Step 5: Color The Image
Now comes the good part. Cut
a piece of the TRF (Toner Reactive Foil) in the color you want.
We're using a color foil here,
so it shows up better in the pictures. White works the same way....
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The foils come 8" wide,
so I cut a 4" strip all the way across, which covers my 3.5" x 4.25" print.
This gives me plenty of wrap around to hold the foil tightly when running the print & foil through the laminator. |
| In the DecalPRO kit, there is
a thin fiberglass board which you use as a backing plate for your print.
Line the print up with the narrow edge of the board, then wrap the foil around the board, covering the print. Try to get a grip like this: |
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It's important to keep the foil tight, to prevent wrinkles from forming in the foil. Where there is a wrinkle, the color won't stick to the toner. If it's between the toner areas of the print, it doesn't matter... |
| Notice the gizmo I rigged up
to try to reduce wrinkling. It's about a 5/8" diameter brass tube that
sits on the lip of the in slot of the laminator. It's free to roll as the
print passes through.
The music wire frame is just to keep it from falling off. Seems to help a little. |
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Feed the board / print / foil
to the pre-heated laminator. Let the laminator grab the board. It goes
slowly,
so be patient. |
Once the print it clear of the
laminator, take it off the board, and put it down on a flat surface.
When the board is all the way
through the laminator, remove it, and lay it down flat to cool.
Now for the moment of truth....