Applying digital images to leather

[DCKNIVES]

I get asked alot to do this instead of carving.I did a search here and didn't find much info.Has anyone tried it with sucess.Thanks .Dave

[CitizenKate]

A few people have etched digital images into leather with laser engravers, such as this one.

Kate

[rdb]

IF you're talking about applying pictures, digital or photoed, you probably want Billy2Shews methods. Do a search here for billy2shews, and you'll find out his information. He has a video that explains it step by step. Billy's a great contributor to leatherworking, that's for sure.

[DCKNIVES]

Thanks Kate, that's a pretty cool gadget, but a might pricey.

RDB brother, thanks. Did a search here, sorry I never got to see his work before, amazing.I couldn't find the video, and I read that Wayne Christensen is now teaching Billy's method.I haven't found a way to get ahold of him yet either, but still looking.I am very interested in seeing how it's done, as my wife did some experimenting and was able to do it and I used the images to make a few sheaths ( see below).I would like to see how the methods compare or what I need to change. Added to traditional carving and tooling, I think it makes a very cool presentation.Dave

[CitizenKate]

Thanks Kate, that's a pretty cool gadget, but a might pricey.

Yeah, it makes me drool every time I see it.

I couldn't find the video, and I read that Wayne Christensen is now teaching Billy's method.I haven't found a way to get ahold of him yet either, but still looking.I am very interested in seeing how it's done, as my wife did some experimenting and was able to do it and I used the images to make a few sheaths ( see below).I would like to see how the methods compare or what I need to change. Added to traditional carving and tooling, I think it makes a very cool presentation.Dave

I think his video is still available for download here... let me check on the status of that and get back on it...

Kate

[CitizenKate]

Found the link for the 2-shews video. It's at

http://www.leatherworker.net/whois.htm

A donation is requested for this download, suggested amount $25 (which is well worth it! It originally sold for $80 and it was even worth that much.), or you can send a different amount directly to his paypal account. Once the donation is received, you get an email with a link to the download page.

Kate

[DCKNIVES]

Thanks for the help Kate.Got to finish up some stuff and then I will order it.I still would like to see what Wayne added, since attending his class is all but impossible for me.Dave

[stelmackr]

I get asked alot to apply digital images to leather instead of carving.I did a search here and didn't find much info.Has anyone tried it with success.

When I lived in England I would visit the Tandy Leather Factory in Northampton. Peter Laight was the owner and Roy was the manager. Peter showed me leather that had pictures printed on it. He used a Xerox looking machine that deposited the picture directly on the leather. The last information I have on Peter is: Peter Laight, Holt Lane, Matlock, Derbyshire, DE4 3LY, 01629 581403 (W), 07970-698-115 (M), choco.co@talk21.com, www.theidentitystore.co.uk/

In fact, here is a link to the digital printing: www.theidentitystore.co.uk/surface_decoration.asp

...and I see that they moved to a new location:

CHANGES TO THE IDENTITY STORE FROM THE 12TH DECEMBER 2008, THE IDENTITY STORE (NORTHAMPTON) HAS TEMPORARILY MOVED TO OUR HEADQUARTERS AT MATLOCK DERBYSHIRE. OUR LEASE IN NORTHAMPTON HAS RUN OUT AND WE COULD NOT RENEW FOR A SHORT TERM

OUR NORTHAMPTON STORE MANAGER, TREVOR RHODES, STILL REPRESENTS US LOCALLY, AND WILL BE AVAILABLE TO GIVE ADVICE AND WILL BE RUNNING CLASSES.

YOUR ORDERS CAN BE PLACED DIRECTLY WITH OUR MATLOCK STORE EITHER BY

T: 01629 581403 or 07974 177239

W: www.theidentitystore.co.uk

E: sales@theidentitystore.co.uk

Peter and Roy were very gracious people that helped this poor American figure out those metric measurements and those strange words for things.

Bob Stelmack

[Johanna]

FYI

Here's link to a gallery of Billy's work:

http://leatherworker.net/Gallery/index.htm

[DCKNIVES]

Thanks for the info Bob.Johanna, thank you very much, that gallery is amazing.Dave

[$$hobby]

im not sure if you want a color picture but.

you can try using a inkjet printer. i would make sure the ink was the indelible type. i remember seeing a marketing/sales person with some inkjet printers using some waterbased/food coloring type inks and printing on some tortilla. at the time i thought it was nifty. a neet way of advertising.

iac, you would have to try the available inks and see how you can get things to line up and print correctly.

[JohnBarton]

I bought the 2-Shews video. That guy is AMAZING. I have seen the transfer stuff before and wondered if it would work on leather and for whatever dumb reason wouldn't come up off the $5 to buy a bottle.

But what makes Billy amazing isn't that he transfers to leather - it's what he does with it to bring the image to life. Truly great techniques he has developed there.

I personally think that images which are just put on stuff are often cheesy looking. I am referring to the type of thing where you put a picture on a coffee mug.

However I find that the ones which are done with some flair and dressing up often look pretty cool. Billy puts the penultimate flair on what he does in my opinion. Using leather as the medium allows some pretty wicked artistry to be used.

DC Knives - I bet you are going to rock it with this technique.

[ClayB]

I just came across this site. It's probably not feasable for most of us, but there are options out there.

[tashabear]

I've been experimenting with a bunch of papercraft techniques on leather, but this thread has inspired me! My husband has been working with black Artagain paper lately, and now I want to make some photocopies and see what they look like transferred onto leather that I've distressed and worked over. (I want to try it on a canvas that we've worked over, too.) And of course I desperately want to do this when I have less than a week to get three projects done and get packed for a two week vacation...

[MADMAX22]

I bought the 2-Shews video. That guy is AMAZING. I have seen the transfer stuff before and wondered if it would work on leather and for whatever dumb reason wouldn't come up off the $5 to buy a bottle.

But what makes Billy amazing isn't that he transfers to leather - it's what he does with it to bring the image to life. Truly great techniques he has developed there.

I personally think that images which are just put on stuff are often cheesy looking. I am referring to the type of thing where you put a picture on a coffee mug.

However I find that the ones which are done with some flair and dressing up often look pretty cool. Billy puts the penultimate flair on what he does in my opinion. Using leather as the medium allows some pretty wicked artistry to be used.

DC Knives - I bet you are going to rock it with this technique.

I had no idea what to expect before I got his video a while back and when I first started watching it I was like "oh man thats it" but then I kept watching it and it just got better and better. I must agree his video is a must have, my only wish is that he had time to make more of them. Such a shame really. Plus seeing the guys technique really opened up alot of more ideas.

[JohnBarton]

For me it comes down to durability. I don't like to put decoration on the leather when I know it's likely to be scratched or worn off. I can see the 2-Shews method being great for low use items. But for something like a cue case I'd have to figure out how to be certain that it would stand the test of time and use.

Something like a sublimation process that turns the color to gas and permeates the receiving surface is what I REALLY want.

Something where you can pull, stretch, bend and otherwise beat up the leather without the color coming off. Utopian? Probably.

Maybe the DigitalLeather application that Clay showed us is close or is that, I don't know.

Until then though using the Plaid, Picture This method seems quite promising depending on how you do it. I have a guy who wants a certain flag done and I don't want to paint it on.

The last case we did with lots of paint is not an everyday case for the owner so it will mostly be in a display cabinet. The owner was made aware of my dislike for paint on the surface and he said go ahead.

Anyway, seems like there are many things out there that work to get images onto leather.

Here is a another one: http://www.lazertran.com/about_lazertran.htm

And the book reference I got it from: Book of Transfers