# Putting a finish over ink...from a printer.



## buzzbuzz (Jul 8, 2009)

I tested a water-based lacquer on a piece of maple that I had printed an image on. It smeared/bled. Is there a product I could put/spray on the graphic to prevent this...or a finishing product that will not make the graphic not smear? Any help appreciated.....


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## Wood4Fun (Aug 29, 2008)

try some dewaxed shellac as a first coat. Give it a shot on a test piece and see what happens. if you intend to put something else on top, make sure it is dewaxed. you can pick up dewaxed shellac from HD or Lowes, brand name is Zinsser product name is Seal Coat or Sanding Sealer, something like that... its a yellow can

I don't have direct experience with this, its just a guess, but its what I would try.


edit: it is worth noting that this could be used as your only finish. Sort of depends on the use of the piece. shellac in general isn't really very durable and doesn't hold up to water stains and will break down if any alcohol gets on it (like beer, wine, etc). If it is something that will hang on the wall, dewaxed shellac could work just fine for you.


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

There's a couple ways to go....at least. 

1. Artist's fixative spray http://www.dickblick.com/products/winsor-and-newton-artists-fixative-spray/

2. Spray lacquer

3. Hair spray

Re: Hair spray...I had the following comments stored from a long forgotten site. Might be of some help.

"To some extent, you get what you pay for. In hairspray, you can pay a lot for a well-recognized name or for a fragrance that smells nice. For an art spray fixative, you are paying for even dispersion of the spray and a good acrylate coating that will preserve your piece.

Some hairsprays will have the same ingredients as art fixatives, but be wary of the dispersal system (spray). There may be some excellent hairsprays that will serve your purpose. They may or may not cost less than the art spray.

Also, be forewarned that many hairsprays contain hair conditioners, which is usually another name for a natural or synthetic oil. These conditioners could leave grease spots on your art. The oils to avoid are dimethicone, silicone (anyone pretty much), anything 'oil' or 'lubricant', vitamin A or E (both are oil-based), anything ending with 'glycol'. Be wary of anything listed as a plant extract.

I would think the really inexpensive, no-frills sprays might work well, like maybe White Rain or Final Net or some other hairspray that has been around for several years. Just look for an acrylate in the ingredients. Suspension in alcohol is probably better than in water.

The quality of the chemical isn't any higher in art spray. The concentration might be higher, but I think extra-stiff hairspray would have at least as much. The nozzle or sprayer may be better on the art spray and the formula may have been mixed to deliver an especially fine mist."


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## nateatcpo (Jun 30, 2009)

I would think that spray lacquer would probably work better in this application. Let us know how it turns out.


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## Rick Mosher (Feb 26, 2009)

Lacquer or shellac should work fine. The trick is not to put on too wet of a coat or you could get bleeding. Do 2-3 really thin coats that dry really fast.


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## buzzbuzz (Jul 8, 2009)

Thanks to all....I tried a spray spar urethane (water-based)...thin applications. It worked great. Then I tried to put a coat of Polycrylic protective finish (water based)....with a brush, thinking the spray coat had already protected the graphic.....WRONG. This is for a skateboard, so I'm wondering if the spray will be enough....


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## Wood4Fun (Aug 29, 2008)

buzzbuzz said:


> This is for a skateboard, so I'm wondering if the spray will be enough....


well, being realistic here, I don't think anything will work in the long run. Even the finish they put on boards doesn't hold up to the first time you hit a curb or rail (sorry, haven't skated in ages, so my terminology has gone by the wayside).

you have to be careful when mixing finishes, things are not all compatible.

I'd just to multiple coats of the spray you already tried and go with just that. I'm not up on spray can products, do they suggest a light sanding of some sort between coats? .. I would think they do. Allow the coat to dry longer than you think it needs to, rub it down lightly with 0000 steel wool, do another coat.... repeat three or four times.

Like I said, nothing is going to really stand up to the abuse the skate will receive... maybe a clear epoxy or something like that, but then you are getting into a area where the weight of the board will be affected


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## buzzbuzz (Jul 8, 2009)

Thanks.....sanding required in between coats. I mainly want to protect as much as I can from the elements. There are two kinds of boards...riders & hangers. Riders get thrashed, hangers..."hang", on a wall. I was gearing my question towards hangers (I guess a form of art?}. I'm sticking with the spray...it came out great.


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