How to Transfer a Photo to Wood: Inkjet & Laser Prints!

Instructions

STEP 1: PRINT YOUR IMAGE

In this tutorial, I am going to show you how to transfer a photo to wood.

To start off, we need a photo to add to the wood. I am using this photo of Greg and I and I have also included two winter photos for you to use.

I recommend using a photo with dark or saturated colors as those types of pictures show up well on the wood. For this project, I am using an 8 x 10 aspect ratio that will let me cover my wood entirely. I recommend printing photos that are bigger than your wood surface as it is easier to line up the photo and you don't have as many photo edge cut-offs on wood.

NOTE:  Any white or tan color will come out the color of your wood.

Next, I am going to open my photo on my computer and mirror it, so when we put it on the wood, it will be facing the right way. 

NOTE: My winter designs are already mirrored so you can go ahead and print them without mirroring them.

For Mac:  I am going to locate my photo and double click on it, so it opens in the “Preview” app. Once my file is open, I go to “tools” located on the top of the screen and select “Flip Horizontally.”

For PC:  Locate the photo you would like to use and double-click on it, to open the “Photos” app. Click “Edit & Create” in the toolbar at the top of the screen and then select “Edit” from the drop-down menu. Then select the “Crop & Rotate” button at the top of the screen. Click the “Flip” button on the right side to flip the image. 

After the picture is flipped, we are going to print it on 20 lb paper from a laser printer. I recommend printing on a laser printer for the best results. If you do not have a laser printer, you can bring your photo to a print shop and have them print it for you. 

NOTE: You can use an inkjet printer for this project. The result you get from using an inkjet printer vary in quality. Some of the differences include: smeared ink, loss of picture due to adhesion problems, and the colors aren't as vibrant as a laser printer, it looks very vintage.

To print, we need to hit Cmd+P (Mac) or Ctrl+P (PC) on the keyboard.

On the pop-up screen, I recommend you click Advanced Options and make sure your paper type is set appropriately and make sure your quality is set to "best" for the most vibrant image, and select print.

IMPORTANT:  Use the thinnest paper you can, thick paper is hard to remove from the wood.

Next, we need to choose what kind of wood we want our photo to be transferred to.

When deciding what kind of wood to use for this project, it is important to choose a soft wood like basswood or pine and not hardwood like Birchwood or Oak. Hardwood does not let the ink absorb into it like soft wood making it difficult to transfer the photo onto it.

DO NOT use finished wood because your image will not transfer.

I am going to use this natural basswood plank for the picture of Greg and I.

Then I am going to use this Basswood Plaque for my winter photo.

STEP 2:  GET MY FREE TRANSFER PHOTO TO WOOD DESIGN FILE

Next, get my Transfer Photo to Wood design from my free resource library — look for design #356. The ZIP file contains PDF photos for printing, SVG file for cutting on a Cricut or another cutting machine, DXF file, and a printable PDF for cutting by hand.

TIP:  If you are not sure how to upload an SVG cut file to Cricut Design Space, watch this helpful video training series I made. If you are on an iPad or iPhone, here is how to download and upload SVG files to the Cricut Design Space app.

I love adding a personal touch to all my projects but this step is as always optional.

Here is what my SVG looks like in Cricut Design Space. 

This SVG includes the “this is us” saying that I will be putting on wood along with a picture of Greg and I. 

Now, I am going to show you how I created our name in Cricut Design Space. This name will go on my winter display sign but you can add it to any picture you would like. 

First, click on "Text" on the left. A box will pop up where you can add your text. Feel free to select whatever font you like. I'm going to use the font "Bright" which I purchased from FontBundles.net.

TIP: Need help installing a font in Cricut Design Space? Check out this video and blog post I made that explains everything step by step.

Once you have picked your font, click in the text box and type your word(s). I am going to type “The Makers.”

Now we need to resize "The Makers" saying. First, we need to measure the width of our wood. I am using an 8 x 10 plaque and I want the saying to be about half the width so I am going to resize "The Makers" saying to around 4" wide using the resizing handle. Or you can also type the size into the top menu under size.

NOTE: The "this is us" saying is sized for a 7" wide piece of wood. Measure your wood and size accordingly using the technique above.

Once we have our saying(s) resized we are going to click “Make It” in the top right-hand corner of the screen.

STEP 3:  CUT YOUR VINYL

Now, we are going to cut out our designs. 

I will be using the Cricut Maker 3 for this tutorial, but you can use any Cricut cutting machine for this project.

If applicable, select “On Mat” on the next page.

There is nothing to change on the prepare screen; so, we can select “Continue” at the bottom right of the screen.

I am using Cricut Premium Permanent Vinyl in white for my first mat. So, we are going to select “Browse All Materials.”

