How To Make Picture Picks With The Pick Punch

Great fun, even if you don't play the guitar ;)

Posted by Anke A.

About

You can make high quality guitar picks with any image you like. It's easy and fun!
I show you several ways of adding your images to your picks.

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You Will Need (7 things)

  • 1 x Polycarbonate Sheet transparent, 0.7mm
  • 1 x Images Of Your Choice
  • 1 x medium & fine Sanding Block
  • 1 x Scissors
  • 1 x Pick Punch
  • 1 x Laser Printer & Transparency
  • 1 x Super Glue

Steps (12 steps, 20 minutes)

  1. 1

    First decide which image you want to have in (yes, in) your pick. Print it on a transparency.
    To save your material, print many pictures at once onto one transparency.

  2. 2

    To keep your image from blurring, place the printed side of the transparency facing the inside of a laminating pouch. Place a simple sheet of paper on top and let it glide through your laminator. This way, your printed image is safely laminated one only one side, and you can peel off the paper.

  3. 3

    With the Pick Punch, punch out a pick from a polycarbonate sheet and peel off the protective foil.

  4. 4

    Take your super glue and apply a thin coat of glue to your pick. Be careful not to glue your fingers to the pick :)

  5. 5

    Now carefully place the pick with the glue-covered side on your laminated transparency. Don't move it too much, the glue sets quickly. When the image is centered correctly, press hard on the pick. The excess glue will squeeze out at the sides, so take care and wipe it off with a kleenex (moving from the pick's center outwards).

  6. 6

    When the glue has dried, trim the transparency around the pick's edges. Now you can sand the edges with a file or sanding block. Use a medium grit first and proceed with a fine grit.
    The edges should be evenly curved. If you like, sand the backside of your pick a little to give it a matte finish.

  7. 7

    Rinse off any sanding dust (your pick is totally waterproof!) and enjoy your original pick!

  8. 8

    If you decide to use paper images (comics work great, for example - thin paper is better than thick paper), be aware that the super glue will make the paper transparent, and images or text on both sides of the image will become visible. Printed napkins work great, just separate the printed layer.

  9. 9

    Glue your pick onto the image. Let it dry and trim around the edges.
    Now glue a second pick to the image's backside so it's sandwiched between the picks.
    Sand the edges, and enjoy your pick!

  10. 10

    Another great effect can be achieved by using one layer of an old DVD which has been crackled in the microwave oven.

    The possibilities are endless - have fun!

  11. 11

    By the way, this is what happens if you don't laminate the transparency. The super glue is a little too strong for the printer's toner... ;)

  12. 12

    ... and if you try to color the images with Copic markers, the ink will slide to the outside of your pick.
    You see, experimenting is fun, but not always successful.

    Please show me what you come up with!