Epoxy Resin: What Surfaces Can It Coat? Q&A

Many people ask us about the versatility of epoxy resin. What can it be used on? What materials will it adhere to? We have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions to address these inquiries.

Let’s begin with the surfaces that can be successfully coated, filled, or adhered to using epoxy resin:

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1. Can I pour epoxy resin on an oil painting? Yes! However, ensure that the oil paints are completely dry before applying the resin. This prevents the resin from reacting with the wet paint and creating unwanted effects. 2. Can I pour epoxy resin on a painting made with acrylic paints? Absolutely! Epoxy resin won’t act as a solvent or smear your acrylic designs. In fact, once the resin hardens, your picture will look even more colorful and vibrant. 3. Can I pour epoxy resin on a watercolor painting? Watercolor paper is typically quite porous and may become saturated with resin. We recommend doing a test pour on a scrap piece of your watercolor paper first to see how it reacts. 4. Can I use epoxy resin to coat painting made with alcohol ink? Yes. But we recommend fixing it with acrylic varnish from an aerosol can beforehand, so the design doesn’t smudge. If you are using synthetic paper using Blending Solution, pre-fixing isn’t necessary as the resin won’t dissolve the ink in this case. 5.  Can I put epoxy resin on a piece painted with spray paint? Yes, epoxy resin can be used with spray paint pieces.

 6. Can I put epoxy resin on the inscription or painting made with permanent marker?

Markers are often alcohol-based, so we recommend pre-fixing the text with acrylic varnish to avoid smudges or marker dissolving in resin.  7. Can I pour epoxy resin on the work printed on a digital printer? Both laser and inkjet prints can be coated with resin. However, glossy paper is generally preferred over matte paper as it has a lower chance of soaking in the epoxy and becoming darkened.

8. Can I coat a photograph with epoxy resin?

Glossy paper is the best to use for photographs to prevent soaking and darkening. Consider glueing the photograph to a wooden base before applying the resin. This creates a sleek, frameless look without using baguette or glass frame.

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Using Epoxy Resin on different surfaces. Epoxy resin is a versatile material with excellent adhesion (sticking) qualities. However, it’s important to remember that not all materials are created equal. Before starting any project, be sure to research which surfaces epoxy resin will bond to successfully and to what not so much.

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1. Can I use Epoxy Resin on paper? Epoxy resin hardens on all types of paper. But it can saturate porous paper, leaving dark spots on the surface, so it's better to use paper with a protective coating - glossy photo paper, coated paper, synthetic paper. You can also protect the paper by pre-coating it with liquid PVA or acrylic varnish.

2. Can I coat Art Ink Plastic with epoxy resin? The epoxy resin sticks well to the plastic, forming a watertight bond. By securing plastic to the wooden base and dousing it with resin, the resin would flow around the wood, creating a powerful and durable bond.The hardened resin can be easily peeled off from the plastic, forming a smooth glossy surface which is perfect for making resin jewelry castings and provides a better surface than polyethylene.

3. Can I coat a wooden surface with epoxy resin?

 Yes, clear epoxy goes over wood excellently.  4. Can I coat a sculpture or 3D printed model with epoxy resin?

Yes, you can coat sculptures or 3D printed models with epoxy resin. The resin will create a smooth, protective layer around sculpture and partially flow down onto the stand. It may require applying several thin layers, allowing each to harden before applying the next. For application, foam rubber or a synthetic bristle brush are the best options. Note: Brushes used with epoxy resin cannot be cleaned for reuse.  5. Can I make jewelry out of epoxy resin? For flat pieces like earrings and pendants, CraftHardResin is the ideal choice. If you’re creating three-dimensional pieces using molds, CraftCrystalResin is better suited- it has a longer cure time, but leaves less bubbles. 6.  Can I cast an object in epoxy resin? Flat objects, such as coins, skeletonized leaves, and beer caps, can be cast with resin for creating crafts and artwork. However, if you need to cast an object thicker than 1.5 cm (approximately 0.5 inch), our jewelry resin, CraftCrystalResin, is a better choice. For objects with a thickness of around 5 cm (approximately 2 inches), CraftLiquidResin is recommended for volumetric pouring. It has a longer curing time and is less prone to boiling.

7. Can I pour epoxy resin on the glass? Epoxy resin has excellent sticking properties to glass. You can paint on glass; you can glue glass to epoxy resin or fill glass elements with resin – it is a vastly versatile material.

8. Can I pour epoxy resin into natural materials? You can fill various natural materials like butterfly wings, dried flowers, or even skeletonized leaves with resin. The resin preserves the object beautifully, but it’s important to ensure the material is completely dry before casting. Fresh flowers or food, for example, are not suitable. They contain bacteria and living tissue that will continue to decompose within the resin, ruining your final creation.

9. Can I coat the gold leaf with epoxy resin? Yes, gold leaf can be safely coated with epoxy resin.

10. Can I use epoxy resin for relief work such as plaster bas-relief?  Of course. But keep in mind that epoxy is a self-leveling resin and will smooth out the texture of your work. This can be played out in an interesting way - for example, by creating a miniature of the seabed. And of course, make sure that the material from which you created the relief is well dried.

11. Can I use epoxy resin for fabric?  After the hardening of resin, the fabric will become hard like a piece of plastic. However, epoxy resin wets the fabric a little, so it may become darker.

12. Can I coat polymer clay with epoxy resin? Epoxy resin can be used to give strength to polymer projects or hold the pieces together. Once cured, epoxy resin can withstand high temperatures in the oven recommended for polymer clay. The resin may soften after heating, but it will return to its hardened state when cooled.

13. Can I pour epoxy resin into ceramic products? Epoxy resin bonds well to ceramic materials. When working with ceramic tiles, simply pour the resin into the center and stretch it across the surface. When covering a ceramic sculpture, it’s better to use a piece of foam rubber to evenly spread the resin along sculpture.  14. Can I coat my countertop with epoxy resin?  You can coat the tabletop with CraftArtResin epoxy resin, but it’s important to understand it’s limitations. While epoxy resin is a durable material, it’s not completely scratch-proof. With everyday use, you may notice some minor scratches develop on the surface, like what you might see on laminated or artificial stone countertops.

The good news is that epoxy resin can be sanded and polished to restore its shine. To further enhance its scratch resistance, you can apply additional protective coatings like car varnishes. However, this may require specialized equipment and techniques. For home applications, CraftHardResin is a great option as it offers increased strength and heat resistance. 

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What cannot be used with resin

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The resin DOES NOT STICK to: - Wax paper - PET - Polyethylene  - Silicone This is why you can make resin castings in silicone molds without epoxy sticking to it. Before work, cover the table with plastic wrap - the resin will flow onto it and harden, and then it can easily be separated from the film and removed from the table. Epoxy Resin partially sticks to PVC and plexiglass.

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If you haven’t found the answer to your question in this article and are planning to fill something with resin that we didn’t consider, feel free to contact us in a chat. Good luck in your crafts!