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Blue ceramics

No: not cobalt.

Some while ago, I saw a photograph of a porcelain vase with a blue shadowgram image. I assumed that this was a cyanotype image (the father of the engineers' blueprint), and was therefore unfired.

I read up about this antique photographic process, which pre-dated even daguerreotypes, and did some tests. On thick paper or card, the results were OK. But as soon as I tried it on a biscuited ceramic test tile, the results were hopeless.

And, of course, such images couldn't be fired; they would need wax or polyurethane varnish to protect them.

I wonder if anyone else in this group has tried to use photography, old or new, to put images on pots?

Reply to
Jake Loddington
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not BLUE - but you might want to read this article about firing laser jet images on pottery

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No: not cobalt.

Reply to
Cheryl

In message , Cheryl writes

Thanks, Cheryl.

This is a useful summary of the laser approach.

I tried this some time ago, in two ways: one, by interrupting the laser process before the image was fused, and then transferring the toner powder to damp clay, and the other, by printing a properly fused image on decal paper, and making decals in the usual way.

Sadly, the toner in my laser printer did not have enough iron content, and the results were lacking in density. But I've now got a Samsung laser, and I wonder if their toner formulation has enough iron in it? A case for still more experiments.

Your comment about a light blue glaze was interesting, because the nearest I got to success with the laser decals was when I applied them to surfaces having a light blue glaze . . .

Reply to
Jake Loddington

JAke

the whole website (from which that was but a single link) was very interesting - I spent about an hour looking at the different techniques and artists.

Cool that you had tried the laser thing!

I have a pottery kiln - > In message ,

Reply to
Cheryl

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