Chalk Couture Transfers

How a transfer actually works

The design is cut into a fine mesh, and everywhere the design is open the paste goes through. The adhesive backing holds the mesh flat against your surface so nothing creeps underneath. That is the difference between this and a stencil, where paint always finds the gap at the edge and you end up touching it up with a brush.

You spread Chalkology Paste across the open design with a squeegee, scrape the extra off, and lift the transfer straight up while the paste is still wet. The design is there in one pass. On a nonporous surface it stays put but wipes off with water if you want to change it, and on bare wood or paper it soaks in and stays for good.

Fuzz a new transfer before you use it

This is the thing I wish somebody had told me on my first project. A brand new transfer comes out of the package with adhesive strong enough to pull paint right off a painted surface when you peel it. Press it against a lint-free cloth or an old T shirt five or six times first. It picks up just enough lint to calm the tack down without losing its grip.

How long one lasts

I get 8 to 12 uses out of a transfer. The number is almost entirely down to how fast you wash it. Paste that dries in the mesh is what kills a transfer, not the peeling or the pressing. I take mine to the sink the moment I lift it, wash with lukewarm water and mild soap until the water runs clear, then lay it sticky side up to dry and put it back on its backing sheet to store flat.

That works out to a cost per project that keeps dropping every time you pull the same design out again, which is the part people miss when they look at the price of a single transfer. There is more on that in what Chalk Couture costs.