Above
top is Corpus
Neo A Concertina, water color paper, leather cover
with gold leaf and gelatin monoprints. 8.25" x 6" 4 pgs.
Above bottom left & right pages from Golden
Ratio Relief monoprints,
with Citra Solv toner transfers, 6.5" x
4" 12 pgs.
I use
Citra Solv Concentrate (full strength) as a transfer medium to
transfer photocopier/laser prints from my Brother MFC 7440 (multifuntion
printer fax copier that uses black only toner)
to various different surfaces. For the
artist's book pictured here I used Citra Solv to transfer the Corpus
Neo lettering
onto the faux leather cover. When I was done transferring the black
toner onto the pleather cover it was nearly invisible, (black on
black) BUT what is transfered is enough of the toner surface
that gold leaf sticks to it.
This is how I do it: (Just one of the many ways I
use Citra Solv Concentrate)
In Photoshop I
layout my text. then
I reversed the text and print with my Brother MFC 7440 onto
a sheet of plain paper.
(Text can be printed from Microsoft Word and flipped horizontally
when you send the print to the printer.)
After the text is printed I put the print
face down onto the book cover.
Next I spritz
a little Citra Solv Concentrate directly on to a paper towel LIGHTLY saturating
the paper towel with the Citra Solv Concentrate, then I place
the paper towel on the backside of the face down print.
I gently rubbed the paper towel to carefully transfer the Citra
Solv Concentrate to the backside of my printed paper. *The goal
is to moisten the back side of the print with Citra Solv Concentrate
but not make it too wet. It is necessary to do this gently as
the toner (the printed letters) will smudge if you work it too
much or it is too wet.
You will notice the printed
paper becoming translucent once the it is lightly
moisten with the Citra Solv Concentrate. Once the print is translucent
you can remove the paper towel and gently rub the back side of
the print.
Continue to rub the back side of the printed paper gently to
transfer the toner. I use a bone folder or the back side of a
spoon. Carefully hold your paper in place and look at your transferring
text by peeling back your print.
On the faux leather
the transferred text was barely visible but I could see it. I
laid a piece of gold leaf on top of the transferred toner and
gently rubbed the leaf into the toner. It holds! I do wait for
the Citra Solv to evaporate and then gently brush away the excess
gold leaf. Not perfect but suitable to the whole look and feel
of my artist's book.
If you want to learn this technique its best to practice it a
few times transferring photocopies or toner to paper or cloth.
The Citra Solv Concentrate will dissolve some plastics, and why
it didn't melt
this faux leather I do not know. The gold leaf has lasted for
years and I also have no idea why it is holding to the
transferred lettering and not the faux leather. I just know it
worked for me and I love the results.
The Citra Solve evaporates and leaves no visible residue on most surfaces.
Below left, Spritz bottle, Citra Solv bottle, bone folder,
paper towel, toner/photocopy
prints, red gelatin monoprints.
Below right, Sample red gelatin monoprint with lightly saturatued
toner print, lifting carefully to check the transfer progress.
|