Fired Decals

 Ceramic Decals – Far and away the most common type of fired-on decal is the overglaze, waterslide ceramic decal. 80% of all Fired Decals are Ceramic Decals. That is why this website is primarily devoted to Ceramic Decals. These decals are engineered to fuse and mature at Cone 016 to 018 on Hobby Ceramics and Terra Cotta (both of which are “softer” [less dense] pottery) and Cone 014 to 017 on Chinaware/Porcelain and Stoneware. I won’t belabor them here except to say that they can be printed with china paints or gold or luster or all of the above.

 Glass Decals – The second most common type of decal (about 10% of all Fired Decals). Glass Decals are engineered to fuse and mature at glass decorating temperatures (Cone 022). Alas, most of these are printed for special order. There are very few Glass Decals that are printed for Open Stock (random purchasing). See the Section on “Glass Decals” for more information.

 Mid-Range Decals – These decals are printed with colors that fuse well on both ceramics at Cone 017 and Glass at Cone 022. The lamp industry relies on these decals inasmuch as opal white glass lamp shades and ceramic lamp bases can be decorated using the same decal. They cannot be visually distinguished from Ceramic Decals. Only us insiders know… heh, heh, heh.

 Inglaze Decals – These decals are printed using underglaze colors and are meant to mature at glaze firing temperatures (Cone 6 to 06). The color palette typically favors earth tones (blue, brown, black, terra cotta reds, dark greens) because these colors tend not to fade at such high temperatures. Note: They must be applied onto glaze that has already been fired, or, glued onto bisque or greenware and then fired. There are no decals that can be applied onto unfired glaze and then fired. See FAQ for more information on specialty applications. Note: There has recently appeared an inkjet printer decal that uses special cartridges containing some inorganic pigments which are being sold to persons who wish to make their own Fired Decals. Because they are recommended to be fired at glaze temperatures, I am classifying them here among the Inglaze Decals. If I am not mistaken, the resultant decal is shades of black and gray. The same goes for the decals made on laser printers using special paper, only in this case the iron (read “inorganic”) part of the toner fires as described above.

 Outline Decals – These are basically patterns which are fired on so that a person can go back with China Paints and fill in the color. They are usually either black or sepia. They are a niche industry product.

 Enamel Decals – Also known as Opaque Decals. China Paints are mostly translucent. You can see what’s underneath them, be it a colored glaze or another decal. Enamel Decals, however, are printed with China Paint Enamels which are opaque and don’t allow bleed thru. And because they are opaque, they can be put on dark colored glazes. Very Cool. Not very many out there though... shucks. Note: Enamel Glass Decals can be used on clear glass !!!

 Metallic Decals – These include gold, silver, palladium, luster, and burnished/metal powder decals. (Can you say e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e?)(Actually, bright gold decals can be surprising reasonable as long as the coverage is less than 25% of the total design.) Engineered either specifically for glass or for ceramic. Note: These are always opaque by nature and so can be used just like the Enamel Decals on dark colored glazes. Yippee!

"Ice/Crystal" Decals - aka. Ice Effect Decals and Sugar Crystal Decals. These are an embellishment that is added over top of a regular decal and which is fired at the same time as the regular decal is being fired. The effect is that of ice, namely, heavily textured, smooth, and clear. Note: These decals do not have any color and so should therefore always be used in combination with a regular decal. Note: These must be fired FLAT. If you fire "Ice" on a vertical surface, it will slide off.

Non-Waterslide Decals – All of the above are “waterslide decals”, that is, you must soak them in water before you can apply them. There are 2 other kinds of Fired Decals that are made to be applied without using water. These are: Varnish MountDecals and Heat Release Decals.

 Varnish Mounts are extinct. See “The History of Decals” for more information. Heat Release Decals are very much alive but only for high production potteries like Lennox. They were invented in 1956 and are machine mounted. They are mounted while the ware is still hot, that is, it has not completely cooled down from the glaze firing (Sharp Fire Decals) or are applied to room-temperature ware via heated silicone pads (Heat Release Decals). Decorating rates are much increased by using machine-mounted decals. To compare: Hand decorating rates range from 40 to 300 decals per hour, depending on the size of the decal and the shape of the ware. (Actually, Efficiency Experts count the number of strikes with a squeegee per piece.) Machine Mounted rates start at 300 per hour and can be as high as 1200 per hour.

              Non-Fired Decals

 Non-Fired Decals may be classified by the way they adhere to the surface. Some stick on. Some are cured or slightly heated. Some are mechanically or chemically attached. Let’s see what’s other there.

 Pressure Sensitive Decals – This is the big Number One! These are the decals that have sticky backs. This includes everything from Bumper Stickers to Name Badges to Semi-Trailer ornamentation. There are more Pressure Sensitve Decals made than ALL other categories COMBINED (both fired and non-fired)! You can have them made at a sign shop, buy them through the mail, or print them on your desktop printer. They’re everywhere! They’re everywhere!

