Does This Gel Printing Technique Make Laser Image Transfer Easier?

The Jury is In! 

Do gloss varnish sprays really make laser image transfers go better? All brands? 

Challenge accepted! I get weirdly excited about discovering options that can make image transfers—and Gel Inspirations customers’ lives—easier. So when I watched a video by Jane Faase Creates (inspired by @lucysgelliplateideas) claiming that spraying laser prints with gloss picture varnish makes image transfer more successful, my ears perked right up (think dog hearing cheese wrapper). Time for some testing. 

Many of the brands recommended online for this technique were not available to me. I am not renowned for my patience. Living where I do in Baja, Mexico, getting art supplies can be slow and challenging, and the videos on this topic recommend very specific brands of spray varnish. Rightfully so. 

It took several tries for me to get any of the recommended sprays, so first I experimented. I was able to get Liquitex and Golden via Amazon USA fairly promptly. Neither worked for this technique. I’m sure they are great products—just not for this very particular purpose. 

Did I mention the spray varnish has to be gloss? Naturally, the next company I ordered from—delivering on behalf of Michael’s—discovered Michael’s was out of glossy Winsor & Newton (one of the actually recommended brands) and sent me matte instead. No! Urg!

The saga of Goldilocks and the Three Varnishes continued. I found Winsor & Newton on the Dick Blick website. Gloss was sold out (like looking for liquid gold), but “high gloss” was available. Sold! I ordered it immediately. 

Yes! The Winsor & Newton High Gloss Varnish did improve image transfer ease and quality. Better still, a light mist—just a couple of seconds of spraying, 2–3 seconds—seems key. Heavier coverage appears to be less effective. In this case, less really is more. 

Since then, Pebeo Gloss Varnish has also been proven worthy by customer/contributor Trish F. 

Take-away:
If you are navigating the North American Shiny Varnish Shortage (who knew that was a thing?), Winsor & Newton Gloss, Winsor & Newton High Gloss and Pebeo Gloss Varnish have the Gel Inspirations stamp of approval. 

Just remember: this is for LASER (not inkjet) gelplate transfers. 

Now go forth and make something beautiful. 

– Nola

The short Jane Faase video that started it all: https://youtube.com/shorts/B0_jWBSU4vA?si=xLv56vFGTs6qaHLe