How many items in your home truly and faithfully reflect your unique style? Do you own any one-of-a-kind items or eye-catching decorations that you love to look at, or is your living space bogged down by bland and boring items that make you think “blah”?
Maybe you’re looking for a change in scenery that can’t be provided by generic furniture outlets and home decor stores. Or you have a vision in mind, but even hours of browsing haven’t caused the home decor of your dreams to surface. It’s even possible that you have an old piece of decor that you already love but wish to breathe new life into.
You might think that it’s hopeless to attempt making custom home decor without artistic skills and knowledge, like painting. The good news is, that’s not true at all! Water transfer printing can be as easy as choosing an image and finding an object to place it on.
What is Water Transfer Printing?
Water transfer printing is a printing process that shares some similarities with a Japanese printing process known as suminagashi, although its exact origins are unknown. It is a somewhat extensive process that first requires surface preparation, priming, and coating of an object before dipping it in water to transfer an image.
The process itself is a little time-consuming and requires some specialized equipment, but is not particularly difficult. The extensiveness of the process combined with the use of water to adhere ink to the surface of an object allows for beautiful, clean, and professional-looking transfers every time.
You may have also heard of water transfer printing referred to as hydrographics, immersion printing, or a handful of other names.
What Surfaces Can Water Transfer Printing Be Used On?
Nearly every surface type that you may find in your household is a candidate for water transfer printing. The usage of water and malleable patterns allows the desired image to be curved to fit any shape, and the ink adheres to a clear coating added after priming.
Examples of the way other people have used water transfer printing in their homes include:
- Adding decals to bicycle helmets
- Decorating plain plates, cups, vases, and bowls
- Customizing the outer shells of video game controllers with long-lasting graphics that won’t peel off or wear out over time
- Placing custom decals or wraparound graphics on vehicles and mobile trailers
But the list is really limitless!
Troubleshooting Common Problems with Water Transfer Printing
Common reasons that water transfer printing may not turn out as planned include failure to maintain the correct water temperature and a poorly applied applicator that causes the transfer sheet to fail to apply properly.
The process may sound intimidating, or you may not be willing to sacrifice the money and space required to house water transfer printing equipment. That doesn’t mean beautiful water-transferred decals are beyond your reach, however. Luckily, there are also professional water transfer printing services available online that guarantee beautiful image transfer results with little to no hassle on your end.
Published by: Khy Talara
