I run a contemporary ceramic cafe in Newport, South Wales.
I've done some internet research into laying down photographically produced images on to our pottery pieces (we don't make our own pots but buy in slip cast bisque-ware). Anyway from what I can tell theres been some research into printing underglaze decals using special inkjet type printers, that allow a vitreous glaze covering. Other than that it seems the only option is to use an onglaze transfer process (eg with
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and then apply a UV set acrylic varnish to fix it. I've seen a few posts such as
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that suggest the possibility of using fine grained underglazes in inkjet ... anyone know of a company doing this that would print a decal for me?
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do ceramic plaques for headstones and the like ... anyone know how they do it what equipment they'd use and who sells that kind of thing?Anyone who has used lazertran
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... have you got any tips? It sounds quite fiddly, I imagine that it's easy to tear the transfer or get bubbles (like with airfix models). Also any other suggestions on the best 'glaze' for this kind of thing.Finally, products like lazertran insist of laser printers or colour photocopiers, is there a product that would work with my Epson (DURAbrite inks)??
Did you know that laser printer (and copy machine) toner is about 50% iron oxide? I have been thinking that it may be possible to make one's own transfers by printing onto ordinary paper and applying it (wet) to bisqueware. I haven't actually tried this yet, so there would be a lot of details to be worked out. I imagine the paper would have to be left on the ware to burn off in the firing, so I'm not sure how to cover with a glaze coat... unless the paper could burn out from under the glaze coat?
My initial attempt of just putting a little toner into a base glaze makes me think this scheme may not give really dark images, just a washed-out brown. But that might give a nice "old time" look once al the details are worked out.
Hope this helps, and please let us know if you get this working before I do!
Best regards,
Bob Masta dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom D A Q A R T A Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
I've been playing with this for some years now. (Just as a retired amateur.) Paul Scott's book, Ceramics and Print, second edition, has proved the most helpful. (ISBN 0 7136 5485 6)
I looked at Lazertran, but the need for a colour laser or copier put it out of court (although colour lasers are coming down in price now). I was tempted to try it with a monochrome laser, but I was warned off by the fact that colour lasers fuse at a lower temperature than mono engines, and I didn't want to ruin my mono machine.
I don't think it would be possible to get an insoluble ceramic colourant, as used in a glaze or stain, through the nozzles of an inkjet. The only way to do that would be to use soluble salts of the colouring metals; eg copper sulphate, cobalt nitrate, etc. But then if you inkjet print on to transfer paper to make your own decals, the image is soluble, and would wash off when you soak the covercoated decal ready to transfer it to the pot.
My best results have been with a straight monochrome laser, printing on to transfer paper, and then covercoating to make a decal. A key point is to make sure the printer is set to give maximum toner density (or even use multiple passes, if you can trust the register on the printer). Then comes the problem of when to apply the decal: on to greenware, on to bisque or on to a glazed pot. Greenware is pretty hopeless, because the pot is not strong enough to withstand the application of the decal. Bisque is probably best, although avoiding air bubbles under the decal is not easy: use a touch of gum or CMC. Choosing the right transparent glaze to go on top of such a decal, and getting the decal firing temperature right, is crucial. Putting a decal on to a glazed surface (which is the way they're intended to be used) is the easiest way to apply it for positioning and the absence of bubbles, but the final firing temperature is very critical indeed.
Most of this has been done using an aged Star laser, which has (had) an HP engine. When this went to the skip, I bought a Samsung laser, but I've never tried making decals with that. I believe that different lasers use different proportions of iron in their toners. My results have been inconsistent: I have had brown (always brown!) images which are quite bold and legible, and others which have almost completely dissolved in the glaze.
It occurred to me to experiment with a scrap Brother laser, by adding some very fine (ball-milled) copper carbonate to the toner cartridge. I ended up with a faintish green image. The problem here seems to be that if you add enough copper to give a strong colour, the toner ceases to fuse properly.
The Scott book mentions two more laser-based methods: one is negative-working, and the other positive. The positive one, which I found more successful, used the laser image just like a litho image, inking the moist paper with a ceramic-bearing litho ink, and then transferring it to the pot under modest pressure. Not easy, and not very reliable. It would be hopeless with half-tones, I would guess.
All in all, I have failed to achieve consistent and reproducible results, so I have given up. But if someone can really come up with a ceramic inkjet pigment which can withstand soaking, as in a decal, then I could get very interested again!
Know an artist who did just that with copies from an older Canon copier. It would fire to cone 10 ( high stoneware ). Easy, clear results. I think she'd sometimes bisque and add a clear glaze. Try googling "Jeannie Mah". If copiers other than just old Canon's work, it should be done more. As you guessed, she applied/s a damp copy to clay, just rolled not bisque, and fired it. Easy. I keep meaning to check some copiers but haven't tried.
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