Tiggerbus on sun 30 mar 97
What is a decal? I have no idea what these are and I have read alot about
them but I am cluless!
please help,
amer
Amy Gossett
tiggerbus@aol.com
Capuccino and Clayart mornings.........
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"Reality is merely a crutch for those with a broken imagination..."
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Bill Aycock on mon 31 mar 97
At 11:30 AM 3/30/97 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>What is a decal? I have no idea what these are and I have read alot about
>them but I am cluless!
>
>please help,
>amer
>Amy Gossett
>
Amy- "decal" is short for "decalcomania". The dictionary says "The process
of transferring pictures or designs printed on specially prepared paper to
glass, metal, or other material."
In the real world- what it amounts to is getting some slightly porous paper
(porous because you want water to leach through it), coating it with a water
soluable glue (mucilage ?, sugar ?) and printing onto the glue with the
medium of your choice. In the case of ceramics (clay, etc), the material is
often underglaaze or overglaze. The best procedure is to make a base coat of
a clear material for the print to sit on, to hold it together.
To apply the decal, you moisten it in water to the point where the glue gets
loose and slick enough to slide, then slide the printed stuff to the surface
you want it on. In the case of ceramics, you then fire it.
In practice, the print is often made by silkscreening. It is a good
production process, and is often used on "China", even very fine china.
In the recent postings about the decals, what was being refered to was the
end product of the process, that had already been fired.
Bill-resting up from a hike to see some of the Dogwoods and wildflowers that
are out on Easter, on Persimmon Hill.
Gee, I'm lucky,-- life is great!
Bill Aycock --- Persimmon Hill --- Woodville, Alabama, USA
--- (in the N.E. corner of the State)
also-- W4BSG -- Grid EM64vr baycock@hiwaay.net
You Name on mon 31 mar 97
Decals are lowfire (usually) designs that you can purchase at any ceramics/
pottery store. You just apply them to your work and fire. I have seen
designs ranging from the Pope to roses, and everything in between.
Hope this helps.
Erin
Ric Swenson on mon 31 mar 97
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>What is a decal? I have no idea what these are and I have read alot about
>them but I am cluless!
>
>please help,
>amer
>Amy Gossett
>tiggerbus@aol.com
>Capuccino and Clayart mornings.........
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>"Reality is merely a crutch for those with a broken imagination..."
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
-------------reply-------------
Simplistic explaination, but just imagine a silk screen print that you have
produced, printed on a media like the decals you put on model airplanes as
a kid. Except that the material the printing is done with is composed of
ceramic stains and fluxes that ...if applied to a smooth surface, smothed
down, dried and then fired will create a permanent (or at least
semi-permanent) "picture" on your pottery, (when fired at the proper
temperature and in the proper atmosphere. Usually neutral or oxydation
fired or in saggers, protectedf rom the flames that can take away the
(usually, but not always , bright low fire colors)
There's a lot to it, but it can be a lot of fun, once you individualize it
to your "style "of potting.
Others?
Ric Swenson, Bennington, Vermont
rswenson@bennington.edu
Robert Kittel on mon 31 mar 97
At 04:30 PM 3/30/97 +0000, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>What is a decal? I have no idea what these are and I have read alot about
>them but I am cluless!
decals are generally images silkscreen printed onto a special coated paper
with oil based inks. After drying the image is floated using lukewarm water
off the paper then applied to some type of surface. To enable the decal to
attach to the surface the first applied coat silkscreened to the paper was
an adhesive. This adhesive softens in the water and allows the finished
decal to bind to the surface.
Ceramic decals are only slightly different. A special coated paper is used.
An adhesive coat is applied, some papers come pre-coated with adhesive. The
ink now is still oil based but highly refined so it doesn't produce ash as
it burns away. The pigment is now made from frits, oxides or other ceramic
materials much like a glaze. The pigment is run through a special mill to
crack the particle sizes down to a grade small enough to pass through a silk
or wire mesh screen. Ball mills are not generally used but will work. The
image is then silk screened onto the paper. Any number of colors may be
applied making a multi color decal. Once all the colors are silk screen
printed a lock coat is applied. This covers all parts of the decal to keep
the different colors from floating away independently of each other. The
decal is usually dried in an oven then its ready for use. This being a
ceramic decal it is floated from the paper and applied to a finish glazed
ceramic piece, water squeegeed from under it and the decal dried. The ware
is then fired in a kiln (usually electric) to around cone 017. The kiln door
and dampers must be left partially open to allow the binders to burn away
and vent from the kiln. If the fumes are left in the kiln then a reducing
atmosphere will affect the colors. Once the kiln is in the red heat range
the door is secured, damper(s) closed and the kiln fired to its correct
cone. The ceramic oxides that were applied to the ware via a transfer decal
will melt and form somewhat of a glaze interface and become part ot the
ware. Now a perfect photographic image is fired somewhat permantly to the
pot, mug or what ever you wished to decorate.
The industry that produces these decals had many technological advances in
the last 20 years. Now images are transfered to wares without using decal
transfer. Images are silkscreened directly onto both raw and fired glazes.
The images may also be printed on a curved surface as well as a conical one.
Some decals are made for once fire others are made to mature close to the
temperature that the glaze matured at, Maybe even cone 10. silkscreens are
even prepared now using Computer assisted machines that apply the screen
emulsions (images) much like an ink-jet printer. Some screens are even
electrically heated and the screen ink based with petroleum based waxes. The
hot melted wax passes through a heated screen onto a raw glaze and it is
instantly dry ready to be handled/loaded into a kiln.
The industry of applying images to ceramic/glass wares is amazing, if you
ever have an oportunity to see some of this don't pass it up. This little
explanation of image transfer is very basic and doesn't even start to
explain what is being done in this industry.
Bob
kinoko@junction.net on mon 31 mar 97
AMY G, Decal= decalcomania. Any process where an image may be transferred in
toto from some sort of substrate. The "transfers" children use to imprint
their hands. Fake tattoo. Any image which may be transferred from a silk
screen to a substrate,(paper,plastic,gelatine,rubber sheet) and the adherred
copy then transferred to plates, pottery,etc.
donm>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>What is a decal? I have no idea what these are and I have read alot about
>them but I am cluless!
>
>please help,
>amer
>Amy Gossett
>tiggerbus@aol.com
>Capuccino and Clayart mornings.........
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>"Reality is merely a crutch for those with a broken imagination..."
>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>
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