You found some gorgeous woodburning patterns to use on your next project. Now it's time to transfer them!
There are about a bazillion ways to transfer patterns to wood. But not all of them are pyrography friendly.
Here are the top 3 best transferring techniques for woodburning artists.
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Make your pattern about ½ inch to 1 inch smaller than the burnable area of your wood piece (don’t count the bark if you’re using a live edge piece).
How do you resize it? You can find a bazillion ways to resize an image on YouTube.
Personally, I just insert my
woodburning patterns into a Word document, double click it, and resize it right there in the options that pop up. Then it's all ready to print.
Any printer will do.
The goal is to cover the backside of your pattern with the graphite from your pencil.
Lay your pencil sideways on the back of the pattern and scribble good and dark.
Printed side up. Scribbled side down.
Using that same pencil, trace over the pattern. Lift your paper occasionally to make sure it is transferring to the wood the way you want it to.
Tip: Don’t press too hard or it will gouge the wood! If the pattern isn’t as dark as you want it to be, scribble more graphite onto the back side of the pattern and trace again.
Same as explained in the first method.
Any printer will do.
Printed side up.
Place carbon paper or graphite paper dark-side down on your wood underneath your pattern.
Use a semi-sharp pointed tool to trace over the pattern. I use an embossing tool (a.k.a. nail stylus or paint dotter).
Easy peasy.
Same as explained in the first method.
Flip your pattern to a mirror-image before printing.
Then use a laser printer or a copy machine to print it - no inkjet printers for this one. It won't transfer.
Tip: Most commercial printers that are not used specifically for “photo” printing are laser printers.
Printed side down.
Using a woodburning machine on low heat, burnish (or rub) the blank side of the pattern until the whole design is transferred to the wood.
Solid Point Burners: Use a transfer tip. I put my Walnut Hollow Versa Tool on the yellow-orange level.
Wire Nib Burners: Use a flat or spoon shader. For reference, I put my Colwood Detailer on heat level 3-4.
Fun Fact: You can also use an iron for this! The woodburning tool is more accurate though.
Here are some woodburning patterns to try for yourself.
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