Inket Transfer Experiment #3b - Transfer Goop Revised

In my last post, I put up the results of the Transfer Goop experiments that I had performed last October. I had inadvertently used two different images, and realized that without a proper control (using the same image each time), an experiment is somewhat useless. In art land, there are no mistakes - only learning and happy accidents - and while this is true here (I did learn, and I can still use the transfer), it doesn't do much good as an experiment to not have a control. You just can't tell the difference between how well Transfer Goop does on different papers, or how Transfer Goop compares to different transfer mediums, if the images are different.

The Products:

So, I repeated my experiment today, the same image on three different papers:

• Staples Multipurpose Copy Paper (aka, Plain Copy Paper)
• HP's Everyday Matte Photo Paper
• JetPrint's Matte Imaging & Photo Paper

and ugh, Transfer Goop! Seriously, the smell! It's this odd combination of latex-rubber with lamp oil smell. I used a charcoal-lined mask while I was working with it, and my windows are all open, but it's still lingering in my apartment (and in my nose). If solvent-y smells get to you, then don't use this stuff.

The Process:

I used my heat gun to heat all 3 transfers from a beige-glue look to a glossy, clear finish, and it took about 3 minutes per transfer. I'm surprised I didn't burn out my heat gun - I don't think stamp embossing guns are meant to be run for 10 minutes at a time. You can bake your transfer in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, per the website's instructions (you have to click through to the instructions), but I just didn't want that smell ending up in my food later. If you have a dedicated toaster oven for things like polymer clay baking, I recommend you use that to bake your Transfer Goop transfer, instead of using your heat gun. It only goes for about 3 minutes, and you have to check for when it changes from a powdery beige to a clear, glass finish. But that's better than risking a $20 heat gun. :D

The Results:

Here are the scans of each transfer. The images on the Left started out on the Plain Copy Paper, the images in the Middle on the HP Everyday Matte Photo Paper and the images on the Right started out on the JetPrint Imaging & Photo Paper.

(As always, you can click on the image to enlarge it, and really get all the details)

Again, the plain copy paper did not perform so well. It was hard to get all of the paper off, and when I was rubbing the paper off, some of the black ink smeared around on the transfer. A lot of the ink came right off with the paper.

The HP Everyday Matte Photo paper and the JetPrint Matte Imaging & Photo Paper both did equally well, with the HP paper being slightly easier to get off the transfer. Very little ink came off with either paper.

I still had trouble with browning this time around, too, although not nearly as much as I had before. It seems to happen on the edges more, and could be because I was using a heat gun and not an oven. I would have to heat an area to change it from powdery-opaque to glass-clear, but the heat would inadvertently keep heating an area that had already changed to clear. Thus, some browning.

I also had a problem with air bubbles. Tons of tiny air bubbles:

(click to enlarge)

They tell you to stir it well prior to brushing the Goop onto your transfer, which you need to, as it separates out into this thick, latexy substance with a top coat of clear, oily stuff. You're then supposed to either bake or heat your image first, for about 3 minutes, to remove any humidity from your image. Humidity can cause air bubbles in your transfer, per the website. Immediately after heating your image, you need to brush your well-stirred Transfer Goop onto it.

I only heated my images for about 1 1/2 minutes each, because I live in Colorado, where it is notoriously dry (although we have been having a rainy season this year - finally!).

It's possible that's why I got so many air bubbles - I didn't heat them long enough. I'm inclined to think it was all the stirring I had to do, prior to brushing it onto my images. The contents separate out pretty quickly, so I didn't see a way to stir it all up, and then let it sit for 15 minutes, until all the air bubbles rose to the surface. So, there are many, tiny air bubbles baked right into the transfer.

Conclusions:

I'm pretty much never using Transfer Goop again - I don't care how strong, stretchy and clear the transfer skin is (which I must say, it is). It's too smelly, and since I'm not going to bake it, it's too much of a pain to use a heat gun on it. There's also the need to bake your image before you coat it, and any brush you use to slap on the stuff is now a Transfer Goop-only brush. I can get similar results with Gel Medium, with no baking, no smell, and no dedicated brushes. Better results, actually, since there's no browning or air bubbles.

