IMAGE & DESIGN
TRANSFER
Paul Andrew Wandless currently
lives and works in Chicago creating
art that combines ceramic processes
and printmaking techniques to
create clay prints that are also
incorporated into freestanding and
wall-mounted clay sculpture. In
addition to authoring several books
and numerous magazine articles,
Wandless is also featured in Ceramic
Art Daily’s video Fundamentals of
Screen Printing On Clay featuring
his techniques. Wandless holds an
MFA from Arizona State University,
an MA from Minnesota State
University-Mankato, and a BFA from
University of Delaware.
Ceramic
Arts
Handbook
TECHNIQUES Series
Edited by Paul Andrew Wandless
For many years, ceramic artists have used printmaking, drawing
IMAGE & DESIGN TRANSFER TECHNIQUES
and photography to enhance the surface of their work. Using
underglazes, slips, and glazes it’s entirely possible to take
advantage many 2-D mediums to decorate both functional and
sculptural work.
Image & Design Transfer Techniques covers more than thirty
techniques that can be used on greenware, bisqueware and
glazeware. You’ll discover ways to create and transfer images
and designs using appliqué and paper transfers, decals, stencils,
silkscreening, etching, stamping, embossing, and more.
An expert printmaker-turned-clay artist, Paul Andrew Wandless
presents you with many of his own discoveries where he found
clay receptive to his many printmaking skills. In addition,
he includes the methods of many talented artists who have
developed a variety of applications that can add a whole new
dimension to your clay surfaces.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect book to start decorating
or you need expert information to expand your skill set, Image &
Design Transfer Techniques contains a wealth of information for
every clay lover.
Wandless
The American Ceramic Society
www.CeramicArtsDaily.org
Printed in China
Image & Design
Transfer Techniques

i
Ceramic
Arts
Handbook
Series

Image & Design

Transfer Techniques

Edited by Paul Andrew Wandless

The American Ceramic Society
600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 210
Westerville, Ohio 43082
www.CeramicArtsDaily.org
 The American Ceramic Society
600 N. Cleveland Ave., Suite 210
Westerville, OH 43082
© 2015 by The American Ceramic Society, All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-57498-345-6 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-57498-580-1 (PDF)
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
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written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in review.
Authorization to photocopy for internal or personal use beyond the limits of Sections 107 and 108
of the U.S. Copyright Law is granted by The American Ceramic Society, provided that the appropriate
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any work in any format. Requests for special photocopying permission and reprint requests should be
directed to Director, Publications, The American Ceramic Society, 600 N. Cleveland Ave., Westerville,
Ohio 43082 USA.
Every effort has been made to ensure that all the information in this book is accurate. Due to differing
conditions, equipment, tools, and individual skills, the publisher cannot be responsible for any
injuries, losses, and other damages that may result from the use of the information in this book. Final
determination of the suitability of any information, procedure or product for use contemplated by
any user, and the manner of that use, is the sole responsibility of the user. This book is intended for
informational purposes only.
The views, opinions and findings contained in this book are those of the author. The publishers,
editors, reviewers and author assume no responsibility or liability for errors or any consequences arising
from the use of the information contained herein. Registered names and trademarks, etc., used in this
publication, even without specific indication thereof, are not to be considered unprotected by the law.
Mention of trade names of commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation
for use by the publishers, editors or authors.
The Publisher advises the reader that certain decal applications onto glossy substrates may be subject
to Patent No: US 7,622,237 B2.
Publisher: Charles Spahr, Executive Director, The American Ceramic Society
Managing Director: Sherman Hall
Series Editor: Bill Jones
Editor: Paul Andrew Wandless
Graphic Production: Pamela S. Woodworth
Series Design: Melissa Bury
Cover Image: Swirls and Stripes, 101/4 in. (26 cm) in diameter, earthenware, slip, underglaze, glaze,
laser-toner decals, commercial decals, and gold luster, by Jason Bige Burnett.
Frontispiece: Wheel-thrown and altered platter with layers of pattern created using both monoprinting
and toner-resist techniques, by Martina Lantin.

iv
Table of Contents

1 Image Transfer & Application

Newsprint Slip Transfers 1
Jason Bige Burnett
Ink Transfers for Greenware 6
Doug Gray
Underglaze Transfer Paper 11
Jessica Knapp
Projecting Patterns 13
Shana Salaff
Monoprinting and Toner-Resist Transfers 16
Martina Lantin
Photolithography Transfers 21
Kristina Bogdanov
Graphite Transfers 26
Judith Berk King
Rice Paper Transfers 32
Kate Missett

