If the pattern consists of more than a single page you will need to tape the separate papers to one another; for larger patterns use a wide tape. In the event your pattern is huge, work with several segments. While it is possible to trim the excess from a pattern it is generally not necessarily to your advantage unless you are working with ivy leaves or comparable simplicities. A general rule would be to cut if it makes it simpler for you and does not weaken the integrity of the pattern or lessen its ability to hold up on a functional level.

For window applications simply tape the pattern opposite the side of the glass which you intend to paint and then either copy the pattern from the face of its design or begin painting with the pattern in place.

For mural or other applications we recommend you use graphite. It's better than carbon paper and is available in large sheets in most craft stores and comes in a light shade as well as the darker for contrasting with your surface!

If you're planning to paint more than a few designs from the same pattern another method of transference is pouncing.This requires the use of a pounce wheel, similar to a tool used in sewing to perforate fabrics as a guide for cutting. Relatively inexpensive it has a handle almost the size of a pencil and a flat disk shaped wheel about ¼" across with spikes which punch through the paper as you roll it along the lines of the pattern. Once the pattern has been taped into place a cloth sack of chalk dust is rubbed along the perforated lines and transferred onto the surface for painting that can then be painted directly or traced easily. (As the chalk dust does rub off it may be advisable to trace over the lines of dust with something more visible.) See the Library file PAINTS AND TOOLS for further references.

The advantage of pouncing is that once you have pounced your paper you need only put in place your pattern and rub a colorant through its design, hence you can transfer it many times quite quickly. A rougher surface may require this technique (such as barn wood). Have fun and good luck!