How to Epoxy Resin a Photo the Easy Way

How to Resin a Photo on canvas

I have no idea why it took me so long to bring together my two passions: photography, and resin. And learning how to resin a photo is a great alternative to framing!

Maybe I simply needed the right photo. I captured this one during the Annual Air Show in Toronto (where I live) and which I attend every year. The planes go so fast. I don’t usually bother trying to snap a pic. But, sometimes, I will point my phone toward the sky and click. That is how I captured this photo. Most photographers won’t admit that their favorite photo was a random snap, but there it is.

Now I’m showing you how to cover this photo with resin.

Resin a Photo on Canvas

You will need:

• Printed photo
• Wood board
• Paint
• Foam brush
Mod podge
• Wax Paper
• Painter Triangles (or something to prop up your project)
• Epoxy resin for art
• Squeegee to spread the resin
Heat gun to pop the bubbles
• A plastic container/bin to cover and protect your photo while the resin is curing

STEP 1: Edit the photo

Use a photo that has a high resolution (1 MB or higher ). There are a ton of free online sites you can use. For this photo, the only editing I did was to increase the shadows a little to give it more depth. Once you like how it looks, you can send it to a photo shop for printing.

The most important thing is that you have a wood canvas that is the same size.

resin supplies for photo

 

STEP 2: Prep the back of the board

Turn over your canvas and add petroleum jelly or cooking oil to the underside. Resin drips won’t stick, and you pop them off later.

 

applying petroleum jelly to a wood frame

STEP 3:  Paint the sides

Paint the side of the canvas with whatever color compliments your photo. I used acrylic silver paint.

 

painting the sides of a frame

STEP 4:  Glue the photo

Prop the wood canvas panel up with your painter triangles.  Apply a thin layer of glue to the front of the canvas and place the photo onto the glue.  (I did not seal the photo or do anything to it, and there was no staining.)

If you use a photo that you cut or alter in any way, seal the sides to prevent the resin from staining the photo.

adding glue to a cradled wood board

Press it down from the middle and work your way out. You don’t want to have any air bubbles. Place your wax paper on top of the photo as you press it down. This will keep glue that oozes out underneath from spilling onto the photo.

 

placing photo onto wood board

STEP 5:  Mix and apply resin

It was cold in my studio when I mixed my resin, and I should have put the resin bottles in a warm bath beforehand.  (Learn more about this and other cold weather resin casting tips.)  I whipped it up quite a bit while stirring so it is quite bubbly.

If you’re new to resin, be sure you know how to mix resin before trying it on a photo.

pour resin on photo

Use your squeegee to spread the resin.

spreading resin over a photo

 

Then, use the heat gun to pop the bubbles.  Even with all the bubbles I created, I was able to get rid of all of them, but it took a few minutes.  I checked back after 20 minutes and popped a few that had risen to the surface.

popping bubbles in resin with a heat gun

Cover to cure.

resin poured

cover wet epoxy to cure

STEP 6:   Remove resin drips

The best time to remove the drips from the back is when they are partially cured. They easily pop off with a flick with tweezers. Be careful to protect the front as it won’t be fully cured yet.

removing drips from the back of a resin photo

resin drips removed from the back of a photo

 

 

 

wiping away petroleum jelly

Wait another twenty-four hours for the resin to cure completely. It’s amazing how much the details of the photo pop with the resin. I’m hooked!

Finished - Resin a Photo on Canvas

Overwhelmed knowing where to start with resin?

Tried resin but frustrated with your results?  Stop wasting your time and energy on less-than-perfect results.  Buy the ebook Resin Fundamentals, for less than the price of a resin kit.  It will jump-start your resin learning curve with the essential details you need to know to make something amazing with resin.

Originally written by Penny Reid

Unpublished Blog Posts of Resin Obsession, LLC © 2023 Resin Obsession, LLC

Like this post? You may be interested in  How To Recycle A Spoon Into A Pendant With Epoxy

72 thoughts on “How to Epoxy Resin a Photo the Easy Way

    1. (On behalf of Penny) The dots were from resin that had dripped over the side of the wooden frame and collected underneath. Once they are cured, you can thrown them away.

      1. They would be cool as ‘bubbles’ cast in resin or used in jewelry or as little ‘feet’ for some project. Or how bout filler for a flower vase. Or you could just pack them up and send them to me lol

  1. Does it matter if the photo is ink jet or lazer as everything I have read says that photos have to be completely sealed in order to use with resin

  2. Do you need to wait for the glue to dry before adding the resin? Also, I have a 16×20 print that was printed at Wal-Mart. Would this work with a 16×20 canvas, or does the phone need to be on printer paper?

    1. Yes, you need to wait for glue to dry before applying resin. Wait at least 12 hours or longer if your climate is humid. A print from a print or photo shop will work well too.