2 Decals
No-Fire Decals 35
Brendan Tang
How to Make Laser Toner Decals 39
Frank Gaydos
Using Laser Toner Decals 41
Justin Rothshank
Designing Custom Full-Color Decals 46
Linda Gates
Masked Patterns and Laser Toner Decals 50
Andrew Gilliatt
Acrylic Medium Images 53
Juan Granados

v
 3 Relief, Etching & Stamping
Printing and Embossing with Linocuts 55
Paul Andrew Wandless
Reliefs with Photosensitive Polymer Plates 62
Paul Andrew Wandless
Etching a Glazed Surface 69
Ann Ruel
Light Sensitive Emulsion 71
Jessica Knapp
Underglaze Stamp Pads 74
Holly Goring

4 Stencils & Masking

Using Single-Color Stencils 75
Kip O’Krongly
Multi-Color Stencil Decoration 80
Paul Andrew Wandless
Friskets 85
Frank James Fisher
Die-Cut Stencils 89
Paul Barchilon
Using Stencils 94
Hannah Lore Hombordy
Dimensional Stencils 99
Ann Ruel
Wax Resist Inlay 102
Sumi von Dassow

vi
5 Screening
Building a Silkscreen 105
Paul Andrew Wandless
Using Photocopy Film Negatives 111
Paul Andrew Wandless
Ultraviolet Light-Sensitive Emulsion Screens 114
Paul Andrew Wandless
Silkscreen Printing on Wet Clay 117
Brad Menninga
Thermal Screen Printing 121
Alice Drew
Screening Multi-Color Images on Clay 127
Paul Andrew Wandless
Image Transfer for Volumetric Forms 132
Forrest Lesch-Middelton

vii
 Preface
Clay has a history of being combined with, and included in, other creative practices, such as printmaking,
drawing and photography. Clay and print have an especially unique relationship due to their natural com-
patibility. Utilizing printmaking techniques with underglaze, slip, and glaze to address clay surfaces allows
one to take advantage of the best of both mediums. Image transfer onto clay is a great way to explore
and experiment with different mediums and see what exciting possibilities can be visually incorporated
in your clay work. Having the ability to transfer an image, design, or text gives you the ability to take full
advantage of your creative ideas.
Over the years, several informative articles have appeared in Ceramics Monthly and Pottery Making Il-
lustrated addressing clay and image transfer. A wide variety of methods have been covered to address the
surfaces of greenware, bisqueware and glazeware with printing and transfer techniques. This book is a
collection of information curated from these past articles, along with a few new ones written specifically
to be included in this book. Most of the processes covered are water-based and safe to use in your studio,
which makes it user friendly for everyone to try. Along with process information, there are also tips and
instructions on how to make some of the printing tools to help you customize your work even more.
Appliqué and paper transfers are a great introduction to transferring images if you’re new to this way of
working. All you need is newsprint and underglaze to get started. Patterns and designs can be created on
newsprint with both underglaze and slip, then transferred to greenware to create new and dynamic sur-
faces. This can be done on flat slabs for handbuilding purposes or directly onto the curved walls of vessels.
Decals have been a popular choice for artists to add photographic images, designs and text to clay for
decades. A variety of decal options are covered, which address different visual effects that can be created
on work. Non-fired decals are a great choice to add images, but not add another firing. Laser toner decals
are a good choice for sepia-toned images that have a more subtle visual impact. Commercial decals, die-
cut decals and layering decals to make a complex collage are more options to explore, if you’re interested
in further personalization.
Relief and embossing are image transfer techniques that allow imagery to be printed or impressed into
clay. Relief in the forms of linocuts and photosensitive polymer plates are used to print and emboss on
clay. Your ideas can be carved into linoleum and photographic images can be burned into photopoly-
mer plates. For simpler ideas, rubber stamps can be used to create small reliefs to decorate greenware or
bisqueware.
Glaze etching and light sensitive emulsions can be used to work on glazed surfaces and bisqueware.
Work that’s already glaze fired can have patterns and designs etched into the glaze surface. The matte,
etched areas contrast nicely with the glossy, un-etched areas. Photographic images can be projected onto
bisqueware that’s been coated with light sensitive emulsion. The emulsion hardens and leaves an image
behind that can be fired. These two techniques produce unique results and are readily available as com-
mon art supplies.
While stencils seem like a fairly simple tool, they can be used to make very complex images. They can be
used on greenware, bisqueware and glazeware. You can go from cutting silhouettes for simple, single-color
images, to combining multiple stencils to create a complex, multi-color image. If hand-cut stencils are not

