Brighten your windows with stained glass photos

Create your own works of art on the computer

By Julie Stoyka

Instead of framing images and mounting them on your wall, why not frame transparencies and mount them in your window? When the sun shines through the window, the effect is sure to brighten your day and impress visitors.

Supplies

inkjet transparencies
picture frames (We purchased two matching frames, so that the image looked finished from both inside and outside the house.)
printer

Step 1: Choosing your image

Though black-and-white photos work well on transparencies, try to choose brightly coloured images that cover the entire colour spectrum. If you want to create transparency art in black and white, make sure your image is well-defined and has a lot of contrast between the black and white, or the image will not look clear.
Select photos from your recent travels, or choose images from Clip Art available in Word.

Choose a brightly coloured image.

Print on transparency paper twice.

Frame and hang in your window.

Step 2: Laying out the artwork

Scan your image at a resolution of 150 dpi or higher (we recommend 300 dpi) and then import it into your photo-editing program. If you’re using Clip Art, import it into Word.
Resize your image so it is slightly larger than the frame size you’ll be mounting it in. Transparencies usually come in a standard size of 8½”x 11”, so be sure you don’t create a picture larger than that.
Adjust brightness and contrast to get the most vivid image.

Step 3: Printing your image

Place the transparency in the printer tray, according to the transparency directions. Select the option for transparencies from your print setup menu, and be sure to print at the best quality setting.
Print the image twice (on the same transparency) to ensure the most colour saturation.

Step 4: Framing your image

Once you’ve printed the image, trim it to fit the frame.
Place the image in the frame.
Hang the image in a window with clear fishing line, or prop the image on the window ledge. If you want the artwork to look great from the inside and the outside of your window, use two thin frames and glue them together with wood glue or a glue gun.

All styling and inset photography by Julie Stoyka of Zariel Creative