    2. I’ve tried putting a photo on a ceramic tile (not all the way to the edge because I like the white border) and the edges curl up or are not completely flat. Did you weigh it down as it dried? I then printed on regular paper and it worked way better. The paper print is less exciting but when the resin is added, it looks like the original photo. I would prefer to use the photos on photo paper though but the edges are stopping me from trying again. Help

    1. It means to cover it with a plastic dome, or something similar, to keep dust off of it while it’s curing.

  3. How much resin did you need for this project? Is there a way to measure how much you need so you don’t waste too much?

  4. My understanding is that all photos must be sealed before resin is applied. Unless I missed something you did not do this in this project. Doesn’t the colors run or become distorted?

    1. I suppose it has to do with how the colors are printed onto the paper. Professional prints may not smear when resin is added. You will never go wrong to seal it first though if you are unsure.

    2. Photo places like Walmart use what’s called a sublimation printer, so no ink. Its 4 colors on reels each pass a layer of color is transferred from the roll to the print. Since it not ink like an inkjet or pigment printer, it is very hard to smudge a photo printed at a photoshop.

  5. Hi Katherine,

    Does the resin applied look even or is it more uneven? Or is there a specific process to even it out?

    Tks
    Lawrence

    1. As long as you are using a doming (self-leveling) resin and pour on enough to make it 1/8 inch thick, it will even out.

  6. I have been wanting to set some of my photos in resin for a while now, finally made the space in my garage to do so! Wondering where do you recommend getting photos printed at? The few times I have sent to a local printing place the quality isn’t that good. Also do you seal the photo before adding the resin? Thanks

  7. Thank-you for your clear, step-by-step instructions! I have been wanting to do this forever, and this article has given me the confidence!

  8. Your photo looks great!
    I want to make wooden blocks (6 sides) for my great grandson with pictures on each side. How could I cover each side with resin

  9. Great post. When you say ‘wood canvas’ to you mean canvas stretched on a wooden frame or do you mean a piece of wood? I’m wondering about flex in the canvas cracking the resin

  10. I’ve been using resins on photos for about five year. It took a while to perfect the proses but they did look amazing. Unfortunately, after several year the resin has turned pink. This hasn’t happened to all of my pieces but quit a few. Do you know what is causing this?

    1. I haven’t heard of resin turning pink, but resin will yellow with time. It sounds like it’s either reacting to the UV light or something in the photo.

  11. Love that piece! I’m about to cover a photo on a kids toy with resin. It’s a part of a puzzle and the resin layer needs to be thin. Do you think I could paint the self-leveling resin on with a brush instead of pour it on ( to keep it thin)? Or would you see brush strokes in the resin when dry?

    1. Hi Rachel, if you want to try it this way, use a sponge brush. It will keep the layer thin without seeing brush lines.

  12. I’ll be using a 11″ x 17″ piece of art on a 16″ x 21″ piece of clear birch plywood. painted black as a back ground for the piece of art. then place it in a frame. glue it first on a piece of plywood ( clear birch) cover it with clear glue as a sealer then pour the resin on it after being framed and this will stop the drips? am I doing this right? or cover the frame also?

  13. I want to use resin/acrylic over a canvas print (of a photo). Have you completed a project like this? Thanks for any advice/

    1. Hi Kat, I wouldn’t expect cardboard to be able to support the weight of the photograph and resin without bending.

  14. Thank you so much for the tutorial. I am new to resin and really want to use it on some of my photos, but I appear to be a few tools shy. I have never used a heat gun on my creations, but it appears to be necessary for photos? Is there a specific type of heat gun you recommend?

    Thanks-
    Heather

  15. Hi…I am new to this exciting craft..I want to do photos in coasters…I want to know…can I first put a thin layer of resin…then pour my resin over..as I want the photo to be in the middle of resin??

  16. Hi I am hoping you can help
    I’m getting a sign made from mdf and want to put photos on it but I want to cut photos to leave a 5mm border around the sides so it will be like a border
    The sign will say family
    My question is if I use the resin there will be a slight lip as Re the thickness of the photo
    Should I tape around the mdf so the resin does not create a lip and will be even all over???
    What would you suggest and what is the best product to use resin or epoxy or ??
    Thankyou in advance
    Tracy

  17. How do you cover a photo with resin if printed on paper? What is the best type of paper ie. gloss or luster? and do you require a spray sealant? If so, what brand of sealer is the best for photographs?

  18. I have long been wondering, and meaning to write and ask, if photos (printed in today’s labs) would be good in resin. Now I see the answer is “YES!” I have wanted to use tiny, professionally printed, photos instead of my laser printer because details and colors were… less than perfect (and that’s being kind). I use 300 dpi with my printer but it’s still been lacking. I’m very picky!

  19. I’m wanting to make a collage of cut out photos on a slice of tree ,and it still has bark and even moss on the sides. What would be the best way to do this . It’s a graduation present for my son.

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