viii
for you, you can have them commercially made. Information to have die-cut stencils is covered so you’ll
know how to prepare the image files for best results. Friskets are another variation of masking technique
you can employ directly to the surface of your work.
Screen printing is the natural evolution of stencils to use images with greater detail. This certainly is one
of the most widespread and popular image transfer technique used by artists. Instructions of how to build
your own screen for printing, will allow you to build custom screens that are best suited for your ideas.
All you will need are common hand tools and a few supplies from an art store. Photocopy film negatives
are a cost-effective way to make custom images to burn into screens using diazo-sensitive emulsion. This
saves the trouble of making transparencies or darkroom film negatives. If you want to work without a
darkroom to burn screens, UV sensitive emulsion screens are covered. The unmounted screens give you
the option to print on flat or curved surface and can be used on greenware, bisqueware and glazeware. A
variety of screening techniques are introduced to screen single color images, multi-color images and even
screening on vessel forms.
This collection of clay and printmaking techniques has something for everyone, regardless of your level
of experience. There are several easy-to-follow processes for someone just wanting to experiment with
clay and printing for the first time. There are also several processes for someone looking to expand their
current skill set or learn new variations for screens, relief, paper transfers and decals. Then there are some
technical articles for those who like to make their own tools and equipment. Regardless of where you fall
in this spectrum, there will be something to try and hopefully make that image, pattern or design you
always wanted to, but weren’t quite sure how to do.

