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Process:Start with clear Con-Tact shelf paper. (Con-Tact is a brand name like Kleenex. There are other similar products on the market.) It is a clear plastic coated with a very sticky adhesive, and has a protective paper backing. Select a picture from a fairly recent magazine which you want to transfer. Magazines printed on a clay-coated stock work much better.
Measure and cut off a piece of Con-Tact the size of the picture. Remove the paper backing from the Con-Tact. Place your picture face down on the sticky side of the Con-Tact. Do this slowly and carefully. Turn it over and burnish it with something like the back of a spoon. Be sure to push to the side any air bubbles. Place this piece of Con-Tact in warm water and let it soak for 15-60 minutes (the older the magazine picture, the longer it will take to dissolve the bond between paper and ink. (If your water is too hot the plastic buckles.)
Test to see if the paper backing is ready to pull off by gently rolling your thumb on the edge. Ideally, by rolling toward the center, the whole piece of paper comes off easily. Then take a soft brush and with running water, gently brush off the milky clay that is still on the Con-Tact. When dry, the Con-Tact transparency will still be tacky. To alleviate this, simply sandwich it with another piece of Con-Tact. Again burnish, to get out any air bubbles.
Uses:These are positives, but can be used in any way you would use a photographic negative. They can be contact printed or enlarged onto black and white photo paper, They produce interesting results on color photo paper. If you want a negative image, simply contact print it onto ortho film as described previously They can also be used for direct printing with hand-applied emulsions. If you want certain colors for color photo printing you can paint them with felt markers, oil paints, etc..
Advantages:This gives you access to a wide variety of images easily available, without the need to use a camera and chemicals. It is a cheap and easy process that can be done at home, without expensive equipment, and Con-Tact material is readily available. These Con-Tact transfers are very durable and don't need to be as carefully handled as photo negatives. They have many interesting physical properties and possibilities, such as stretching, layering, gluing, etc. Small ones can projected with a slide projector for painting onto canvases, etc.
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