Making and Using Waterslide Decals

Making and Using Waterslide Decals
This technique gives you very crisp transfers onto paper, painting, Plexiglas, glass, metal, wood
and almost anything else you can think of.
Be sure to purchase the right type of paper for your printer. Then print your desired image onto
the paper following manufacturer’s directions.
1
In a tray of warm water, place
your printed decal paper face
down. Let the paper rest in the
water until the transfer sheet
starts to release from its backing.
2
4
5
Holding the bottom edge of
the decal paper in place with
a paintbrush, slide the backing
paper out from underneath the
top/printed layer.
Place the decal paper on a
paper towel and blot well—but
be gentle! The decal paper is
fragile.
3
Using a paintbrush, apply a
thin layer of polymer medium
to your background surface.
Using a clean, damp paintbrush, smooth out any air
pockets by making a cross
through the image and working
out in a radial pattern. Allow the
image to dry thoroughly.
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TIPS
• To seal your image: If you want the transfer to be opaque, use a
paintbrush to apply polymer medium over the image and allow
to dry thoroughly. If you’d prefer transparency and would like
to show the surface color and texture beneath the image, apply
two or three coats of any oil-based varnish over the transfer
using a clean paintbrush. Allow the image to dry between coats.
This step may have to be repeated several times to achieve
desired transparency. Do not brush over the image at any time
with polymer medium.
• Because this process involves an emulsion transfer and you are
using polymer medium to bind the image to your surface, there
may be a slight edge and plastic feel. Adding a layer of soft gel
will make the edge disappear somewhat.
•Not sure if the decal is ready for transfer? The paper and the
transfer sheet will start to separate when ready. You can test
the paper by lightly sliding the transfer sheet from the paper
backing. If it moves, it’s ready. If it doesn’t move, let it soak a
little longer.
• If you wish to make a larger image than the size of the decal
paper, you can resize the image with a photo editing program
and print it on several sheets. This is known as tiling.
• When the transfer has dried completely, you can sand it for an
aged look.
• Do not get waterslide decal paper wet prior to use, as doing
so may glue the emulsion to the paper backing, preventing the
image from sliding off.
• If the waterslide decal paper is old, it may require additional
soaking or resting time.
• No need to waste any of the waterslide decal paper—draw or
print images onto scraps.
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