Paul Andrew Wandless

ix
1
Image Transfer & Application
NEWSPRINT SLIP TRANSFERS
by Jason Bige Burnett
Too Much Television, uses newsprint and slip decoration combined with incised decoration, decals, luster, and glaze,
creating dimensional surfaces that also pop with color.
My childhood interest in television cartoons in-
fluenced my current ceramic forms and surfaces.
The bright colors, graphic patterns, and illustra-
tive qualities recapture and celebrate my fascina-
tion with whimsical domestic representation. I’m
inspired by the stylized hand-drawn utilitarian
objects like a coffee mug in a cartoon character’s
hand or the mixing bowl displayed on the shelf in
their kitchen.
The combination of commercial stained slips
and newsprint is a paper transfer process. By ap-
plying slips saturated with bold colors onto news-
print, then transferring the drawn images to a
slipped clay object, I can achieve an animated
surface. Playtime doesn’t end there; I continue by
introducing stamps, stains, and stickers to further
enhance the ceramic surface until the desired ef-
fect is fully achieved.
Creating Newsprint Transfers
This newspaper transfer process mirrors the tra-
ditional monoprint process. Instead of drawing
Swirls and Stripes, 101/4 in. (26 cm) in diameter, earthenware, slip, underglaze,
glaze, laser-toner decals, commercial decals, and gold luster.
on a metal plate and transferring the image to
paper, I’m drawing on newspaper then transfer-
ring directly to clay. As with all monoprints, keep
in mind that the image you create will be reversed.
Text must be backwards and layers of color must
be applied foreground to background (figure 1).
Whether it be stripes, shapes, illustrations, or a
color field, start with an idea of how you would
like to approach the surfaces of your piece before
you start.
Apply your pattern or drawing to strips or
blocks of newsprint, varying the colors of slip us-
ing brushes, slip trailers, and sponge stamps. Use
caution as the paper causes the slip to dry; and
if it dries too much, it may chip off. Use a spray
bottle to keep the image damp but don’t spray too
much water as it could puddle and smear the slip.
Regular newspaper works well but I prefer using
Strathmore brand Newsprint Paper available at
any art supply store. The thickness and tooth of
this paper is durable and tough enough to hold
and transfer slip.
1
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Create patterns with colored slips. Paint the fore-
ground layer first and the background last.
3. Gently apply the newsprint to the piece. Use a soft
rib to ensure contact and pierce any trapped air.
Slip it and Stick it
After you’ve completed the newsprint image, wait
for the slip to become leather hard and then ap-
ply a slip coat over the drawing. Lightly dab the
first coat of slip on (figure 2), wait for this coat
to become leather hard and then brush on a sec-
ond coat. A hair dryer assists in getting the slipped
newsprint to leather-hard. If the slip has a glossy
sheen then it’s too wet to continue.
The slip application works best on leather-hard
clay. Using a hake brush, apply a moderate coat of
slip to the surface. This layer of slip shouldn’t be
too thin or too thick and it should be the consis-
tency of heavy whipping cream. This slip coat cre-
ates a tactile surface perfect for pressing newsprint
into and absorbs transferred slip and imagery well.
When the slip-coated clay piece and the slip
2
2. When leather-hard, blot and brush on the back-
ground slip, which also serves as a transfer coat.
4. When the slip has had time to absorb and the news-
print has lost a lot of its moisture, slowly peel it away.
decoration on the newsprint are both at leather
hard, you are ready to print. There is a narrow
window of time here where the surface of your
piece and the newspaper are perfect for applica-
tion. If one or the other is too wet when applied,
the result could be sloppy and undesirable. If the
image and object are too dry, then this affects the
quality of adhesion. When the slip on the object is
soft but not tacky and all the slip on the paper has
lost its sheen, you’re ready to transfer the image.
Carefully pick up your piece of newsprint and
slowly bring it toward the object. You’ll see the im-
age through the newsprint and that assists with
placement. Once any part of the newsprint trans-
fer touches the object, gently press the rest of the
newsprint onto the surface (figure 3). Note that
air pockets result on curved surfaces. These are
 Image Transfer & Application
5. Apply damp newsprint strips and press down all edges
to prevent the second slip coat from seeping underneath.
7. Create more of a tactile surface by applying another
layer of thick slip onto a fresh piece of newsprint and
wrapping it around the object.
addressed later. Gently press the transfer onto the
surface with your hands, working over the general
area. The trapped air pockets can be removed by
piercing them with a needle tool or a small X-Acto
blade. If the air pockets are not taken care of, they
can cause defects or misprinting of the transfer.
Now that the newsprint has been applied to the
object, there’s a layer of moisture trapped between
the object and the paper. Within the first minute or
two the clay object begins absorbing that moisture.
Using a soft rib, press the newsprint down, ap-
plying more pressure than before. Between thirty
seconds and two minutes is about the time when
you’ll notice the newsprint drying out again. Take
a slightly harder rib and, with more force than
before, rub the newsprint one last time into the
clay. Rubbing too hard could smudge the slip un-
6. Brush additional slip coats of any colors you wish
over both the first layer and the damp newsprint strips.
8. After allowing the slip to absorb into the surface
for a minute or two, peel away the newsprint again to
reveal the varied, textured surfaces.
derneath or tear through the paper. Practice and
experience with this method is the best way to find
your limits.
Grab a corner or take the edge of the newsprint
and slowly begin to peel away (figure 4). It’s im-
portant to do this slowly so you’ll catch the spots
that did not adhere to the surface. Just place it
back down gently and massage the spot down
into the surface with the medium-soft rib. Repeat
if necessary. Not addressing the spots creates po-
tential reservoirs for stain and glazes later. Now
that your image is transferred, handle the piece
carefully. Applying slip onto leather-hard clay will
make the clay soft and malleable again. I suggest
waiting until your piece becomes firm and the slip
isn’t sticky to the touch before applying anything
else to the surface.
3
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
9. Mark the surface with stamps, rollers and carving
tools, creating new patterns and echoing the lines of
the form or of the colored bands.
11. After the work has been bisqued, apply underglaze
or stain over the object and wipe away to accentuate
the process marks.
Additional Decorations
If you want a contrasting decoration in an adjoin-
ing area, apply another coat of slip to the leath-
er-hard clay. This time, try cutting out stripes or
shapes of plain newsprint, spritz with water un-
til slightly damp, and lay them over the slip coat
to act as a stencil resist (figure 5). Brush over the
piece with another slip, again any color works, and
let sit until the slip firms up (figure 6).
On top of the slip and strip layer, I also like creat-
ing built up textures of slip. Brush a moderate coat
of slip onto a wide strip of newsprint and vary the
thickness of application. Once leather hard, place
the wide strip over the slip-coated object with the
newsprint stripes still in place (figure 7). Be more
4
10. Take advantage of the piece being leather hard and
carve away some larger areas of the slip, revealing the
contrasting color of the clay.
12. Apply soda ash wash, wax resist, and glazes to
desired surfaces. This is the time to plan for a final layer
of decals and lusters.
relaxed with this and just gently pat down the strip.
