johnggrg Report post Posted February 17, 2013 Have a quicl question. I am trying to write something into the inside sleeve of a book cover but the letters need to be 'fine'. I am writting something I printed out so need a fine tip that won't tear threw the paper and a stylus produces to thick of a line. Tried a pencil amd tore threw the paper and some scrap I was trying it on. Any suggestions? John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tree Reaper Report post Posted February 17, 2013 You can try a fine tip ball point pen or get some tracing film. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PutnamLeather Report post Posted February 17, 2013 Ya, the tracing film will probably be your best bet as it won't tear as easy. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted February 18, 2013 The damp leather softens the paper, lay a piece a seran wrap on the leather, then your paper you are tracing off of. Use a ball point pen, not a stylus. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnggrg Report post Posted February 18, 2013 Cool I will try that. thanks everyone!! John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lightningad Report post Posted February 18, 2013 the way i do it is to print the words (or any pattern) out on plain A4 paper then cover the words with a layer of clear packing tape, this lets you trace over the paper without piercing it, and its a lot cheaper than tracing film! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chancey77 Report post Posted February 18, 2013 What is all this about paper??????? FORGET PAPER! Go buy some overhead projector transparency plastic sheets they come in packs of 100 and they are cheap and you can print on them...is you have a normal ink cartridge not a laser printer just dry the ink with a hair dryer... The sheets are TUFF AS NAILS! Printable and you can print small things in corners and use the same sheet many times if you have to... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted February 18, 2013 What is all this about paper??????? FORGET PAPER! Go buy some overhead projector transparency plastic sheets they come in packs of 100 and they are cheap and you can print on them...is you have a normal ink cartridge not a laser printer just dry the ink with a hair dryer... The sheets are TUFF AS NAILS! Printable and you can print small things in corners and use the same sheet many times if you have to... I did it this way for a long time. The thickness of the plastic made it dificult to get crisp detailed lines, so I switched to seran wrap and a paper pattern, never looked back. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
silverback Report post Posted February 19, 2013 Hi, Electrathon.is this SERAN wrap the fine plastic food wrap we call glad wrap in Aussie.If not could you please explain its other uses if you get what i mean.Thanks,Peter Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted February 19, 2013 Hi, Electrathon.is this SERAN wrap the fine plastic food wrap we call glad wrap in Aussie.If not could you please explain its other uses if you get what i mean.Thanks,Peter Yes, very thin clingy plastic used to keep food fresh. Glad wrap is another brand name here. The reason it works so well is the fact that it is so thin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chancey77 Report post Posted February 19, 2013 I did it this way for a long time. The thickness of the plastic made it dificult to get crisp detailed lines, so I switched to seran wrap and a paper pattern, never looked back. I have found that different brands make different thickness transfers the stuff I have been using is the cheapest made so it is extremely thin no thicker than paper and being clear I can see through it and line everything up exactly how I want it... But Saran Wrap and paper for you works great.. I have no problems with the smallest of details with a extremely fine tipped stylus. There are tons of manufactures making clear PVC sheets... I have bought some from the model shop before for people that make their own electric motor cars. But the office supply shop always stocks several thickness and budget projector sheets. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted February 19, 2013 $1.50 for a pack of tracing paper (not film) at walmart. Line the back with packing tape and good to go. Someday I'll try the overhead sheets, just haven't gotten there yet. I still hand trace everything as a final step in verifying my lines, but that's just my OCD kicking in pretty hard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
benlilly1 Report post Posted February 19, 2013 I just use the tracing film...works best for me. Cheaper if you buy the roll. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnggrg Report post Posted February 23, 2013 I have found that different brands make different thickness transfers the stuff I have been using is the cheapest made so it is extremely thin no thicker than paper and being clear I can see through it and line everything up exactly how I want it... But Saran Wrap and paper for you works great.. I have no problems with the smallest of details with a extremely fine tipped stylus. There are tons of manufactures making clear PVC sheets... I have bought some from the model shop before for people that make their own electric motor cars. But the office supply shop always stocks several thickness and budget projector sheets. Really I started this to find out what to use to write fine details. I didn't know they made fine tipped stylus's. Where can I find one? I like to draw alot and would like to find some fine tipped stylus's for that. Pencils break when trying to get the fine lines in the leather so those would be great. Let me know if you know of a place to buy them. John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted February 23, 2013 Really I started this to find out what to use to write fine details. I didn't know they made fine tipped stylus's. Where can I find one? I like to draw alot and would like to find some fine tipped stylus's for that. Pencils break when trying to get the fine lines in the leather so those would be great. Let me know if you know of a place to buy them. John Fine tipped ball point pen, will not poke through the paper because of the roller point. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
johnggrg Report post Posted February 23, 2013 Thank you for the reply. Yes that will work for tracing which was what I wanted to know. But I was also wondering about fine tipped stylus's for drawing directly on the leather to. Where can I find those? I have looked around and have had no luck. John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grandpa Report post Posted February 23, 2013 Really I started this to find out what to use to write fine details. I didn't know they made fine tipped stylus's. Where can I find one? I like to draw alot and would like to find some fine tipped stylus's for that. Pencils break when trying to get the fine lines in the leather so those would be great. Let me know if you know of a place to buy them. John If I may be so bold - I'd be more inclined to simply make one out of an existing stylus by filing/sanding off the end and lightly rounding the tip to a fine rounded point. Or as mentioned, a fine tipped ink pen, another excellent idea IMO. I prefer using the standard tracing film too and hesitate to use something as fine as saran wrap as I'd probably push too hard and tear it or make holes, however a page protector sheet might fill the bill well as they come in a couple different thicknesses. I'll be attempting to do just that with a paper inside and the image of a critter on it soon for my notebook project. I like the idea of using clear packing tape too for smaller things, great thought. Now to experiment a bit with clear transparancies in my inkjet. Dang I enjoy this forum!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SmokeCigars Report post Posted February 23, 2013 Really I started this to find out what to use to write fine details. I didn't know they made fine tipped stylus's. Where can I find one? I like to draw alot and would like to find some fine tipped stylus's for that. Pencils break when trying to get the fine lines in the leather so those would be great. Let me know if you know of a place to buy them. John I see you are in southeast michigan. I am downriver / Monroe county area. This summer when I dig the lathe out of the basement, I'll give some fine tip acyrilic styluses a try. If it works out, I could get one to you. I'm sure they would hold up for a while. I've been bouncing the idea of a nice custom stylus around since I started working. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
