Using a Gel Plate to transfer a Black and White Injet Image

A Black and white Image (at bottom and its transfer to white cotton

The gel plate can be used to transfer images to fabric from a black and white print out to fabric. It only works with black and white images and it only works with presentation paper. This presentation paper has a gloss finish (on both sides). DO NOT USE PHOTO PAPER as this will stick to your plate and ruin it. There is some sort of chemical reaction that occurs between the photo paper and the gel plate.

The process is print off your black and white image on an inkjet printer using the gloss presentation paper. Place the image flat down on the gel plate. Wait a few minutes and you will be able to peal off the paper and see the imprint of the image on the gel plate.

Use either an acrylic paint or gel medium to make a light layer over the top of the gel plate image and place the paper/fabtic substrate over the acrylic medium you have used. Wait a few minutes and lift up one corner to check if transfer has occurred. Remember fabric prints will take longer than paper for the bond to set. If it has, pull up the substrate and there is your print - it will be mirror image.

The images above are a printed copy of a zentangle my granddaughter created and the print onto fine cotton. I used gel medium in the transfer so that the print remained black and white. When trialling things I usually use a fine cotton because the paints dry much more quickly on the fabric and I do not need to leave the fabric sitting on the gel plate overnight. Of course now the image is ready for further stitch or embellishment.

At our local art show some of the ladies had stitched copies of drawings their grandies had made. This would be an easy way to transfer those drawings to cloth. Make a black and white copy of the drawing and transfer it to cloth and then use stitch/paints to reintroduce the colour