Photo Finish

You can go to a dye sublimation or screen print shop to have a favorite photo transferred to their stock sizes of mugs and plaques or DYI and choose the item you want printed.

Faux Photo Finish Materials

Photo
Item to be "printed" (mug, glass plate, metal plaque, any smooth surface will do)
Decoupage gel

How to Apply the Photo Finish

Crop the photo to fit the item it will be applied to.

What you are going to do is separate the printed plastic layer of the photo from its backing. You can't do this with photos you print from an ink jet printer. The ink will bleed when any liquid touches it. So be sure to use a commercially printed photo.

Immerse the photo in hot tap water for one and a half hours; changing the water every 15 to twenty minutes to keep it hot.

After about 30 min. you should be able to peel away a corner or two to let water seep between the layers more quickly.

After an hour and a half, peel the entire piece of film away from the paper and lay it face down on a smooth surface. If you feel or see any specks of paper remaining, take a green kitchen scrubby or piece of medium sandpaper.

Dip in the hot water and scrub away any bits of paper.

Don't worry; the photo plastic film is very tough. Keep dipping the scrubby back in to the water. You will notice that the paper remnants start to pill (like an old sweater) and can then be easily wiped off the photo film.

When you have removed every trace of paper, wipe the film gently on both sides with a paper towel to remove surface moisture. Then let it air dry the rest of the way.

It is important to use decoupage gel (not a PVA medium like Mod Podge) to affix the photo finish film. Decoupage gel is easier to work with on the thin film and is designed for decoupaging onto smooth surfaces like glass, metal or plastic. I used Crafter's Pick Decoupage and Collage Gel.

Run a line of gel over the back of the film. Using a fingertip spread the gel to thoroughly cover the entire surface, paying special attention to the edges. Position the film on the mug or whatever and smooth out any bubbles. Let dry.

Spray with two or three coats of clear acrylic such as Krylon Crystal Clear Universal Coating.

I chose this finish because the can specifically states it can be used on photos. This is a consideration in this project because some spray finishes dissolve plastic.

Here are more decoupage articles.