Cut out the desired image and place face-down over unbaked clay or surface to be covered (so that images appear right-side up). It’s best to work on ceramic tile work/baking surface. Disturbing the clay after applying the transfer may cause separation or wrinkling of the transfer. Working on a tile will allow you to place the clay transfer into your oven without lifting it from your work surface.  

You can print your own photos and artwork on Lisa’s blank waterslide transfer paper. This product can only be used in an inkjet printer (not a laser or photocopy machine). Plain paper setting with print quality set on High works best on most machines. You may find that you get better results when you experiment.  For pages that contain lettering, be sure to set your printer for reverse printing (This may be listed under the following settings: “Reverse Image, Mirror Image or T-Shirt Transfer”). Failure to reverse the print will cause the letters to appear backwards when applying the transfer to clay.   

If you wish to cover a particular shape of clay such as a circle or oval, pre-trim the image to size with scissors before applying. The transfer material doesn’t cut well with a craft knife or clay blade.   

If working on Polymer Clay, burnish the image well with your fingers or a stiff plastic card to make sure there are no air pockets between the clay and the transfer.  

Dampen the back of the transfer paper with tap water. When the paper is thoroughly saturated, quickly blot away any excess water with a tissue or paper towel (Excess water left on the backing may seep under the transfer and cause smearing or blurring along the edges). 

Allow the transfer to sit for about 20-30 seconds. The backing paper should slide off of the transfer when pushed with your fingertip. Wipe away the adhesive residue with the damp paper towel or a baby wipe. 

If air bubbles appear under the transfer, work them towards the edges with a dampened fingertip. If this doesn’t work, lift up the corner nearest to the bubble and relay the film onto the clay with your fingertip. The transfer should be sealed to prevent it from peeling after baking. A thin layer of liquid polymer clay should be applied over the transfer and its edges using a fingertip or flat hair brush. Fimo Decorating Gel is recommended. It’s the clearest liquid clay available. Bake the clay with the transfer on it according to the manufacturer’s directions for time and temperature. Failure to seal the image may result in it eventually peeling off of the clay.

After baking you may use Lisa Pavelka’s Poly Glaze by Ranger for a glass-like finish.

To apply your transfer on other surfaces such as wood, glass, paper maché and egg shell, paper, etc; seal the transfer sheet with two light coats of Krylon Crystal Clear spray. Transfers can be printed in regular printing mode for these applications (no reverse image is required). When dry, apply a thin layer of craft glue or the Krylon spray over the surface to be covered. Lightly dampen the backing of the transfer after 30 seconds carefully peel the backing away and apply the transfer over the glued object. Smooth out any air bubbles. Once the glue has dried, seal with Poly-Glaze or a brush/spray-on varnish.

For fabric (non washable) projects, mist muslin or cotton material with water. Dab water onto the backing of the backwards printed transfer. Don’t over saturate the paper backing as the water will overrun the image edges and cause bleeding of the transfer. Once the paper is dampened place face-down over fabric and iron immediately on the highest setting. Placing a Teflon sheet between the iron and the transfer is highly recommended. After the fabric and transfer are dry, re-wet the paper backing one more time. Blot excess moisture and re-iron (with Teflon sheet in between). Once the transfer is cool, re-dampen the paper backing for a third time and blot excess moisture. After 30-40 seconds peel away the paper backing. If transfer appears bumpy, re-iron with the Teflon sheet (never place the iron directly over the transfer at this point or it will melt onto the iron.) Experiment with different fabrics until you find the one that works best. The sharpness of the image will depend on the fabric used.*   

Store unused transfers in a cool, dry place.

 *Our thanks to Linda Elliot of Las Vegas Art Stamps (www.lasvegasartstamps.com) for discovering transfer use on fabrics.

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