Transferring Photos onto Wood

Here's my final photo transferred onto a piece of pine.
Once the print has dried you might see more white paper fibres - so the wood needs wetting again so the remainder of the (laser print) fluff can be rubbed off.

You can use your photos, and a laser print, to transfer the picture onto almost any surface these days - including metal, wood and even fabric. 
The process is actually quite easy, but somewhat time consuming.

Step 1: Choose a suitable piece of timber. Smooth is better than rough timber, and lighter is better than darker timber.

Remember laser paper is white so if you choose a dark timber, much of the image will be obscured.  Also, avoid using timber with a rough or unstable surface because the laser transfer won't stick!
Step 2: Arrange the photo back-to-front using Photoshop, Photoshop Elements or any other photo program that works with JPGs. This is important because the technique involves a reverse transfer process.
Step 3: Make your inkjet print, then make a laser copy of it at the local office supplies shop  (note: laser prints work best - inkjet prints are far harder to transfer).
Step 4: Cover the wood with a thin layer of artist's gel medium (you can buy this from an art store, or online) first.

Gloss gel medium produces a sharper result (over matte gel medium) - it glues the face of the print (i.e the actual photo) to the timber and, once dry, is reasonably permanent.

Use a steel ruler, or piece of scrap wood to spread the gel medium as smoothly as possible then carefully place the laser print on top and smoother flat with a credit card or ruler.

Step 5: Leave to dry overnight.

Step 6: Once the gel has fully dried, moisten the (back of the) print with a damp sponge and, as the laser paper softens, begin to rub or peel the white paper fibres off with your fingers (see video below), to reveal the laser image set into the hardened gelled timber.

TIP: You will have to repeat this process several times because, as the paper dries, any white fibres that have not been rubbed off show up quite noticeably.

I live in an art deco style house, so I thought it would be appropriate to make an art deco style  house nameplate, using a font called Broadway to look the part, then transferring it to a wooden plaque for fixing to the front of the house.
As you can clearly see here, some of the laser print did not transfer so well. I could retouch the missing bits if needed, using a black marker, before sealing the entire piece with clear varnish.

To take this process further consider ageing the paper more (notably at the corners), by gently rubbing the surface with sandpaper, to give a much impressive worn look.
TIP: You can always use a sealing spray or clear varnish to seal the ink onto the timber for the final look.