Quick answer: Here is how to use Craft Smart transfer paper in brief: print or draw your design at final size, tape it in position on the surface along the top edge only, slide a sheet of transfer paper underneath with the coated (dull, chalky) side facing the surface, and trace every line of the design with a ballpoint pen or stylus using firm, even pressure. Lift a corner to check the transfer before removing anything. Peel away the design and transfer sheet, paint over the transferred lines, and erase or wipe any that still show once the paint is dry. Graphite (gray) transfer paper suits light surfaces; white or yellow transfer paper suits dark ones. One sheet can be reused many times.
Transfer paper is the quiet workhorse of sign painting, furniture lettering, canvas art and wood crafts. It lets you put a design exactly where you want it, at exactly the right size, without freehand drawing. Craft Smart, the house brand sold at Michaels, offers inexpensive transfer paper in multipacks, and the method below applies to it and to similar wax-free transfer papers from other brands.
This guide covers how to use Craft Smart transfer paper from choosing the right sheet color through tracing, troubleshooting faint or smudged lines, and cleaning up afterward, with specific notes for wood, canvas, fabric, glass and painted furniture. Since nearly every transfer ends with paint going on top, our comparison of Craft Smart vs Americana acrylic helps with the next decision: which craft paint to fill the design with.
What Craft Smart Transfer Paper Is
Transfer paper (also called graphite paper or tracing-transfer paper) is a thin sheet coated on one side with a dry, pressure-sensitive pigment layer. When you press on the uncoated back, the coating releases onto whatever is beneath. Unlike old carbon paper, modern craft transfer paper is wax-free, so the lines erase cleanly, do not resist paint, and do not bleed through.
Craft Smart transfer paper is typically sold in packs of letter-size or larger sheets. Common coating colors are:
- Graphite (gray): The all-purpose choice for light wood, white canvas, paper and pale painted surfaces. Erases like pencil.
- White: For dark wood, black canvas, chalkboard paint and dark fabric.
- Yellow or other colors: Shows on mid-tone surfaces where neither gray nor white reads well, and on dark backgrounds where white is too stark.
A note on terminology: some retailers also sell “transfer paper” meaning iron-on sheets for printing designs onto T-shirts. That is a different product with a different method, covered briefly at the end. The main guide here is for tracing transfer paper.
Materials
- Craft Smart transfer paper in a color that contrasts with your surface
- Your design, printed or drawn at final size on ordinary paper
- Painter’s tape or low-tack masking tape
- A ballpoint pen (preferably empty or in a bright color so you can see what you have traced), a stylus or a hard pencil (2H or harder)
- A kneaded eraser or white vinyl eraser for cleanup
- The surface, prepared and fully dry if painted or sealed
How to Use Craft Smart Transfer Paper: Step by Step
Step 1: Prepare the surface
Transfer paper works best on a smooth, dry, dust-free surface. Sand raw wood lightly and wipe it. If the surface has been painted or stained, let it cure fully, usually at least 24 hours for acrylic craft paint and longer for oil-based finishes, or the coating can embed into soft paint. Wipe glass and metal with alcohol to remove fingerprints.
Step 2: Size and print the design
Print or draw your design at the exact final size. For large pieces, print in tiles and tape the sheets together, or use a projector to trace an enlarged outline onto plain paper first. Simplify the design to clean outlines; shading does not transfer usefully and only adds marks to erase later.
Mirror the design before printing if you are transferring text onto glass that will be viewed from the other side.
Step 3: Position and tape the design
Place the design where you want it and check it with a ruler: measure from the edges of the surface to the edges of the design on both sides to confirm it is centered and level. Tape the design along the top edge only, using two or three pieces of painter’s tape. Leaving the bottom free lets you lift the design like a flap to check progress without losing alignment.
Step 4: Insert the transfer paper
Slide a sheet of transfer paper between the design and the surface with the coated side facing down, toward the surface. The coated side is the duller, chalkier-looking side; the back is smoother and often has printing. If in doubt, rub a corner of the sheet on scrap paper: the side that leaves a mark goes down. For designs larger than one sheet, overlap sheets slightly or move one sheet as you work through sections.
