How To Resin A Glossy Photo

Supplies:

• A 12 x 12" wooden art panel 
• a glossy photo print sized to fit the panel 
• sealant ( brush on or spray sealant )
• glue stick or spray adhesive
• a brayer 
• ArtResin epoxy resin 
• A pair of nitrile gloves, a stir stick and spreader
• a level
• a measuring cup with easy to read measurement lines 
• a mixing container 
• a handheld torch like our Artist's Torch
• toothpicks
• an empty plastic tote or cardboard box with the flaps cut off to protect your piece while it dries

Steps:

A Note On Sealing Pictures With Resin

We always recommend testing your particular materials out with ArtResin on a scrap piece so you know exactly what to expect before you resin your final project.
Glossy photo paper does not generally require a sealant as its glossy surface allows the resin to sit on top without absorbing. However, for matte photos (which may absorb the resin) or if you simply want to err on the side of caution, you can certainly go ahead and seal your photo using a spray sealant marked safe for photos. 

You may also choose to seal in the following cases:

• Sealing over low quality paper.  It's a good precaution to seal when applying ArtResin over matte photo paper, or soft/low quality paper that may otherwise absorb the resin, causing dark, wet spots in your work or causing your work to bleed.
  
  
• Sealing over loose material.  With a medium like chalk pastel or charcoal, or when resining over a loose material like glitter, you want to be mindful of loose particles that might get mixed up and float away in your liquid resin. For peace of mind, you can certainly err on the side of caution and seal your artwork first - use a spray fixative rather than a brush on sealant.  
  
  
• Sealing the wood panel. Being an organic material, wood may contain trapped air which can release into your resin as bubbles. There are many variables that can affect gas bubbles: the type of wood, how dry the wood is, humidity etc. Sealing wood with a spray or brush-on sealant (or even painting them with acrylic paint) is an option to help to prevent bubbles. We've used these wood panels enough to know that we don't need to pre-seal them, but we always recommend testing with your particular materials so you know exactly what results to expect before you resin your final project. Again, if in doubt, you can never go wrong by sealing first if it makes you feel more comfortable.    

Mount your work directly to the panel using adhesive. We like using either a glue stick or spray adhesive.

For best results, smooth the drawing out with your hands or roll with a brayer to ensure that it's evenly mounted to the panel, with no air pockets.

2. Calculate How Much Resin You Need

Using our Resin Calculator, simply enter the length and width of your piece to determine how much ArtResin you’ll need.