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How to Transfer Photos to Wood

October 3, 2019 by David

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Learn how to transfer photos to wood in three simple steps! All you need for this photo transfer to wood is your favorite image and a medium. It’s easy! Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of the post for a video that shows you exactly what to do.

Skills Required: Advanced Beginner. A photo transfer to wood takes some knowledge of how to apply mediums as well as a little bit of practice.

Learn how to transfer photos to wood in three simple steps

Hi, it’s David from Cheltenham Road with a quick tutorial on my favorite thing to do: a photo transfer to wood with Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium. This medium is easy to use and creates terrific results. In fact, I’ll show you how to transfer photos to wood in three simple steps!

Any painting of the wood is an additional step if you choose to do so . . . the photo transfer itself is simple as can be and makes great decor on its own. (get more craft ideas using Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium!)

Transfer a Picture to Wood

If you’re wondering how to transfer photos to wood, it’s a relatively simple process. You’ll print a photo out on a dry ink printer (like laserjet or an HP). You’ll paint a medium on the front of the photo, and then smooth it onto an unfinished or painted surface.

The image will need to dry on the surface overnight, and then you will wet the surface and rub off the paper, leaving the image from the ink and the dried medium behind. This particular medium will give your image a white background (as opposed to clear).

Choosing Pictures

If you follow my blog you know I’m all about vintage graphics, so I thought I’d use one of my favorite images and just do a simple transfer to a piece of everyday plywood. Black and white photos look great with this technique since there’s a rustic vibe, however, you can use color photos as well.

When you print out your photo(s), make sure they 1) they fit the surface you are transferring to and 2) any words should be backwards. When they are transferred to the surface, the words will be going the correct way.

Transfer Photos to Other Surfaces

The exciting thing about this project? You can use this same method to transfer photos to fabric or canvas. I’m showing you how to do it on wood, but don’t limit yourself. Oh, and if you want to learn how to transfer photos to glass, that’s an entirely different method you’ll see here.

Learn how to transfer photos to wood the easy way below!

DIY Photo Transfer to Wood

Photo transfer to wood supplies

Here’s what I used for this Mod Podge wood transfer:

  • 1/4″ plywood cut to 13 x 8
  • Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium
  • Matte Mod Podge
  • Folk Art Milk Paint: Plymouth Rock
  • Foam Brush
  • Damp rag
  • Image printed on regular paper using a laser printer or photocopier
  • Sharp craft knife
  • Brayer (useful but not absolutely necessary)
  • Silicone craft mat (useful but not absolutely necessary)

I started off with just a quick coat of the Milk Paint on the edges of the plywood. It dries super fast, so while it was drying I worked on my picture (painting is optional).

Since the photo has text, I reversed the image before printing it onto plain paper using my laser printer. Laser prints work as well as DRY ink toner prints (like HP ink). You may have to do some research or experiment to see if your printer has dry ink.

Transfer picture to wood

For step one, I squeezed out a generous amount of the Transfer Medium onto the image . . .

TIP: I laid everything on my Mod Podge Silicone Mat which is great for this – you can use wax paper if you’d like but make sure to protect your work surface.

How to transfer pictures to wood

. . . . and, using my foam brush, spread it out until the picture was mostly obscured.

Transfer image to wood

For the second step, I laid the picture (image side down) onto the plywood and smoothed out any air bubbles using my fingers and the brayer (the brayer is great but if you don’t have one use a rolling pin, a glass bottle, etc).

Make sure to keep a damp rag nearby to clean up any oozy extra transfer medium (like you see on the bottom edge of the plywood in the picture) as when it dries it dries pretty hard and it tough to get rid of.

And now the hard part: patience. I set the whole thing aside for 24 hours to dry.

How to put a picture on wood

Once it dried I used a damp cloth to gently rub away the paper, revealing the picture (this is the third step!).

Print on wood

After removing that top layer, I let it dry a little and then did it again to catch any spots I missed or left-over paper fuzz. It’s better to rub gently and repeat the wetting process than to rub too hard and rub the image away.

mod podge pictures on wood

I wanted a very vintage/beat up feel so I went in with my sander and sanded away the edges of the graphic revealing the plywood and once I was happy with the look I sealed the whole thing with two coats of Mod Podge Matte.

Now you know how to transfer photos to wood! Easy, sorta quick (if you don’t count the passive drying time) and inexpensive wall art!

Finished photo transfer to wood

TIP: I’ve worked with Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium a lot, but if you’re new to it, do a little tester piece before tackling a big project. And please check out the extremely useful list of tips that Amy has compiled for working with Transfer Medium here.

Are you ready to see the video of a photo transfer to wood? Just click PLAY below. In this example, you’ll learn how to transfer an Instagram picture to a wood block. Enjoy:

Photo Transfer to Wood

Photo Transfer to Wood

Yield: 1 transfer
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Active Time: 20 minutes
Dry Time: 1 days
Total Time: 1 days 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: $5

Learn how to transfer photos to wood in three simple steps! All you need for this photo transfer to wood is your favorite image and a medium. It’s easy!