Give it a variation of rubs and pressings, then peel
away and notice the loose quality and nature of the
slipped surface (figure 8). Any sharp edges of slip
should be tapped down or pressed in with your fin-
gers. After this surface has been bisqued, stains and
washes enhance the loose look, suggesting surfaces
such as torn wallpaper or chipped paint.
Next, carefully peel the stripes away. If locating
the paper and peeling it away is difficult, lightly heat
the surface with a blow dryer until the slip above
the newsprint becomes noticeably different in color
and dryness. Now the paper can be removed with
the aid of a needle tool or an X-Acto blade.
 Image Transfer & Application
Stamp It Out
Since the object is still leather hard after the news-
print and resist techniques, more adornment may
be applied. You can create additional marks using
stamps, etched lines, and texture rollers (figure 9).
Larger areas of slip can also be carved away and
create more surface depth (figure 10).
Layering After the Bisque
Staining the work with an underglaze creates more
depth and enhances the process marks and inden-
tations previously made on the surface. Coat the
entire piece with one or two layers of underglaze, let
dry, and sponge it away from the high points leav-
ing it in the recesses (figure 11). I use a black un-
derglaze to give my work a distressed look. Let the
underglaze dry prior to applying wash and glazes.
Since the whole object will not be covered in
glaze, some areas will remain matte. If the matte
surfaces remain untreated, they come out looking
chalky and dry. To prevent this, apply a soda ash
Circus Stars and Stripes, 7
inches in height, earth-
enware, slip, underglaze,
glaze, iron-toner decals,
and gold luster.
wash over the piece in two generous brush coats.
To make the soda ash wash, combine 57 grams of
soda ash to 1 cup of heated water and stir to dis-
solve the ingredients. Allow the piece to dry again.
The soda ash wash will cause the matte surfaces to
retain a moist and saturated look. I fire the stains,
glazes, and soda ash wash together to cone 05–04,
and then do a second firing of the iron toner decals
(see page 39) to cone 08. Finally, I do a third firing
of  gold luster and commercial decals together to
cone 017. I’ve fired the soda ash wash up to cone 2
but not past that.
I use a variety of shop-made and commercial
glazes. For many, glazing is the last and final step,
but I find glaze firing is only an intermediate step
when pushing surfaces even further. When glazing,
try setting up areas for decals and lusters by selec-
tively applying the glaze (figure 12). Remember,
decals and lusters reflect the surface below them
and work best when applied to a shiny surface.
5
 Image Transfer & Application
INK TRANSFERS FOR GREENWARE
by Doug Gray
Years ago, in an attempt to incorporate digital
photography into my clay work, I began experi-
menting with image transfer processes. I began
working with Xerox transfers and decals with
some degree of success. But one day I accidentally
stumbled across a water-based process so simple
and direct that it’s become the single-most-used
method for most of my current transfer work. Un-
like other processes involving a laser printer, Xe-
rox machine, and/or chemical solvents, this water-
based process can be done with an ink-jet printer
or any water-based media. Consequently it’s nose,
skin, and, yes, even kid friendly.
The process used here works best on soft clay
and can be applied to any handbuilt or thrown
clay surface provided the clay is reasonably soft. In
6
Dream of the White Koi, 15
inches in length, ink transfer on
white stoneware, engraved, wax
resist, glazed and raku fired.
the wet state, there’s enough water present in the
clay for the transfer to readily occur. No water or
solvents are needed. The same process can be used
to apply imagery to leather hard and even bisque-
ware. However, with the diminished water content
of drier clay, you’ll need to add additional water to
make the transfer work successfully. We will only
discuss transfers on soft clay here.
You can create computer-generated imagery
with a digital camera and software such as Adobe
Photoshop. The key is to print your images with
a water-based ink, such as that used in most in-
expensive ink-jet printers. When developing im-
ages for ink transfers on clay, the cheaper the bet-
ter. You don’t need an expensive printer and you
definitely don’t want archival ink and paper. I use
 Image Transfer & Application
1. A freshly rolled slab and a print.
3. Rub paper into the surface.
regular ink cartridges, all-purpose or copier paper,
and an inexpensive ink-jet printer. If you prefer to
work without a computer see figure 15.
The two main advantages to using this process
are that the image is water based and can be easily
removed with a damp sponge and repositioned, or
you can just burn it off in the bisque firing if you
don’t like it. Second, any surface design technique
works in combination with this transfer process—
carving, slip trailing, water etching, underglazes,
terra sigillata, glazes, etc.
One significant pitfall is that the ink can’t with-
stand the heat of firing, so this technique is basi-
cally just a design transfer. This is where the other
surface design processes come into play. In this
example, I used a sgraffito process but you don’t
need to change the way you work. Try the surface
2. Lay the image face down.
4. Peel the paper back.
design process you currently use and enjoy. Each
tool and medium lends its own characteristics to
the imagery so pick techniques appropriate for the
style of work you do.
I like the way the imagery integrates itself so
well into the surface of the clay. It’s part of the
glaze and doesn’t float on top of the glaze like a de-
cal. Plus, when you develop imagery while the clay
is wet, at the leather hard stage, and at the bisque
stage, the result is a very rich and deeply layered
surface indeed.
Preparation
Begin with a freshly rolled slab and a print from an
ink-jet printer. The digital photograph used here
has been altered in Photoshop, reducing the im-
age to basic black and white line and shape. Use
non-archival ink and multipurpose paper in your
7
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
5. Manipulate or trim the clay.
7. Allow slab to dry.
printer to assure that the ink will bleed when wet
(figure 1). Lay the image face down so that the
ink comes in contact with the moist slab (figure
2). Soft slabs have a very high moisture content so
no additional water is needed, but too much water
can be a problem. Experiment to find the opti-
mum water to clay ratio.
Transfer
Rub the paper into the surface of the slab (figure
3) to eliminate any air pockets that might prevent
the moist clay from coming in contact with the
printed image. Allow the print to remain in con-
tact with the slab for 30–60 seconds until the ink
bleeds onto the clay surface. Peel back a corner to
see if the ink has transferred (figure 4). If so, peel
the paper up entirely from the slab of clay. If not,
let it sit a few seconds more. Note: If you can’t get
8
6. Finish the edges of the slab.
8. Tools for carving and sgraffito.
the ink to transfer onto the wet clay, check the type
of ink and paper. High-end, archival products that
are designed not to fade or bleed and laser prints
and Xeroxes don’t work for this process.
Setting Up
Manipulate the clay while it is still soft and pliable.
If making a tile, trim it to size (figure 5). Tip: Place
the straight edge over your image as you cut, so
if your hand slips, you won’t cut into your image.
Place a thin sheet of plastic over the slab and rub
the edges gently with your finger to produce a con-
sistent rolled edge without marring the image (fig-
ure 6). If you prefer to allow the slab to dry slightly,
place it on a piece of drywall and cover with plastic
(figure 7). Moisture will condense on the plastic
and blur your image so prop the plastic on stilts
to keep it from coming in contact with the surface.
 Image Transfer & Application