But your results may vary. Transfer Goop was made to be ironed onto things, and with how strong it is, it might be a product of choice for you, in the art you do. It is a clear transfer (barring air bubbles and/or overheating) and very strong. Your photos will come out very clear, versus other ways of doing inkjet transfers. But for me, a paper-arts girl, the smell and time it takes makes other methods for image transferring much more fun.

ETA: I just checked, and our humidity is a whopping 39% right now. That's pretty high, if it's not raining here. So it really is possible that I didn't bake the water out of my images enough, and that's why I have the air bubbles. Now, don't all you folks in humid states want to come to Colorado? *grin*

Inkjet Transfer Experiment #3 - Transfer Goop

Now I'd like to show you the results of my experiment with Transfer Goop transfer medium by Artisan's Choice, as well as do a little review of the product.

The Product:

Transfer Goop is a transfer medium designed to be used with inkjet prints, laser prints, newspapers, and/or magazine clippings. It usually comes in a kit called "Transfers Unlimited", and costs about $15 for the whole kit at Michael's, the last time I checked. The Transfer Goop is sold separately as a refill for about $8. You can buy the release paper separately, as well.

Transfers Unlimited is packaged as a complete transfer system, taking you from making the transparent transfer off of your image, through to ironing it onto fabric, leather or wood. The transfer has a stretchy, rubbery quality to it, and is quite thick and durable. The Transfers Unlimited package is sold with the Transfer Goop, 6 sheets of Release Paper (for ironing your transfer onto your surface), a sheet of clear Transfer Film, 4 pieces of white backing cloth and a bristle brush for painting on the Transfer Goop.

The Process:

I'm not sure how Artisan's Choice is doing as a company, because their website only has a front page, and all of their instructions and project ideas aren't up on their site anymore. They have a note saying "Our Website is being revised to serve you better, for now please email artistanschoice@comcast.net", and has been saying that for at least 9 months. I bought the Transfer Goop separately, and as it didn't come with instructions, I had to look the directions up via the Internet Wayback Machine. The instructions are listed there.

Transfer Goop comes in a little jar 4 oz. jar that needs to be stirred extremely well prior to use. You spread the Transfer Goop on your image, but instead of waiting for it to dry, you either bake it, or heat it with your heat gun. It acts almost like an embossing powder, in that you heat it until the surface turns glassy and completely clear. Then, you just let it cool, and soak your paper off of the back. From there, you can then use more Transfer Goop to glue your image onto your surface, and iron the transfer down, using their special release papers to do so.

The Results:

Here's how my two transfers with Transfer Goop came out. The one on the Left was printed on HP's Everyday Matte Photo Paper, and the one on the Right was printed on JetPrint's Imaging & Photo Matte Paper. Both were printed from an Epson Workforce 500 with Durabrite Inks.

(click the image to enlarge)

Conclusion & Review:

Working with Transfer Goop is a bit of a trying process. First of all, the odor of the stuff isn't pleasant at all, and gave me a headache. I can smell some kind of petroleum distillates in there. The jar also has a tendency to leak on me, so I have it double-bagged in Ziplocs, to stop the leaking and the smell. Then, I had trouble heating the Goop with my heatgun, without then turning it slightly brown (burning it). Also, when I went to remove the paper from my transfers, I learned quickly not to use my finger-nails to scratch the paper, at all, because it removed the ink clean off of the surface of the transfer (those white dots in the transfer on the left).

I do like how thick and stretchy the transfers are, though. These are tough transfer skins, and would probably hold up quite well on a well-loved and well-used homemade handbag. I like how vibrant the colors came out on the HP Everyday Matte Photo paper transfer, and might have had a perfect transfer if I hadn't used my nails to get the paper off. With a bit of practice, I can probably get the heating part right, without turning the transfer brown.

But I won't be trying that anytime soon, as it's just not worth it to me, for the solvent smell (this is why I didn't bother with trying this on plain copy paper).

Next up - Pearl-Ex pigments and trying out different paint binders (like Gum Arabic and Matte Medium).

ETA: Zura made a good catch. I actually used two different images on the two different transfers. The one on the left, printed on the HP Everyday Matte Photo paper, has an extra orange, leafy border that wasn't in the one on the right. Because we always need a control to make a proper experiment, and my image was my control, I'll be redoing this experiment. This will give me a chance to try this on plain copy paper, too. :D