Materials

  • 1/4″ plywood cut to 13 x 8
  • Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium
  • Matte Mod Podge
  • Folk Art Milk Paint: Plymouth Rock
  • Damp rag
  • Image printed on regular paper using a laser printer or photocopier

Tools

  • Foam brush
  • Sharp craft knife
  • Brayer
  • Silicone craft mat

Instructions

  1. Print the image to fit the surface using a dry ink or laserjet toner printer. Remember to reverse any words so that they will read correctly.
  2. Paint the surface with acrylic paint (optional) - we used FolkArt Milk Paint. Let dry.
  3. Place your image on a mat with the ink side up. Squeeze a generous amount of Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium onto the photo and spread with a foam brush.
  4. The medium should be obscuring the image. Be sure to get the corners well.
  5. Lay the picture image side down onto the surface. Smooth down, removing any air bubbles. A brayer helps here, as does a wet rag (see Notes section).
  6. Set aside for 24 hours to dry.
  7. Place a damp cloth down onto the back of the photo for several minutes. Start rubbing away the paper.
  8. After removing the top layer of paper, let dry a little and then repeat. It's better to rub gently and repeat the wetting process several times than to rub too hard and rub the image away.
  9. Once you're satisfied with the image, further distress the piece of you like.
  10. Add a coat of Mod Podge Matte (or two) on top and let dry.

Notes

Your best source for laserjet printouts is a copy store like FedEx Kinko's! But I'm sure you can order them online as well.

Make sure to keep a damp rag nearby to clean up any oozy extra transfer medium (like you see on the bottom edge of the plywood in the picture) as when it dries it dries pretty hard and it tough to get rid of.

© Amy Anderson
Project Type: Photo Transfer / Category: Budget Crafts
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FILED UNDER | Mod Podge Crafts, Mod Podge Photo Transfer TAGGED | DIY gift ideas, handmade gift ideas

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Comments

  1. Mary says

    September 8, 2013 at 9:19 pm

    …had the same eproblem….tutorials never actually mentioned a transfer medium. would have been nice to know!

  2. Frani says

    July 19, 2017 at 2:20 pm

    Could you use this same process using an artist canvas instead of wood?

    • Amy says

      July 19, 2017 at 8:54 pm

      Yes you could!

      • Frances says

        July 26, 2017 at 9:27 pm

        Thanks Amy!

  3. Glittergirl says

    July 19, 2017 at 11:51 pm

    I don’t understand..how do you “reverse the image before printing it” ? That’s the one thing I don’t understand how I would do that????

    • Amy says

      July 20, 2017 at 11:14 am

      Hi there! You would do it in a Word processing program, Photoshop, or there is even a website that will do it for you: http://flipapicture.com/

  4. Patricia says

    July 20, 2017 at 11:00 pm

    Does this work with colour photos?

    • Amy says

      July 21, 2017 at 10:51 am

      Yes ma’am!

  5. Rick DeHerrera says

    March 16, 2019 at 9:05 am

    Hi, I’ve heard that this dries white and the wood grain underneath gets covered. Do you know another mod podge produce that dries clear? Thanks

    • Amy says

      March 16, 2019 at 10:42 am

      Yes it does dry white! There are two options for you 🙂 The clear photo transfer medium, with laserjet images: https://amzn.to/2UDrUCZ. Or you can use this method, with inkjet images: https://modpodgerocksblog.com/inkjet-photo-transfer-to-wood/

  6. Christine Kiehl says

    March 18, 2019 at 10:40 am

    What a great refresher on how this is done! Fun project! Thanks Amy!

  7. Linda Grey says

    March 19, 2019 at 9:53 am

    In answer to Glittergirl’s question regarding reversing an image; you can do so by going to settings on your computer; selecting Printers, select your printer by clicking on the printer to the right, click on Manage, then select Printing preferences. From there, click on the Advanced tab and look for reverse print. Select that and then click apply or okay and you are good to go.

  8. Mashonda W says

    May 22, 2019 at 9:19 am

    I’ve done this before using a canvas and a colored laser printer photo and after letting it dry and rubbing off the paper, I get this very ashy result. I thought trying this on wood would eliminate the ashy look, however it did not. In your video tutorial your picture looks quite vibrant after rubbing of the paper prior to putting on the finishing coats of Mod Podge. How do I make my photo look vibrant after rubbing of the paper?

    • Amy says

      May 23, 2019 at 6:00 pm

      Hi Mashonda! Ashy sounds like perhaps there is still paper on the image? I’d do another test piece on a block of wood (or whatever’s cheap) and a sample photo. Just to see if by rubbing a little further than you normally do gets you better results. Part of it is the image that’s printed out and how vibrant the colors are, and that is different for different printers. But I really think you might be able to rub off more paper (or that it’s worth trying). My projects, if I rub off enough, aren’t ashy.

  9. Aitofele Sunia says

    June 30, 2019 at 11:33 pm

    Hi. After trying a couple of times, parts of the photo were not transferred. I wondered; is the density of the wood a factor? – Im using hard wood.

    Thank you.

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