Using Temporary Transfer Tattoos on Resin Dolls

Yes it is safe, as these tats are meant to wash off with water.
There re plenty of dolls with them, and threads on DOA about temp tats.

 

Thanks; I did a serach before posting but kept finding either just pictures or instructions on painting tattoos, so I thought I'd check it out first.

 

Just the kind of thread i've been looking for! When I bought my Rex from Soom, they sent along a couple of gifts, and one of those were some temporary tattoos. I've thought about using them on my Rex since they're perfect size for a bigger tattoo.

Anyone got any tips on how to and what to use to make them last as long as possible but still be able to remove without damaging the resin?

 

Just seal them with some sort of sealant(I'd suggest either MSC or the like because Testors tends to yellow and get pretty dirty)

 

Sealing with a spray sealer makes the tattoo tacky. My best reccomendation would be to get a brush on sealer or even use an acrylic gloss.

 

I had two of those kind of tattoos on my first doll. They went on fine, I sealed them with testors under them and over them. They stayed fine for a long time. One was smaller, and meant for nails so it didn't last as long. But the other one lasted for almost a year, I think. I never took it off, but I'm pretty sure it would come off with nail polish remover, or similar.

 

I've done it a few times and they've never gone tacky. Once the sealant is dry it's perfectly fine

 

It may have just been the brand of temp tattoos I used then. I had to completely remove the tattoo and the sealant because they kept attracting dirt and dust. They were so sticky. ):

 

Sorry to kick up dust x_x! But, I wanna make sure before screwing up things..So to put on temporary tattoos on our dollies, you just have to spray on MSC first, wait to dry, put on the tattoo, wait to dry, and then spray on MSC again? o.o I want the tattoos to last and stay on as long as possible x__o and not chip off or anything bad. So any suggestions or would the final coat of MSC be good enough?

I'm sorry if I'm confusing or did something wrong <___< I'm always nervous posting on DOA xD.

 

of all the tattoo options which seems to easier? last longer? or cause less damage?

 

I actually have started buying up packs of temporary tattoos just for this reson. I know wal-mart now sells packs of 50+ temp tattoos in various styles for about 2 dollars a pack? I got some halloween ones and tribal ones and glittery/fairy ones, though I don't have a doll yet, and I bought some Transformers temp tattoos back when the movie came out in 2007 for the Transformers boys I'm going to make into dolls. I just decided that my other dolls would have to have tattoos, even if it wasn't in their character, because it's such a neat idea. hahaha

 

I came across these while at Michael's craft store the other day... I know that premade temporary tattoos are safe to use on dolls, so I can't imagine these wouldn't be. I couldn't find any info here on the forums, so I decided to be the first one to test it out. My DZ Yuu Arlian is our guinea pig today.

Since the weather here is crap and it can't decide whether it wants to rain or snow, I didn't seal him before applying the tattoo. No damage is completely irreversible, so even if it stains him a little he'll be fine with a few swipes of a magic eraser. The adhesive is water-based so I can't imagine anything bad will befall him anyway.

So... a picture! A barcode for the back of his neck. How cliche.


His barcode is custom for him from Scott Blake's Barcode Art if anybody is interested.
He's coming with me to a convention this weekend, so I'll be back on Monday with a report of how it holds up against travel and general meet-abuse.

 

I always wanted to try those, because some of my dolls
have tattoos, but my friend who does the tattooing for me,
is a bit reluctant to re-paint them every time I redo their blushing. ^________^;;;
Maybe she can do them for me in Photoshop, and I can just
print them out as I need them.

My only worry though, would be that the ink would transfer
to the resin, even when sealed. But, if nothing happens to
your doll, even though he wasn't sealed, then I guess this
would be a safe alternative! I'll keep checking this to see
how it goes. ^_________^


- Enzyme ^.^

 

I've used these. You have to be careful because the ink does stain. Then again I didn't seal my EL before applying. But that's also because I wanted it to stain >.> So I would have an outline to paint in. Dollmore discontinued his tattoo ): he just doesn't look right with out it.

But it oddly enough, didn't stain my Yi.

 

Ouhhh those would be good for someone like me who is good at painting in things like Photoshop but crap at traditional painting. Do it up in Photoshop, print it off and stick it on. Thanks for sharing!

 

I tried some printed tattoos similar to these and I found that the material the tattoo was attached to was horribly sticky and gooey and didn't adhere at all well to the resin (which was just as well as I took it straight off). I bought them already printed from eBile so I don't know if they were those exact ones, but it is just a warning that some can be made of mush. Most commercial transfer tattoos don't have that goo on them and work perfectly well.

