A while back I got a comment on my blog from Jelly Fish Photo Image Transfers about a special transfer paper. So, I followed the link and I was interested in how close they look to the Polaroid Emulsion Lifts I use to make when Polaroid 669 film was still being manufactured. Now that I have had some time to experiment I ordered a few online. The company is in Spain, so it took a bit longer than a company here in the States, but I hardly noticed. They were very efficient, and I am super happy with the results. These prints work much like the old Polaroid emulsion lifts (in terms of the “peeling process”) except now you can get make large prints without the bank breaking cost of 8×10 polaroid film! The images shown below are approximately 8′x10.5″ and 8.5″x8.5″. I transferred mine to a watercolor paper. First you put your watercolor paper into cool water. Then, you put the transfer print into another water bath. Let it sit for a few minutes, then begin carefully peeling the transfer off of the plastic backing sheet (kinda like a decal). Then, you transfer the loose print onto the watercolor paper. The trickiest part is getting the print onto the watercolor paper. You have to dip the paper in and outside of the water to straighten it out. Much like the polaroid emulsion lifts you must be very careful with the loose film, not too rip it. You can also use your fingers (very gently) to slide it around a bit to enhance the wrinkles in the print. The lovely wrinkles and dips are really what makes this process so beautiful. So, here are my first two prints. So, fun! I will definitely be doing more in the future!
by admin