Then choose “Premium Vinyl - Permanent Glossy” for our material setting; then press “Done.”

Then, I am going to select “More Pressure” to get a cleaner cut. 

Now, place the white vinyl, with the shiny side up, on your Cricut Green Standard Grip Mat, and burnish the vinyl to the mat using the Brayer Tool.

Load your mat, and select the blinking "Arrow/Go" button to start the cut.

When it has finished cutting, unload your mat.

Remove the vinyl from the mat by flipping the mat over and pulling the mat away from the vinyl; this prevents the material from curling. 

For our second mat, I am using black Premium Vinyl, so I am going to select the same setting as we did for the first mat.

Again, I am going to select “More Pressure” to get a cleaner cut. 

Next, place the black vinyl, with the shiny side up, on your mat.

Load your material and start the cut. Once it has finished cutting, unload your mat.

Again, remove the vinyl from the mat by flipping the mat over and pulling the mat away from the vinyl.

Once your vinyl is cut, you will need to remove the excess vinyl and WEED your title.

STEP 4:  ASSEMBLE YOUR WOOD TRANSFER PHOTO

Now that we have our pieces, it’s time for the fun part, actually transferring the photo to the wood.

First, we need to cover our workspace with butcher paper or a protective covering.

Next, set your wood, best side up, and photo, print side up, out in front of you. 

With a foam brush, paint a generous but not thick layer of Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge on the printed side of your picture. Make sure to coat the entire picture. Remember to use long even strokes. DO NOT use a thick coat of mod podge. 

TIP:  I recommend Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge versus other types of Mod Podge because it is not water-soluble and won’t dissolve easily when we put water on it later.

Once you have your picture thoroughly coated with Mod Podge, take your wood and line up the good side to your image so that it is centered. Then press the wood down against the photo to adhere it. 

NOTE: Pressing the wood down against the photo lessens the number of air bubbles that can occur by placing the photo onto the wood. Air bubbles cause a loss in photo transfer so we need to minimize the number of bubbles as much as possible.

Carefully flip your wood piece over so you have the picture side facing you and smooth all the bubbles out of the paper using the brayer tool or a foam roller. 

NOTE:  Make sure to wash your brayer tool after you finish smoothing the bubbles as it can get excess Mod Podge on it.

Let it dry overnight.

To speed the process up with a similar result, you can dry it using a heat gun or hairdryer. Use even heating and make sure the photo is completely dry before moving on.

Once your project is completely dry, take an old face towel or rag and dab water onto the photo. I recommend using a bowl of water so you can keep dipping the towel back in the water. 

Let the water soak in for a minute or two.

Next, take your towel and start rubbing the paper off the wood. 

IMPORTANT: DO NOT scrub very hard. Rubbing too hard can cause the photo to come off with the paper.

Once you get the paper peeling off, you can use your fingers to rub the rest of the paper off, which I found to be the best way to get the paper off without peeling the photo up as well. 

Keep rubbing until all the paper is off the wood. Be patient, this takes time, sometimes up to 20 minutes, but I promise the result is worth it!

NOTE:  If your paper starts to dry while you're rubbing it off, just add more water and continue rubbing the paper off. 

Now that the paper is off of the wood, coat the wood with one layer of clear acrylic coating and let it dry. This will seal your picture onto the wood. It will also make sure our photo does not come off when we add our vinyl saying using transfer tape. It takes about 1 hour to dry depending on conditions.

IMPORTANT: Remember, as always, safety first! I recommend wearing protective gloves, a mask, and eye protection whenever you are working with any type of household or industrial chemicals. Also, always make sure to follow all of the safety precautions on the product label to avoid any possible issues.

Next, we are going to add our vinyl saying.

Cut a piece of transfer tape the size of your design and remove the backing.

Then, place the transfer tape on top of the vinyl. I like to use the taco method. By holding the transfer tape in the shape of a taco, put the bottom of your “taco” onto the middle of your design. Smooth the tape over the decal from the center outward using the scraper tool. Now burnish it, using the scraper tool to make the vinyl adhere to the tape.

Gently pull the transfer tape off; the vinyl should come up with it. If the vinyl does not stick to the transfer tape, place the transfer tape back down and burnish it with the scraper tool again.

Now, center your saying on your wood. I am placing mine at the bottom of my picture about half an inch from the bottom but you can place it wherever you like.

Next, place the vinyl piece down and burnish it onto the wood using the scraper tool.  Gently remove the transfer tape leaving the vinyl in place.

To finish the project, spray one or two coats of clear acrylic coating on the surface, so the vinyl and photo stay looking great.

STEP 5:  SHOW IT OFF

Now you have a stunning photo on wood! These make great gifts that everyone will love!