Background Information
Paper crafting is a fun, creative outlet that allows the artist to bring a personal touch to everyday objects. Whether it’s simple scrapbooking, book making, card making or more complicated mixed media projects, paper crafting is an accessible and enjoyable hobby for both beginners and experts alike.
Transferring newspaper print onto paper is one of the many paper crafting techniques, which can be used to create simple and stylish designs, with big impact. The process is simple and can be done with just a few supplies and tools, such as supplies like newspapers, scissors and glue, and tools like a photocopier.
The Copying Process
To start, the crafting artist should select a newspaper article or page of printed words that they would like to transfer to another surface. Before copying, if they would like to only use select phrases in the transferred design, they can choose to highlight or underline the phrases first.
Once they have the text they wish to transfer ready, they should use a photocopier to make a copy of the text. To make the transfer of the text to the other surface easier, they can change the photocopier settings to create a lighter copy, so that the transferred text is faintly visible on the other surface.
Transferring and Creating
After the copied text is ready, the artist should select the paper material to transfer the text onto. The most important thing to consider is that the artist chooses a material that will allow the faintly visible copy of the text to be bordered and highlighted. Examples of this material are parchment paper, sketchbook paper or thin cardboard.
Once the paper material is ready, it is time to transfer the text. To transfer the copied text, the artist needs to place the copied paper with face up onto the paper material, ensuring that there is no movement in the position of either. The artist then needs to apply pressure and rub the top layers with a dry cloth to ensure that the faint outline of the copy transfers.
Outlining and Finishing touches
After the transferred text has been secured and is faintly visible, the artist can add a few borders, outlines, or highlights to the text to bring attention to certain parts. They can outline the transferred text with fine-tip black markers, dark-colored paint or thin washi tape.
Finally, the artist can choose to add more decorations to their piece of art. They can make use of colored pens or paints to add doodles, draw shapes, or highlight certain words. Glitter glue can be added to give extra definition to the text, and even sequins and beads can be added to give it an extra sparkle.
Advanced Techniques
For crafting artists that have more experience in paper crafting, there are certainly more elaborate options. For example, large transfers, can be made by using contact paper, the static cling used to cover books, and the craftsman can even print artistic images onto parchment paper with a laser printer to use for transfer projects.
A good way to help achieve a crisp, clear transfer of text is to use a wider tip marker or felt-tip marker on the top layer. This can create a strong contrast between the copied text and base paper surface, helping the transfer look noticeable once complete. It is also important to recreate the motion and pressure when transferring several times, as this could help the transfer process.
Experiment
For the more daring artist, transferred newspapers are a great way to experiment and explore with media and materials. For example, transferring newspaper onto fabric can be done instead of paper, and the method is the same. When transferring onto fabric, the photocopy settings need to be set to the highest settings.
The artist can also transfer onto different objects like ceramic tiles, wood blocks, or cardboard. To achieve this, the artist should work out the most appropriate adhesive to use for the different surfaces they are transferring onto, and consider any possible damage to the surface that the adhesive may cause.
Conclusion
Transferred newspaper is a great way to add creative and interesting designs to paper crafts. Whether transferring onto paper, fabric, or other objects, the crafting artist can tailor the project to fit their vision. Remember to stay creative and accomplish a successful transfer with the right supplies and tools.
