5 EFFECTIVE Ways To Seal PAPAER For Resin Crafts
There are so many reasons why you may want to include your own resin paper in your resin pours. In all likely hood, you are making some gorgeous resin jewelry with beautifully designed paper, or a painting you created with acrylic paint, or maybe you are doing a resin pour for a photo project or on printed papers.
You could even be including photos a or paper for DIY resin Christmas ornaments! It could be any reason, since epoxy resin is so versatile in its use.
In this article we will share with you how to seal paper so that the ink from your paper doesn't run when you pour resin on it. Sealing the paper is very important because the inks on the paper can start to bleed and that will ruin your design. Just make sure you are working safely with resin by wearing the proper protections, and then you can get started on your epoxy project!
Different Resin Sealing Mediums
There are different materials you can use to seal your resin creations with including:
- brush on sealer
- spray sealers
- packing tape
Although some papers like certain scrapbooking papers are heat-sealed so that the ink doesn't run, it is always best practice to seal the inks to avoid changing the appearance to your designs. Resin will react very differently with certain inks like plant-based ink, oil-based ink, alcohol ink or water-based ink.
These techniques will work with resin jewelry and also resin crafts where you are using a printed image like an image from a newspaper, a map or from a book and then pouring the resin on top.
Brushed On Sealant Vs. Spray Sealant
Keep in mind that some inks, like newspaper ink, will be ruined if you are using a brush so those are best to be sprayed with a protective coating like an acrylic coating spray.
Certain inks will run easily once they are wet, and if you were to brush these inks with a brush after they are wet, the likelihood of them running is higher. In these cases, a spray sealing medium will work best as it will get the ink wet, but you will not be brushing that wet ink and it won't smudge.
Read more about how to make resin jewelry here
Testing Your Sealant With Your Resin First
The best way to make sure you are sealing porous material like paper for resin with the right product, is by testing a small piece first by either spraying it if it is a spray sealer, or brushing it on with a small, clean paint brush or plastic spreader. Then, once you know that the inks won't smudge then you can go ahead with the sealing.
You can also add colorants or glitter to your resin if you want some colors or effects in your piece, you just want to keep colors from running off your paper into your resin. You can hold your paper design down with a silicone resin stick or a popsicle stick, and seal it in place.
Remember, every brand of epoxy resin is different and will react differently with your project, and this is a guideline for you to try your test pieces with first.
Art-Specific Resins
There are art-specific resins out there as well such as ArtResin (which is a low odor, uv resistant formula resin), but you are always going to want to do a test run before you embark on a resin journey. Just mix a small amount of resin up in silicone or plastic mixing cups and do a test piece on your sealed paper.
Check price of ArtResin Epoxy Resin here
Check the price of ArtResin here
Resin coated paper is a very beautiful form of art and is fun to play with and explore. It's always good to have some paper for resin around and some silicone molds for your resin to experiment with in your resin supplies! Just make sure you have a protected plastic surface, you have your proper safety gear on for epoxy work, and you can start making beautiful creations.
Let's talk about how to properly seal your paper first so your paper based art pieces come out just like you had envisioned them.
How To Seal Paper For Epoxy Resin
1. MOD PODGE MATTE
Mod Podge will work to seal porous materials such as paper, for resin. Often used for paper collage as decoupage glue, paper Mod Podge is a super amazing art glue product to have on hand for any craft.
Just be sure to prepare a test first because this product can cause the ink to smudge on certain papers. To use Mod Podge, apply one thin coat with a soft bush to your photo paper project or to seal paper art. Let that completely dry and then go over with another thin layer.
Be sure that the Mod Podge is completely dry for at least 24 hours before pouring the resin on top of your paper art.
2. MOD PODGE SPRAY
For those papers you need to seal that cannot be applied with brush on sealants (like thin papers such as tissue papers, or papers where the ink will surely run from the brush pressure), then try the Mod Podge clear acrylic spray sealant.
This will give you a clear coating that will seal your paper projects before the resin is applied. This will work great for thin paper, book pages, wrapping paper or even thicker paper. Just be sure to keep a consistent spray with a light coat over your paper to avoid uneven patches.
This spray sealer for can be used over resin paper, water-based and oil-based paint, glaze, lacquer and varnish.
3. GLAMOUR SEAL
Annie Howes has a special formulated paper seal that's made especially for jewelry designs. Their Glamour Seal will seal the ink jet-printed paper surface and it is very quick to dry. This will work with inkjet and also color laser prints if you are using them for resin paper.
This is a high end product for premium quality resin and is very well trusted in the epoxy resin community. Simply seal your paper pieces, let it dry, apply your liquid resin, and voila.
The nice thing about using this sealer for resin paper is that it will not make your papers turn blue like some other coatings.
4. ALEENE'S SPRAY
The acrylic formula in this sealer spray is designed to dry very quickly for your resin project. You will find that using this on printed paper will give you a finish that won't smudge when the resin is poured on top.
This is another well used and much talked about product in the epoxy resin community. It is a well-trusted brand for sealing your papers, photos and other porous materials before applying resin to.
This sealer is especially helpful when you are pouring a lot of resin pieces and need to spray many at once. Check out the product listing to see their demonstrational video of this spray in use here.
5. CLEAR PACKING TAPE
Packing tape can be used as a protective seal between the image and the resin. You will want to try some practice samples first.
For this to work, the packing tape must be applied perfectly without any bubbles or spots that the resin can get into. Your art must be sealed properly for this to work.
If there is any spot where the resin can touch the paper, there will be a chemical reaction and the ink will creep out into your resin pour if they are not pre sealed papers.
Good luck with your projects and remember to practice and do test pieces first so that you don't waste the resin and supplies.
In Conclusion
When it comes to resin pours, some papers will start to change colors due to the acidity, especially vintage book papers and old magazines. So the only way to prevent discoloration and running of the inks is to practice with small pieces and find the perfect sealer for your projects.
Just remember that you are going to want to cover all the edges of any surface you are planning on pouring resin onto. Whether you are planning on pouring onto thicker papers like photo papers with photo ink, or thinner papers like tissue paper or even sticker paper.
If you want to get a crystal clear surface, you are going to want to seal papers all the way to the outer edge, and you may want to consider applying a few coats or a thicker coat.
Just make sure you always test a small spot first to make sure it is perfect with your brand of resin and the sealant you decide to go with. Then you will want your resin surface to be protected while it dries as well after you use your heat gun to get the bubbles out.
If you are looking for graphic images to print for your resin pours, there are a ton of printables that you can just download and print on Etsy.
FIND PRINTABLE IMAGES FOR RESIN
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Resin Supplies & Purchasing Advice
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USE RESIN SAFELY
No matter what type of resin you decide to use, always use personal protective equipment (PPE). Take time to carefully go over safety data sheets before making anything with resin, and make sure you have the proper gloves on (not latex) and the right respirator for resin protection.
Here are the exact gloves we always use
This is the respirator we use and recommend for resin work
Read more about resin safety here
And please remember, even if your epoxy resin of choice is "VOC-free, odor free" and/or "non toxic", please always wear the proper respirator for epoxy resin.
Here is the BEST respirator mask for epoxy resin: this Full Face Organic Vapor Respirator checks off all of the boxes for resin safety, and comes with
- free 30 day returns
- a 1 year factory warranty
- free US shipping and free shipping on international orders
Here it is:
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