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How to Use Atsui Thermal Transfer Paper

Thermal transfer paper, designed for use in one-step thermal copy machines, is now most commonly used by tattoo and body artists to transfer outlines of their design work to the customer's skin. Atsui is one of many thermal transfer paper manufacturers. The paper comes in groups of four sheets: one coated in a blue or purple carbon ink, the second a protective layer of tissue, the third is standard white paper where the ink in transferred through pressure or heat, and the fourth is a yellow sheet used to hold the other three together. Tattoo artists use pressure to make an ink outline with a pen or stylus.

Things You'll Need

  • Masking tape
  • Ball point pen or stylus
  • Artwork
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the thin protective sheet between the white and inked layers and place the transfer paper on a hard flat surface with the white paper side up. Tape the corners of the paper to your work surface.

    • 2

      Place your artwork over the transfer paper. Tape the corners of the artwork to the work surface. This will ensure that neither your transfer paper nor the artwork will move while transferring your image.

    • 3

      Trace your image. Use a ball point pen or plastic stylus to trace over all the lines of the artwork you wish to transfer. Use firm pressure while tracing to ensure that each line is transferred completely. When you are finished, remove your artwork and remove the white sheet of the transfer paper from its backing. Your image will appear on the back side of the paper.

    • 4

      Cut around the design close to its outer edges using scissors. Moisten the skin in the area you wish to apply the outline. Place the paper on the skin ink side down. Rub gently over the whole design.

    • 5

      Slowly peel away the transfer paper. Your design outline will now appear on your client's skin.

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