Finishing
You can easily carve the surface at the leather-hard
stage. I use a triangular shaped tool from a mini
ribbon set for most marks and a tungsten carbide-
tipped sgraffito tool for fine details (figure 8). Vary-
ing the depth of the cut with the small pointed tip
produces thicker and thinner lines (figure 9). The
sgraffito tool works well for detail work. After carv-
ing, use a damp sponge to wipe the surface (figure
10). This softens the edges and removes the ink so
you can get a good view of your image.

Applying Color 9. Carve lines following the design.

I prefer to apply commercial underglazes after
bisque firing because at this stage, the image is es-
sentially a contour drawing similar to a coloring
book. (Make sure you test any glazes or under-
glazes you use.) Apply underglazes one color at a
time beginning with the lightest colors (figure 11)
since you can cover mistakes with darker colors.
Bisque fire to fuse colors to the surface. You can
fire the tile between each application of color, or in
this case, I applied three colors at one time before
firing. After bisque firing, apply a black underglaze
to the entire surface filling all the lines (figure 12)
and wipe off excess with a sponge (figure 13).
After applying wax resist to any areas to remain
10. Damp sponge the form.
unglazed, I used a clear crackle raku glaze on the
face and all areas previously coated with under-
glaze (figure 14). Because I’m using a white stone-
ware clay body the face fires out relatively white.
The final portrait tile maintains the expression of
the original photograph, and the image is well in-
tegrated into the clay surface and glaze.
If you choose not to use digital images, consider
using water-soluble magic markers, watercolor
pencils, or even gel pens as an alternative. Place
a sheet of tracing paper over the original image
or pattern and trace major contours, lines, and
shapes, with any water-based medium of your
choice. Lay your tracing face down on the wet slab
to transfer the image (figure 15). 11. Begin decorating with light colors.

9
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

12. Apply black underglaze. 13. Wipe off excess underglaze.

14. After applying wax resist to any areas to remain 15. If not using digital images, use water-soluble magic
unglazed, I use a clear crackle raku glaze. markers, watercolor pencils, or gel pens as an alternative.

Cherry Bomb, 10 inches in

length, ink transfer on
white stoneware, raku fired.

