Laser Transfer for Photoetching

One of my students discovered this amazing and simple technique.
This of course depends on your laserprinter toner (same for
photocopy transfer), and the results are quite crisp.

  1. Prep your metal with 400 sand paper to take out any
    scratches, etc.

  2. Clean with a good degreaser, I use Penny Brite copper cleaner
    (the best)

  3. Clean your metal again with a solvent like de-natured alcohol
    and let dry.

  4. Toner side down, iron the image directly to the metal. Iron
    should be set on Linen setting.

  5. Wait a bit. Do not remove the paper!!! Let metal
    completely cool.

  6. Submerge the paper and metal together in water and let the
    water saturate the paper.

  7. Gently begin rubbing the paper threads away. You will have
    some paper left, but only on the areas of the toner anyway. Etch
    as usual.

We have been using this as an alternative to building a frame
structure for epoxy inlay.

Karen Christians
M E T A L W E R X
416 Main St.
Woburn, MA 01801

@metalart

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