 

ah, that is so cool! I might just have to get some and try out on Newt... >.> (Newt slinks away)

Just thought it was amusing that, according to the barcode website, Arlian is worth $8.94! Boy, are they wrong!

 

Oh the barcode website is so cool. I'm going to have to get one for my guy.

 

My An is only worth $0.62! T_____T

But thanks for sharing!

~AK

 

I'm happy to say that even with Arlian's collar rubbing against his tattoo all weekend, none of it chipped or rubbed away. I peeled up the edge on one side and so far he remains clean underneath. I still recommend sealing before using... who knows what will happen with more time... but so far it seems to be a safe route to go for your own custom tattoos!
I'm thinking now after checking on it all weekend that I think I want to move his tattoo to the side of his neck instead of the back. It's not really seen back there unless you're looking for it. x.x

I wish that's what I paid for him!

Aww...! Well the best things come with the smallest price tags sometimes, right?

 

Oooh, I'm so glad I stumbled across this thread! I've been meaning to try some of those for a loooong time, but I've never quite got round to it. xD

I'm relieved to see that there doesn't seem to be any problems with the tats so far- I was concerned that they might stain even though I intend to do plenty of sealing beforehand. Lots of different brands offer these papers, so perhaps some work better than others.

I feel inspired to try mine out now~! xD

 

Oh! I didnt someone had already tried this. ^^
Guess I'll add mine here aswell.
Temporary tattoo I bought a few days ago at a chinese £1 shop. ^^

Works like a dream and if you spray msc for protection before you stick the tattoo on your doll is completly safe. ^^

 

wow I immediately must try it...

 

Now I kind of want to try this, I have a few temp tattoo's lying around here somewhere. Would those fake Henna tattoo's work the same way?

 

I don't know what those are made of or if they work the same way as the printable ones... I have no idea. D:

 

wow, what a cool idea. I am so trying this...

any suggestions for good places to find small temporary tat designs?

 

Soooo cool!! I definately am gonna try this when i get the time. I been trying to find a better way to tattoo my dolls.

 

Well these shouldn't stain because the ink is printed on the outside of the paper
The only reason they seem to stain human skin is because the paper eventually gets stuck in the top layer of skin. Once that layer skin sheds the tattoo will disappear but the ink doesn't usually come in contact with the surface it is laid on.
If it did they wouldn't make sheets that you can put in a printer. Printer ink is not good for your skin
I really want to get the printable tattoo sheets but they are so expensive. I wish I could find them at a better price...

 

That's a really cool idea, I'll have to remember that.

 

Hmmm just thought I'd add that if some dye does transfer to the doll it didn't actually end up staining my EL o.O I've noticed that the stain has slowly faded off =o

 

On its own? Just faded away?
That's kind of neat. :>

 

Yeah o.o Parts of the tattoo I painted over came off and underneath the stain was gone o.o I didn't magic eraser or anything either. It was just gone. And I didn't seal him... since he goes white >< that and the paint I use doesn't chip or fade for a while o.o Anything I paint lasts a year unsealed.

 

thanks for the info

 

I want to tattoo my doll, but I would prefer to use a temporary tattoo like the ones that stick on for a few days and then eventually come off in the shower. Will these ruin the resin? Has anyone tried it?

 

As long as it's not one of those homemade printed ones, it should be fine. Just be sure to seal the resin before and after you put it on. (:

 

doesn't cause a problem. Just be sure to seal before and after or it won't last more then a week without getting grimy.

 

Ooo this sounds like a nifty idea

 

Well the point is that I don't want to seal it I want to be able to apply it, take a few pictures, and wash it off.

 

it's shouldn't be a problem i'd think, but i'd test it inside the head cap just to be safe. that way if it stains or has trouble comeing off it's somewhere you won't normally see

 

So, if you do use a temporary tattoo, will MSC seal it and keep it there for a lot longer, if you wanted it to be more permanent?

 

yep. Just make sure to seal before you apply, then after you apply it, give the tattoo a few good coats and handle it gently, like you would a faceup. Even sealed well, they can scrape off. (I have a boy who is mostly covered in tattoos. I used *two cans* of Testors on him, and I *still* have to reapply some of his tats because they've gotten scraped, so you'll definitely want to be careful.)

