Ghiant Transfer Spray

Ghaint Transfer spray offers an easy and quick way to trace the contours of your photographs, posters and prints on all smooth surfaces, such as paper, canvas, painted walls, wood, glass, ceramics, metals and textiles. Unlike standard carbon paper, you are not limited to a set format. Don't let your drawing skills hold back your creativity!

Ghiant Transfer Spray can be misted over on the back of drawings, prints, or photographs for ease of tracing onto a variety of surfaces. The spray works with most papers, and it transfers well to canvas, walls, primed wood, cloth, ceramics . . . or anything your mind thinks up! You are not limited by the size of what you'd like to trace as the spray can work with whatever size your original image, giving you the maximum flexibility with your artwork.

Easy and quick way to trace the contours of your photographs and more
Works with most papers
Transfers well to canvas
Acid Free
400ml

Pro's & Con's

* No smudging
* Minimal wastage
* Spray where needed - not limited to a format size
* Far more economical than carbon paper (Estimate of usage to follow)

* If outline is applied too heavily, it cannot be fully erased
* Must be used in a well ventilated area, ideally away from the room you are working in so as not to inhale the fumes in the atmosphere
* Only available in graphite which may be difficult to see on some coloured surfaces

Instructions for use

Spraying Ghiany transfer spray onto the back of a reference image for a coloured pencil portrait

Spray a thin layer of Ghiant Transfer Spray onto the back of a paper print or photograph. Allow the carbon layer to dry for at least 5 minutes. You may wish to stick your print onto your working surface with masking tape to ensure it doesn't slip or move during the tracing process, although be careful not to tear the paper when removing. Before spraying the back of the image, it is recommended that you place newspaper or cardboard beneath the surface ensuring it protects a large area, remove any items in the vicinity too as when spraying it can transfer to other areas outside the boundaries of the image. Trace the outline using a pencil, ballpoint pen or an indent tool, applying just enough pressure to create an erasable outline but avoid being too heavy handed.

GHIANT transfer spray on a sheet of paper

Minimises wastage allowing you to spray where required

Outline from using the GHIANT transfer spray

There is far too much spray on this. A thinner application works much better.

CAUTION: Avoid touching either the carbon spray of the treated image or your paper with bare hands or fingers to minimise unwanted marks transferring on to your working surface, if you have done so by accident, you should be able to remove any residue with a normal eraser.

No Smudging

If you have used carbon paper such as Tracedown in the past, you may have found could also transfer unwanted marks onto your paper which, although are erasable, it is more challenging trying to remove marks inside smaller outlines - with the Ghiant transfer spray, once it has dried onto the back of your print out, it does not smudge or transfer and it also means your hands stay clean.

NOTE: Whilst spraying the sheet shown in these images I held the picture up with my hand and some of the spray went onto my skin too which took about 3 or 4 washes to remove completely.

Hand pressed onto the Ghiant transfer spray

Applying pressure to the dry transfer spray application

Clean hand image after touching Ghiant transfer spray on paper

None of the carbon transferred onto my hand once fully dry

Minimal usage - recommended application

It really isn't necessary to apply a very dark application of the transfer spray to the back of the picture you wish to transfer. As you can see below, I sprayed in the areas simply to minimise waste, also I only applied a soft layer. The outline created from it is dark enough to see even on grey paper, but light enough to erase before placing any colour over the outlines. Ensure the application on the back of the photo is dry before transferring.

Light layer of Ghiant transfer spray over the back of a leopard picture

A light layer of transfer spray is all that is needed - ensure it has dried before drawing the outline

comparing the thin layer of Ghiant transfer spray to the outline on the support paper

The outline is light enough to see and easy to erase before laying down colours onto the paper

Spitting caused by a blocked nozzle

Ensure you clean the nozzle regularly between use as it can become blocked and will then begin to spit onto the paper. Clean the graphite away from the nozzle itself with a tissue and for a full clean, remove the spray top and place in hot water for a while. You can buy extra nozzle caps which allows you to swap if one nozzle becomes permanently damaged.

A blocked nozzle creates spitting

Keep the spray nozzle clean

Heavy usage

When tracing the outline, try not to press too heavily as you may struggle to remove the carbon outline on your working support regardless of how much pressure you apply with your eraser. Ideally do a trial on a spare piece of paper first so you can adjust to the right amount of pressure which can be erased if you make a mistake.

GHIANT transfer spray and outline sample

The treated image and the outline on the working paper

Rubber pieces over an erased outline using the Ghiant transfer spray

Regardless of how much pressure I applied, I was unable to fully erase the heavy outline

GHIANT products are available in over 45 countries. They have 25 years experience of producing aerosols and aerosol formulations, with continuing efforts to make high quality & environmentally safe products.