How to do this kind of design over leather?

[Enill]

Hello all,

I am really wondering how is it possible to create such design on leather(the musical notes on the attached photo).

It looks so perfect to me. I was thinking maybe some special dying over a plastic pattern with the musical partition carved in it or laser printing? Not sure if heat transfer could also accomplish this.

Any ideas? Thank you in advance!

[TomMeyers]

Laser engraving is a possibility.

[maxdaddy]

Maybe try something like this. I experimented with a similar approach and was able to get a printed image transferred onto leather. You'd want to seal it real good afterwards with resolene or something similar but I think you might have some luck with this.

 

[Dwight]

It is touchy . . . but you can take wax paper . . . run it thru your printer . . . with the image you want reversed . . . then lay it on your leather . . . and the ink will transfer.

I've messed around with it just for kicks and giggles . . . never made anything I really wanted to keep . . . also did my son's portrait on a piece of pine doing the same thing.

May God bless, 

Dwight

[Rahere]

It's likely ink on vellum, though. Originally intended for long-term record-keeping, I've handled documents 600 years old.

[billybopp]

My bet is that it's a dye transfer of some sort - either such as @maxdaddy or @Dwight suggested.  If you look closely at the picture, there are a few places, particularly on the right side lighter leather strap, where the image drops out ledger lines, and a place or two where it's a bit blotchy.  Laser would not do that (but it would be a great way to do this if you have one!).   i have not tried the inkjet on waxed paper method, but have used a laser printer with some success.  The way I did a laser printer was to reverse the image then print it, but stop the printer before the paper goes through the heated rollers so that the image does not get set on the paper.  Be careful, it is very easily smudged at this point.  Lay it onto the leather carefully: Do not reposition it.  In my case, I used acetone to cause the toner to set onto the leather, but you could also use heat as in @maxdaddy's post.  Acetone does discolor the leather some, but in my case that was not a problem.

The "beard pullers" in the picture below were done this way, and also partially outlined with a swivel knife.

- Bill

[Enill]

Thank you guys for all the great tips.

I think I'll experiment with the inkjet printer, with and without applying heat.

Wondering what kind of wax paper we are talking about, any Amazon link(or any shop) where I can find it?

Also, I found some inkjet printer compatible heat transfer paper that are used to transfer image on t-shirt and such by using a heat press, I wonder if that kind of paper would work(you can find them by searching for "Heat transfer sublimation paper". I don't have a heat press, but I guess that a small soldering iron could do by working it out with some patience.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Enill

[LatigoAmigo]

2 hours ago, Enill said:

I don't have a heat press, but I guess that a small soldering iron could do by working it out with some patience.

You can use a clothes iron, just don't use the steam feature.

[Dwight]

2 hours ago, Enill said:

Thank you guys for all the great tips.

I think I'll experiment with the inkjet printer, with and without applying heat.

Wondering what kind of wax paper we are talking about, any Amazon link(or any shop) where I can find it?

Also, I found some inkjet printer compatible heat transfer paper that are used to transfer image on t-shirt and such by using a heat press, I wonder if that kind of paper would work(you can find them by searching for "Heat transfer sublimation paper". I don't have a heat press, but I guess that a small soldering iron could do by working it out with some patience.

I don't have the same printer I used years ago playing around . . . and the wax paper I used was that stuff your wife has in her kitchen . . . 

May God bless, 

Dwight

[Handstitched]

G'Day, 

When I was a wee lad, I put together aeroplane models , you know the plastic ' Airfix' type' . That image  reminded me of those little transfers you put on the planes. Soak them in water, and they separate from the backing paper. Just wondering if this is something  similar but on  larger  scale?  Some kind of transfer with a clear  P/U coating maybe    Whatever it is , it  looks great   Also, looks like an air brush was used along the very edges, perhaps to hide the edges of the transfer ?

Is there a contact link with the pic? 

Any musicians on here? What is the music? 

HS

[paloma]

I simply write on my leather either with a ballpoint pen or a fountain pen.

https://tradisign.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2019-08-02T12:08:00%2B02:00&max-results=5&start=24&by-date=false

Edited November 13, 2020 by paloma