pattern transfert

[yan]

to the other ''artisticly challenge'' :

anyone got a easy trick to transfert pattern on leather?

I can't draw (I could'nt a strait line if my life depended on it) so I would like to use computer to make my pattern.

[Tina]

It sounds like Billy 2-shews method would fit you perfectly:-)

I think this is the link to use... http://www.leatherworker.net/whois.htm

[yan]

it is a link to get a dvd?

what is on it?

[hidepounder]

to the other ''artisticly challenge'' :

anyone got a easy trick to transfert pattern on leather?

I can't draw (I could'nt a strait line if my life depended on it) so I would like to use computer to make my pattern.

Yan,

Are you talking about transfering a tooling pattern to your leather?

Edited August 6, 2009 by hidepounder

[yan]

yes, I want to try tooling but the drawing part is a problem for me.

for the general shape I use cardbox, cut and recut till I have the shape I want

Edited August 6, 2009 by yan

[TimKleffner]

Howdy Yan

What I do is draw or trace my pattern onto 100% rag vellum. It's a engineering grade tracing paper. After I trace the pattern, I spray the back with clear fixative. that makes the paper water resistant. I cut my leather a bit over size then tape it on the back, then apply a thin coat of rubber cement to the back and to a piece of plexiglass. After that's applied, I case [dampen] [not wet] my leather, let it rest for about 5 minutes, then take the tracing and center it on the leather and use blue masking tape and tape around close to the cut edge on one side. I take another colored pen, begin my tracing on one side and work from either left to right and top to bottom. The paper will dampen and stretch a bit , just take your time. with the taped paper in place, gently lift the paper up and peak once and a while to make sure you have all your lines drawn in.

That's what I do, hope it works for you

Happy tooling

Tim

[yan]

tanks, I'll just find some rag vellum locally and should be ready to start trying stuff in a couple of days.

[TimKleffner]

I buy my 100% rag vellum from Office Depot. I believe that any office supply house will have or can order the product

Tim

[Hilly]

I just buy rolls of tracing film from Tandy. Trace my patterns onto it, and then lay it on my cased leather. Lightly trace the lines with a stylus to transfer the design onto the leather. If I'm doing a large project, I tape it down, being careful not to let the adhesive from the tape touch the front side of the leather. If I have a piece of tape that will touch the grain side, I cover the sticky part with paper or tissue to keep it off the grain. I usually run my tape around the edges to the back side of my projects, and this keeps it in place while I trace.

Just make sure that you don't allow sticky tapes to touch the grain side of your leather, or it will leave marks. Some people have used a low tack type of tape, but I have found that this will also leave marks at times.

I have no experience with the rag vellum others have mentioned. I do know that if you use the tracing film, you can save it, and reuse your design many times in stead of retracing it every time.

Do some experimenting on scrap first to find the method that works best for you.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Hilly

[Somawas]

Cut a piece of Tandy tracing film to 8.5" x 11", using a straight edge. Put the tracing film into the photocopier. Put the art on the glass. Push the button. Do not put the ink side onto the cased leather.

[King's X]

Check the internet. Hide crafter's has 8x11 sheet of Velum in packs of 20 sheets for $4.95. I just put them into my printer scan and copy the image I want and I am ready to go. These sheets are already water resistant and will not stretch. They can be used over and over.

Good luck

[Deno]

One thing I've been doing lately is printing or scanning a pattern on regular copy paper. Then I spray both sides with at least 2 coats of clear acrylic. Cut it out, tape it down, and get a couple of traces then though it away. If I ever want to do it again I just repeat the process. My best, Dennis.

[celticleather]

Here's a method that I use for transferring carving patterns that need to be repeated:

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...ic=16834&hl

[CitizenKate]

What I do is different from all these other methods, and doesn't depend on tracing or drawing skills. It does depend on keeping your artwork on your computer. I basically print the pattern onto the leather by doing the following:

Print the pattern onto a sheet of transparency film.

Before the ink has a chance to dry much (say, within 10-15 minutes), turn the sheet over (yes, ink-side down) onto a piece of dry leather, and rub over it with the smooth side of a modeling spoon, or anything with a smooth, curved surface (like, even a table spoon). Do not do this on cased leather, or you'll have a mess; dry leather only. Also, make sure the film does not shift around while you're rubbing the pattern on.

This transfers the pattern perfectly and effortlessly in less than 5 minutes!

Let the leather sit for about 15 minutes before casing and carving.

When you're done with the transfer, you can just wipe the remaining ink off the transparency and re-use it pretty much an unlimited number of times.

Kate

[wildrose]

What kind of printer are you using?

[CitizenKate]

At the moment I have a Canon Pixma inkjet printer. Before that I had an HP inkjet printer. Both printers seem to do this process fine. (I don't recommend HP any longer, however, for other reasons.)

Kate

[celticleather]

What I do is different from all these other methods, and doesn't depend on tracing or drawing skills. It does depend on keeping your artwork on your computer. I basically print the pattern onto the leather . . .

That's a pretty smart idea! I guess if the pattern is not symmetrical, you need to remember to flip the image left-to-right before printing onto the transparency film!

[CitizenKate]

I guess if the pattern is not symmetrical, you need to remember to flip the image left-to-right before printing onto the transparency film!

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that.

Kate

[azrider]

Thanks for sharing that, Kate. I have not had a chance to pick up the transparency film yet, so haven't done this. Any idea if it will work with a Laser printer?

Edited August 12, 2009 by azrider

[MHolzer]

I couldn't say for sure w/o experimenting, But I don't think so.

Laser printers work by "baking" the ink onto the medium. Ink jets rely on the ink drying naturally/being absorbed by the medium.

Edited August 12, 2009 by MHolzer

[Xeranthe]

I couldn't say for sure w/o experimenting, But I don't think so.

Laser printers work by "baking" the ink onto the medium. Ink jets rely on the ink drying naturally/being absorbed by the medium.

3M makes transparencies that are for use in regular photocopiers and laser printers. I have a laser printer at home and have printed onto the transparency without any problems.

[CitizenKate]

3M makes transparencies that are for use in regular photocopiers and laser printers. I have a laser printer at home and have printed onto the transparency without any problems.

The problem is not printing on the transparency. The problem is that the dry ink may not come off on the leather. Same thing with a copier. But I'm only guessing. If it doesn't come off on dry leather, perhaps it could transfer more easily onto cased leather. Dunno...

Could you give it a try and let us know if it works or not?

Kate

[Xeranthe]

The problem is not printing on the transparency. The problem is that the dry ink may not come off on the leather. Same thing with a copier. But I'm only guessing. If it doesn't come off on dry leather, perhaps it could transfer more easily onto cased leather. Dunno...

Could you give it a try and let us know if it works or not?

Kate

I know that when I printed onto a transparency and experimented with tracing over the design with the ink side on the leather that the ink did transfer to the leather. I will give it a try using your method and see how it transfers doing it that way and let everyone know.

[Xeranthe]

I know that when I printed onto a transparency and experimented with tracing over the design with the ink side on the leather that the ink did transfer to the leather. I will give it a try using your method and see how it transfers doing it that way and let everyone know.

I tried the transfer method with dry leather and that doesn't seem to work at all. Probably because the laser has the heat involved. I didn't get an opportunity to try it with damp leather last night - that will be tonight's project. I'll keep you posted on what I discover.

[CitizenKate]

Kate