10
Image Transfer & Application
UNDERGLAZE TRANSFER PAPER
by Jessica Knapp
Graffito Paper comes in six colors and is used to transfer drawings or patterns to bisqueware. For those of us who don’t
like to draw freehand on our pots, but want to add underglaze surface decoration, this is a great solution.
If you’ve ever wanted to transfer designs or trace
patterns onto a surface, help is here. Graffito Pa-
per, made by Minnesota Clay Company, is the clay
world equivalent of carbon paper, and can be used
to transfer patterns, photocopies, or drawings to
bisqueware using underglaze as ink.
It’s essentially a 9-inch square paper substrate
embedded with one of six underglaze colors:
black, green, blue, teal, brown, and rose. All of the
colors except rose have a firing range of cone 06–8.
The rose color can only be fired to cone 06 as it
burns out at higher temperatures.
1. Attach the Graffito Paper to the back of your pattern
or image using painters tape.
The underglaze mixture applied to the sheets
also contains wax, which helps bind it to the pa-
per and to bisqueware. The sheets are flexible, and
can be used on curved surfaces as well as flat tiles
or plates. Like applying any other paper pattern
to a clay vessel, there are limits to the flexibility
and coverage over a round surface, so, depending
on your form, it may be necessary to trim or dart
the Graffito Paper or apply the pattern in sections.
Experiment with cutting plain paper to fit your
forms first before trimming your image and the
Graffito Paper to size.
2. Once the image is in place, extend the registration
marks from the paper to the piece.
11
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
3. Lift only one edge of the paper up and peel it away
slowly so the drawing transfers properly to the piece.
5. Transferred image after a bisque-set firing on the
left, and after a glaze firing on the right.
Process
Cut your selected pattern to size and make regis-
tration marks on it that extend to the edge of the
paper. Attach the Graffito Paper to the back of
your pattern using painters tape, which adheres
well and is easier to remove without leaving resi-
due or damaging your pattern (figure 1). Either
side of the Graffito Paper transfers the under-
glaze, but the darker side laid against the piece
seemed more saturated with the color.
Next, lay the pattern over the bisqued piece and
secure it with tape. Once the image is in place, ex-
tend the registration marks from the paper to the
piece (see figure 2). Using a slightly dull pencil or
ballpoint pen or the larger ball end of a sgraffito
tool, trace over your pattern, pressing firmly. Using
the pencil or pen gives you the benefit of knowing
12
4. Use a sharp tool to remove any excess underglaze.
where you left off with a line, while a sgraffito tool
keeps the original image legible longer allowing
for more tracings from the same pattern. Be care-
ful to keep the sgraffito tool in constant contact
with the piece while you work, so as not to miss
an area.
Finish tracing the drawing before removing the
paper. If you need to peek, lift up only one edge of
the paper and peel it away slowly so the drawing
transfers properly to the piece (figure 3). Lay the
paper back down carefully, smoothing any creases.
When transferred, the image may need some
clean up where extra underglaze has pulled away
from the transfer paper. Use a sharp tool to re-
move any excess (figure 4).
When finished, fire the bisqued piece to 500°F
to burn off the wax and set the transferred design.
If you can’t do this type of firing, the piece can
also be fired to bisque temperature again to set the
underglaze pattern. Figure 5 shows the transferred
image after a bisque-set firing on the left, and after
a glaze firing on the right. Note: If you glaze the
piece without first firing the piece to set the under-
glaze, the image area will resist the glaze.
When glazing, any application method that
you normally use with underglazes will work
with the Graffito Paper transfer. Just be sure to
use either a clear or transparent glaze, otherwise
your image will be obscured by the glaze once the
piece is fired.
Image Transfer & Application
PROJECTING PATTERNS
by Shana Salaff
Wheel-thrown and altered cup with incised elements
of a William Morris wallpaper pattern layered with a
diamond pattern.
Patterns have embellished ceramic objects since
our Neolithic past. Early clay vessels often imitated
woven baskets. Our fascination with pattern and
decoration dates back even further. We take plea-
sure from our environment when it’s enhanced
with decoration. Pattern divides a visual surface
into regular intervals with the repetition of indi-
vidual elements. While these elements can be any-
thing, the organizing principle of repetition brings
unity to the design.
There is a difference between a pattern created
to fit a specific form (such as around the rim of a
plate) and pattern used as a surface decoration on
a form more like paint on canvas. Both can be used
as a framework and vehicle for self-expression.
Transferring a Pattern
I copy patterns onto acetate and project them onto
my work with an old overhead projector. I first
Wheel-thrown and altered cup with a carved and
glazed lotus pattern over a glazed diamond pattern.
started using one because I mistrusted my ability
to draw freehand. Now, using a projector allows
me to concentrate on line quality and spacing be-
cause I don’t have to worry about getting it right.
For a pattern from a book, this involves scanning
the page onto my computer, sizing it, tiling it (cre-
ating a repeating pattern), then printing it onto
transparency film (use the kind appropriate for
your printer or have it done for you at an office
supply store). Another option is to trace onto ac-
etate directly from a visual source such as a print-
ed textile. You might have to scan this in order to
shrink the image for projection. You can find old
overhead projectors in thrift shops or online: look
for ones that contain working bulbs, as these are
the most expensive items to replace. Projectors
that connect directly to a computer also work but
are more expensive.
13
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Alter a cylinder to create different sections (either
vertical or horizontal) to start to organize your design.
2. Project a pattern onto the cup, arrange the composi-
tion, and carve or trace around the projected edges.
3. Apply underglaze or glaze with a slip trailer or a
brush using the projected image as a guide.
14
Developing a Personal Vocabulary
Give yourself the following assignment for devel-
oping a personal vocabulary with pattern: Experi-
ment with a few patterns and a large number of
materials. Create a large number of simple tum-
bler shapes—they make simple canvases to work
with—that need little or no trimming, or that can
be easily handbuilt. Alter into thirds or square off
the form if you like (figure 1). Choose or create
two or three patterns to play with. Assemble all
your decorating equipment and materials and get
ready to play with variations. Commit to making
each surface different.
Use an X-Acto knife to carve patterns onto about
one-third to one-half of your cups (figure 2). Ex-
periment with different portions of the pattern,
proportions of the surface, and any other variable
that you can think of. Use the uncarved cups for
underglaze application before or after bisque, as
well as glaze application (figure 3). Try every com-
bination of materials you have access to, as well as
every decorating technique you can think of: sgraf-
fito, underglaze- or glaze-trailing, brushing, waxing
and wiping away, inlaying slip or underglaze into
carved surfaces when leather hard or over bisque,
adding layers of glaze, glaze pencil, or overglaze.
Invent your own techniques, and play with color,
texture, value, type of line, etc. Layer techniques
and, whenever possible, contrast one pattern with
another (figure 4). Experiment with ways to work
with the negative space around the pattern as much
as the pattern itself (figures 5 and 6).
 Image Transfer & Application

