Graphite transfer paper works in the same way as old-fashioned carbon paper. Instead of the transfer paper being coated with blue or black carbon, it is coated with graphite on one side. The graphite side is placed face down on the item receiving the image. The transfer image is placed face up on the clean side of the graphite transfer paper. A pen or pencil is used to trace over the image transferring the graphite to the clean surface.
Heat transfers are a common way to put an image on fabric. Heat transfer paper is made for using in copiers and printers. You can print a photographic image or graphic image from your computer to the heat transfer paper. If your image is not in digital form, you may put the heat transfer paper in the manual feed tray of a copier and make a traditional copy onto the heat transfer paper. The design is then transferred by placing the image face down on your T-shirt or fabric and ironing the back of the paper.
Rub on transfers are a great way to put designs on paper, walls and other hard surfaces. The image is printed on transparent mylar. The image is coated with adhesive and protected with a sheet of removable tissue paper. When the user is ready to transfer the image, the tissue is removed and the image is placed face down against the surface. The back of the image is rubbed with a burnishing tool. The mylar is carefully lifted from the image.
Embossing transfers images by way of scoring paper, thin metal or other rigid but malleable material. The image is placed on top of a soft material that can be easily scored. The original design is traced with a stylus or a burnishing tool. The result is an impression of the original design.
A rubbing is a transfer achieved by placing paper on top of a raised object and using the side of a crayon, pencil, charcoal or other dry medium to rub across the surface. A printing plate, tombstone, lace, a block print or any flat textures are good candidates for rubbings.