 

So i did a little experiment with my boy today :"D
I always wanted a tattoo on him but most of the tats i've seen done terribly and blotchy and if i would get it from a good artist it would cost quite a bit >>;;

So wandering through some asian shops today i've stumbled across temporary tattos sheets with perfect designs. My partner suggested that we should give it a shot.
So here is step by step how we didi it.

Take the tattoo sheet and cut out the tattoo you need really close to the edge.
Its better to make sure you use a decent quality tattoo transfers. Dont use stuff like tats from bubble gum and all. It should have a quite stiff surface.

Now take your doll and give it a quick wash, Let it dry and seal it with MSC.




Make sure you have a bowl of water and a cloth by your side.

Now take the tattoo and peal of the backing placing it on the doll. Will hellp if surface is not too bumpy.



Now wet it like there is no tomorrow!!!


Once its properly soaked it should just slide off leaving clean image on the doll.


Now to make it look like its actually under the skin take some chalk/powder/whatever and gently apply it over the tattoo barely touching it. I used my make up foundation XD Make sure its dry before you do that.


Once we are happy with the result seal it with MSC once again and let it dry :"D




All done :"D hope it was somewhat helpful.

 

here is more pictures of tattoos i've added ^^

 

Are these waterslide decals ? For these, you can buy special solutions to soften the decals (useful for "difficult" and irregular surfaces) and to improve "grip". For example, Microscale Set/Sol ( http://www.bare-metal.com/Microscale-Model-Finishing-Products.html ) or Humbrol DecalFix.

 

thats kind of cool :> Im not sure what kind of tattoos they are. just the kind you can get in dollar stores.

 

Depending on what your makeup foundation is, it might not be a good idea to use it over the tattoos. Most human makeup contains oils, which are bad for resin and can stain it.

 

I really like the idea of using chalk for help blend the tattoo in!
Thank you for sharing!

 

Do you know if it's easy to remove if you don't want it anymore? And if sliding clothes over them will take them off like on us?

 

It's actually pretty easy to remove them when you want to, but if you've sealed it well after application clothes shouldn't take it off; it's like a faceup, it stays on until you try to take it off. ^_^ I don't recommend removing from a blushed doll, though, unless you want to redo the blushing.

Amalia

 

This is very informative! So, can the tattoos be removed with a magic eraser I wonder? Also, can this be done with any kind of small temp tattoo?

 

Pretty much, yes. To both your questions. A good, long scrubbing with a magic eraser would probably remove the tattoo, just as it removes a faceup. This might even come off easier. And any temporary tattoo that you apply with water should do the trick. Just remember to seal your doll before and after (unless you want it to stain the resin or flake off) with something like MSC (Mr Super Clear, nothing I knew about until I started reading on here. Check the stickies!).

Amalia

 

The only problem I have had with them is the fact that the MSC eventually get dirty. Where the doll is not sprayed will show that fact. So the tattoos will eventually have to be removed as I never could get the MSC clean. That, and it can scratch off.

 

Just a quick update everyone :>

Tattoos still look like new even though at some point i had him wear stocking sthats stained his legs BADLY. I took some clear nail polish remover and cleaned his legs as they used to be but MSC protected the leg tat so no damage was done :>

 

That was my first thought as I read through - oh no, oily makup!! hehehe - the rest of the post was very interesting and educational. I like your inventivness, Shin-zo

I also read in a later post that you used clear nail polish remover to clean up the leg? Just wanted to mention that through my research, I've found out that nail polish remover may damage resin? I guess it depends on which remover and which resin doll, but just thought I throw this in here as an F.Y.I. (hope you don't mind)

 

This is very useful, I was wondering how to give a boy doll a tattoo without spending a fortune or messing it up trying to paint it myself.

 

Well as it comes to make up ^^ Foundation is just a powder and oil free. I'm talking good make up :> but even normal foundation powder is designed to look matt and absorb oils.
nail polish remover stuff is tricky too. I've heard so many horror stories but it havent done any damage for me. I used turpentine too at some point XD I guess you have to test it first and see what works for your doll and what doesnt.

I'm glad you liked my thread ^^

 

cost me only $2 XDD

 

Sweet, so going to give this a shot, though I will probably use chalk and then body blush over the tat, but thats just me ^.^

 

New update :> I removed his leg tattoo cos i got sick of it. It come off with just some water and magic eraser, no effort what so ever, no staining either ^^

 

If you're looking for tiny tatoos like litte flowers, birds, hearts etc, the decals they make for nails work perfectly. They have them in Walgreens for 4 or 5 bucks for an assorted sheet, but better yet, you can find them in the dollar store if you have one close.