Hi everyone
Dolly here.
I do like using transparencies on pages and, after being
asked recently, I thought I would share this here today.
First I must stress that they are not acid free. I think you
may be able to get acid free, though I am not sure. I use the ordinary standard
transparencies used for years by teachers on OHPs. Gosh, now there is a technology that has gone
out of fashion.
The fact they are acid free really doesn’t worry me as my
pictures are all prints of digital photos. I wouldn’t use them on originals and
so if you are a purist and want everything acid free, then this is probably not
the technique for you.
I have a couple of pages to share which use transparencies.
They run through a standard ink jet printer absolutely fine –
just be sure that you print on the slightly rough side.

For this first page of views from the top of the Campanile
in Venice I wanted to use an image of the Campanile itself. I wanted it to be
sort of soft and faded and so the transparency was perfect. I wanted it to be
the entire height of the page, but of course they were A4 size transparencies
so I simply cut the paper down to 11.25” and used a border. That way the
transparency could be the entire height of the paper I was using.
What you need to bear in mind is that glue will show through
a transparency and so either use a smooth glue all over (not glue dots or herma
as they will be visible) or use a precise glue like Zig 2 way glue just on some
darker parts, following the lines so it is less obvious.
Or, as I did with this page, sew it on. Make a feature of
the way it is adhered to the page.

There are other ways to use them and I hope these pages give you some ideas you can play with at a later date.
You could also use the transparency for details on a page. I
printed the flowers on a transparency for this page and they made lovely soft
focus.

In this page I made my own film strip transparency and then
over-layed it on top of photos. The beauty of it is you can make it whatever
size you want.

And this page has the sand letters, the hibiscus blooms and the
palm trees all cut from transparencies I printed at home.

This one has the text on transparencies, a faded picture on
transparencies so that the central photo (a continuation of the transparency
photo, stands in stark relief. I also printed the letters SNOW onto
transparency, cut them out and edged them with micro beads. So you see, they
are very very versatile.

And finally this one has all of the text on transparencies
which I have also painted roughly with white on the back so that the text shows
up much more starkly.

I hope you have fun playing with transparencies.
Don't forget to post and let us see what you create x