Do not tape the transfer paper itself unless the piece is very large; leaving it loose means you can shift it without disturbing the design.
Step 5: Trace the design
Using a ballpoint pen, stylus or hard pencil, trace every line of the design with firm, steady pressure. Keep the tip moving in smooth, continuous strokes rather than short scratchy ones, which transfer unevenly. Rest your hand on a scrap of paper placed over the design so the weight of your palm does not transfer smudges.
Pressure guidance:
- Hard, smooth surfaces (sealed wood, glass, metal, primed canvas board): Moderate pressure. Too much can dent soft wood or score paint.
- Raw wood: Firm pressure, since the grain absorbs some of the coating.
- Stretched canvas: Light to moderate pressure, with a board slipped behind the canvas to give a firm backing. Pressing on unsupported canvas produces broken lines and can stretch the fabric.
- Fabric: Firm pressure on a hard surface beneath; expect a fainter line than on wood.
Using a colored pen to trace has one big advantage: you can see which lines you have already done, which prevents missed sections.
Step 6: Check before you remove
Lift the bottom edge of the design and transfer paper together, keeping the top tape in place, and look at the surface. If any lines are faint or missing, lay everything back down (the top tape keeps registration) and retrace those sections with more pressure. This is the step most people skip and most regret.
Step 7: Remove and paint
Peel off the tape, lift away the design and transfer sheet, and save the transfer sheet for reuse. Paint the design, working from background elements to foreground and from large shapes to fine lines. Craft acrylics cover graphite lines completely in one or two coats; thin washes and light colors may show lines through, so keep transfers light under pale paint.
Step 8: Clean up
Once the paint is fully dry, remove any transferred lines that remain visible outside the painted areas. A kneaded eraser lifts graphite from paper, wood and primed canvas without abrading. A white vinyl eraser handles stubborn marks on sealed surfaces. A barely damp cloth removes lines from glass and glazed ceramic. White transfer lines on dark surfaces usually wipe off with a dry cloth or a soft eraser.
Surface-Specific Notes
| Surface | Best paper color | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Light raw or stained wood | Graphite | Sand first; firm pressure; seal after painting to lock everything |
| Dark stained or painted wood | White or yellow | Let paint cure; moderate pressure to avoid denting |
| White primed canvas | Graphite | Board behind canvas; light pressure; lines erase with kneaded eraser |
| Black or dark canvas | White | Wipe excess with a dry brush before painting to avoid white dust mixing into color |
| Chalkboard paint | White | Lines wipe off afterward with a damp cloth |
| Glass and mirror | White or graphite depending on background | Clean with alcohol first; mirror text if painting on the reverse |
| Fabric (cotton, canvas bags) | Graphite on light, white on dark | Pre-wash fabric; hard board underneath; lines fade with washing |
| Paper and cardstock | Graphite | Light pressure; lines erase easily |
| Terracotta and unglazed ceramic | Graphite or white | Porous surface grips coating well; moderate pressure |
Troubleshooting
Lines are faint or broken
Causes: too little pressure, a soft or unsupported surface, a worn transfer sheet, or a textured surface. Fixes: press harder, put a board behind canvas, switch to a fresh area of the sheet, or sand textured wood smoother. A ballpoint pen transfers more reliably than a pencil.
Smudges and fingerprints outside the design
Causes: palm resting on the transfer paper, or the design shifting. Fixes: rest your hand on a scrap sheet, keep the design taped at the top, and avoid sliding the transfer paper around while tracing. Smudges erase with a kneaded eraser.
Lines will not erase
Causes: pressing so hard that the coating was forced into raw wood grain or soft paint, or using a wax-based carbon paper by mistake. Fixes: a light sanding on raw wood; on painted surfaces, cover the lines with the design’s paint or a coat of background color.
Lines show through the paint
Causes: heavy transfer under light or translucent paint. Fixes: dab the lines lightly with a kneaded eraser before painting to reduce them, or paint an extra coat. Keep future transfers lighter.
