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Thread: How to get picture on instruments ?

  1. #1

    Default How to get picture on instruments ?

    I have seen quite a lot of mandolins, guitars, ukuleles with beautiful pictures (or paintings ???) on their body.
    How is this done ? with decal or by painting directly on the instruments ?
    Here are some examples:

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    I love to do that some some of my instruments.

  2. #2

    Default Re: How to get picture on instruments ?

    Do a websearch for photo transfer wood, etc.

    You'll get some how-to-guides like this one or this one.

  3. #3

    Default Re: How to get picture on instruments ?

    Thanks so much. It look quite simple woth proper materials.

  4. #4
    Registered User Bill Snyder's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to get picture on instruments ?

    I would suggest a water slide decal.
    Bill Snyder

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  6. #5
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: How to get picture on instruments ?

    Quote Originally Posted by kkmm View Post
    How is this done ? with decal or by painting directly on the instruments?
    The answer is, "both", either hand painting or decals. I've seen a number of old musical instruments with some pretty cool and tasteful decals, and I've seen some that were hand painted.

    I re-purposed an old parlor guitar a couple of years ago, converting it to a resonator guitar, and decided to paint a cotton field where the sound hole was filled, see below:

    1. Practiced the idea on a piece of oak
    Click image for larger version. 

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    2. Painted it on the guitar
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    Whatever you do with your own mandolin, you should test thoroughly on similar material (similar in color and finish), even if you have to finish out a mock up on scrap to use for the testing. Get it close to the color of mandolin and finished before trying your hand at painting, using the transfer techniques on the pages linked above. Be sure you like the results before messing with your instrument.
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  8. #6

    Default Re: How to get picture on instruments ?

    Water slide decals seem to be the easy one for me, especially, I can print the picture on water slide sheets. I will try it on a as new, but cheap, kid guitar first.
    Got to order a set of these sheets first.

  9. #7
    Registered User
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    Default Re: How to get picture on instruments ?

    Quote Originally Posted by kkmm View Post
    Water slide decals seem to be the easy one for me, especially, I can print the picture on water slide sheets. I will try it on a as new, but cheap, kid guitar first.
    Got to order a set of these sheets first.
    What kind of printer/inks will you use to do that? I'm curious because I once paid someone (way too much) to print waterslide decals, and it would be great if there were an easier method.

    This is my favorite example of the genre, done by Martin on a D-28:

    Click image for larger version. 

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  10. #8

    Default Re: How to get picture on instruments ?

    I'm also having a similar question as I bought and sanded a cheap bass as a practice painting but it looks like it has a varnish or clear coat under the original color.
    Do I have to get it back to the wood or is it ok to paint over the varnish?

    Also, is it best to use Acrylics, Enamels, or Two-pac paints?

    You want the wood to have some sort of sealer on it that is meant for the wood. If you sand it all the way through you will loose that and the paint wont adhere so well to the wood. Above, I had to sand through that layer in order to get rid of the wood grain on the guitar's body. Afterwards I used a heavy layer of primer-sealer in order for the white paint to take to the guitar. Naturally including much wet sanding to smooth what was added.

  11. #9

    Default Re: How to get picture on instruments ?

    What kind of printer/inks will you use to do that? I'm curious because I once paid someone (way too much) to print waterslide decals, and it would be great if there were an easier method.
    Honestly, I don't know as I have not done it yet.
    I plan to print one with a color ink jet printer, and one sheet with a laser color printer.
    Then see which one works. Hopefully both work.
    Buying printed decal is too expensive and their size are tiny !!!

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  13. #10

    Default Re: How to get picture on instruments ?

    The method I'm most familiar with is just painting directly on the rough wood followed by a clear coat finish to seal the deal. A nifty technique is to also to use a very small chisel to outline the design, it gives the graphic more of a pop. I'm also a huge fan of inlays, though I'm going off on a bit of a tangent.

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