment Workshop has the answer! The authors of Image Transfer Workshop are back to show you 45 stepped-out mixed-media techniques that will add depth and texture to your artwork. These techniques are the perfect jump-off point for creating art you will love to look at, and, in some cases, touch!

 

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