Design transferred in the wrong place
Causes: measuring once instead of twice. Fixes: erase and start over. The cost is a few minutes, which is why checking alignment before tracing matters.
Transfer sheet tore
Causes: a sharp stylus or a very hard pencil. Fixes: switch to a ballpoint pen, which glides without cutting. Torn sheets still work if you work around the tear.
Tips for Better Transfers
- Trace with an empty ballpoint or a bright colored pen so you can track your progress on the design.
- Keep a scrap of the transfer paper to test pressure on a corner of the surface before starting.
- Store sheets flat in their packaging. Folded sheets leave crease lines on the surface.
- One sheet lasts through many transfers; rotate it so different areas wear evenly.
- For symmetrical designs, transfer one half, flip the design and transfer the mirror image.
- For lettering, draw a baseline on the design and align it with a pencil guideline on the surface for level text.
- When a design will be painted in several colors, trace the whole thing first, then paint; do not try to transfer in stages.
Alternatives When You Do Not Have Transfer Paper
- Homemade graphite paper: Scribble heavily over the back of your printed design with a soft pencil, then place it face up and trace. Works but is messier and smudges more.
- Chalk method for dark surfaces: Rub chalk over the back of the design, then trace. Lines wipe off easily.
- Freezer paper or stencil method: Cut the design from freezer paper or stencil film and paint through it instead of tracing.
- Projector: Project the design directly onto the surface and trace with pencil or chalk. Best for very large signs and murals.
- Carbon paper: Available but wax-based, so lines resist paint and do not erase. Avoid for painted projects.
A Note on Iron-On Transfer Paper
If your “Craft Smart transfer paper” is a printable iron-on sheet for fabric, the method is different. Print your design (mirrored for light-fabric sheets) on an inkjet printer, trim close to the design, place it face down on pre-washed fabric over a hard heat-safe surface (not a padded ironing board), and press with a dry iron on the hottest setting the fabric tolerates for the time stated on the package, usually a couple of minutes with firm, moving pressure. Let it cool completely before peeling the backing. Wash inside out in cold water. The package directions override anything general here, since timing and peel method (hot or cold) vary by product.
Painting Over the Transfer
Once the design is on the surface, craft acrylic is the usual next step. Use a liner brush for outlines and a flat or round for fills, and let each color dry before painting adjacent areas to avoid bleeding. Light colors over graphite lines may need a second coat. When the paint is dry, erase stray lines and seal with a clear acrylic sealer if the piece will be handled or displayed outdoors. Our DecoArt vs Craft Smart acrylic paint comparison covers how two common craft lines differ in coverage, which matters when you are painting over transferred lines.
FAQs
Which side of Craft Smart transfer paper goes down?
The coated side, which looks duller and chalky, faces the surface. The smoother back faces up toward your design. Test by rubbing a corner on scrap paper; the side that leaves a mark goes down.
Can you reuse Craft Smart transfer paper?
Yes, many times. The coating thins gradually with use, so rotate the sheet to use fresh areas and replace it when lines become consistently faint.
Does transfer paper work on canvas?
Yes. Place a board behind stretched canvas for support, use light to moderate pressure, and erase leftover lines with a kneaded eraser after painting.
How do you remove transfer paper lines?
A kneaded or white vinyl eraser lifts graphite from most surfaces. White transfer lines wipe off with a dry or barely damp cloth. Do this after the paint is fully dry to avoid smearing.
What is the difference between transfer paper and carbon paper?
Transfer paper is wax-free, so its lines erase and accept paint. Carbon paper is wax-based; its lines smear, resist paint and do not erase, which makes it unsuitable for painted projects.
Can I use transfer paper on fabric?
Yes, with firm pressure on a hard surface beneath the fabric. Lines are fainter than on wood and fade with washing, so paint soon after transferring.
Next Step
Match the paper color to the surface, tape the design at the top, trace with a ballpoint, and check before you lift. Those four habits produce clean transfers on almost anything. With the design in place, the remaining choice is the paint; our side-by-side look at Craft Smart and Americana craft acrylics explains which one gives better coverage over transferred lines and which colors need a second coat.