 Rub On Decals – An adhesive is mixed with the printing ink. When applied, they are reversed and put face down on the surface to be decorated. They are then rubbed on the backside with a spoon or burnishing tool. The transfer paper is then peeled away and… viola, there’s your design. In the old days, the only option you had was Letraset (alphabets and numbers). Today they have a small (but growing) range of craft designs available at most craft stores. Sometimes referred to as “stain decals”. Scrapbookers love them.

 Dye Sublimation Decals – Ever see these guys at the State Fair who want to put your picture on a mug or a cap? They’re using Dye-Sub Decals. The inks that are used to print these decals are cured under ultra-violet light or infra-red radiation. They are cool decals because the can be fused to a variety of surfaces including plastic and (100% synthetic)cloth. Alas, the poor suckers who bought their $5000 Dye-Sub package business must purchase those specially coated mugs and caps from their supplier… forever. And, alas again, these, like most Non-Fired Decals, will fade with time.

 Iron On Decals – Heat fusing inks. Tee shirts. Need I say more?

 Static Cling Decals – This is really a misnomer. When I say Static Cling Decals, most people think Car Window Decals. And that’s correct, but the mechanism that keeps the decal stuck to the window is not so much static as it is chemical affinity and air tightness. Witness: Get it dirty, it won’t stick. On the plus side, because the people who make them know that these decals will typically put in direct sunlight, they are made with UV/fade-resistant inks.

 Watermount Decals – A good example is a old fashioned model airplane decal. A non-fired Watermount Decal works just like a Watermount Ceramic Decal. The only difference is that Ceramic Decals are made with inorganic inks whereas Non-Fired Watermount Decals are made with organic inks (which is why you can’t fire a model airplane decal). Interestingly, Ceramic Decals don’t have to be fired. They can be used for all manner of non-fired decoration (like soap and candles and wood). See FAQ for more information. This is known in the industry as Cold Application.

 Organic Decals – These are a kind of hybrid decal (very new on the market), combining the attributes of a watermount decal with a dye-sub decal. They are Non Toxic and Lead Free and so use on or around food bearing surfaces is a non-issue. I chose to list them last because if you want more information, you can read the following industry article I edited. See Below.

 Reprinted with permission.

          ORGANIC Low-Temp Decals:

           The New Decorating Choice

Ceramic decals have been available for many years and are a unique and valuable resource that can help creativity expand, promote experimentation, and reach for new possibilities. And for a studio, they can add to the bottom line and give businesses a competitive edge by providing additional services and new products to enthuse their clients.

In the past, however, open stock fired-on decals have been limited to either glass or ceramic. Each type of decals uses a different color palette and thus a different firing temperature. Now there is a new option, one that gives business owners more flexibility and choice than ever before  – ORGANIC low-temperature decals. The new low-temperature application process opens up new avenues of creativity for decorators and artists, while helping studios meet the challenges of competing in today’s often difficult marketplace.

Low-temperature decals are available in a vast selection of attractive and intricate designs, and offer ways to provide design-driven products that satisfy all the requirements of a demanding clientele.

Just as with glass and ceramic decals, low-temperature decals can be used on glass lampshades, ceramic and glass lamp bases, giftware, jewelry, ceramic tile, kitchen utility ware, ceramic mugs and other collectibles. And thanks to the inherent advantage of low-temperature application, they’re also ideal for other items, such as candles, soap, wood, plastic, metal, vinyl, acrylics, or polished stone.

Low-temperature decals are applied the same way as other water-slide decals, however, after a drying time of 24 hours, the covercoat can be literally peeled off. That’s a big deal. But an even bigger deal is that, as an option, the decorated object can then be heat-cured at 300 to 320 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. The heat curing adds integrity to the design adherence and helps provide dishwasher resistance. (Low-temperature decals, however, are not intended for repeated dishwasher exposure.)

ORGANIC low-temperature decals are totally lead-free thus eliminating FDA and Proposition 65 concerns, and making them an environmentally sound alternative for decorating glass, ceramics and other materials. Another great benefit of low-temperature decals is the wide range of colors available. By using proprietary colors, the process is able to print bright purples and pinks, which are very difficult -- and in some cases impossible -- to reproduce using the conventional glass and ceramic color processes.

Other benefits include lower energy bills (you don’t need a kiln to decorate product), plus the ability to use one type of decal on a variety of products and surfaces.

Did we mention that this product is also the much sought-after answer for retro-decorating? Now you can decorate kitchens and bathrooms without removing and remounting existing tiles and plaster and wood. What could you do with that kind of decal?

 For more information about low-temperature open stock decals contact INSTAR Enterprises International Inc. 35 Cotters Lane, P.O. Box 6609, East Brunswick, NJ 08816, USA, Tel. (732) 238-4100; Fax (732) 238-4102;  or visit the web site at instardecals.com.