Investigating Further
Other ideas for making your own pattern are to go
out and draw trees or flowers, walk around your
neighborhood, find decoration you love, look in
your closet for patterned fabric, photograph it,
tile it on your computer, etc. If you’re like me, ob-
sessed with historical patterns and wallpaper, find
copyright-free examples. Ask yourself: how do you
want to use pattern? Where do you find, or how
do you create, your pattern? How do you want to
make your work special? Playing with the answers
to these questions will help you create your own
voice when using pattern in your work.
4. Brush on glaze to create a second pattern. Use a
Great resources for pattern ideas include Owen resist on the first pattern to keep the glazes separate.
Jones’ texts The Grammar of Ornament, and The
Complete “Chinese Ornament.” In these, Jones il-
lustrates precise and beautifully rendered examples
of ornament and pattern from around the world
and across centuries. Jones was one of the mid-19th
century thinkers who participated in the intense
cataloguing of both the natural and human world
in the search for underlying theories and rules.
I prefer to ignore strict pronouncements about
what is “correct” or even “best” and proceed on the
basis of intuition. Use your intuition to guide you
toward self-expression. Ultimately, this will grow
out of continued exploration into what moves you
as a person as well as an artist.
5. Cloud pattern created using glaze where the nega-
tive space becomes an active part of the composition.

6. The same cloud pattern, carved into the surface,

glazed, then overlaid onto a diamond pattern.

15
 Image Transfer & Application
MONOPRINTING AND TONER-RESIST TRANSFERS
by Martina Lantin
Cups that combine monoprinting, toner-resist transfer, wax-resist glazing, and glaze trailing on thrown and altered
forms. The surfaces have a rich, layered, and weathered appearance that encourages a closer look.
Two direct and low-tech methods that inspire me
are monoprinting and toner-resist transfer. There
are some points to keep in mind that will apply
to both of the techniques. While I use these tech-
niques with slips formulated for earthenware, the
methods are transferable across clay and firing
types. Similarly, the images included here show
the techniques executed on a flat tile surface.
Both the toner resist and monoprint adapt well
to three-dimensional forms. In each case, the suc-
cess of the print depends in part on the moisture
content of the clay being printed upon, though
it can be a challenge working on large-scale or
very volumetric forms. Ideally, the piece will be
at a soft-leather-hard consistency. For forms with
large curved sections, darting may be required to
get the pattern to fit the shape.
16
Monoprinting
Monoprinting—where an image is created on
one surface, and then transferred to another—is
likely the most direct print method I employ. I
prefer to use clean newsprint to generate my im-
age, though printed newsprint will also work.
The clean newsprint allows me the space to draw
the image or pattern first in pencil or permanent
marker. If applying the print to a more complex
form, I make a pattern of the form—cutting the
paper to shape with darts to allow for the curva-
tures of the piece.
The outline, drawn here using a Chinese brush
and commercial black underglaze (figure 1), is
the first layer. Images need to be built up in re-
verse, since the elements drawn onto the paper
initially will be topmost in the printed image.
 Image Transfer & Application
1. When creating a monoprint on newsprint, draw or
paint the top or outline layer first using underglaze and
a thin brush.
3. Apply a backing layer of white slip using a soft, wide
brush. This slip will be visible as a background layer in
all white or patterned areas.
The outline is then filled in with colored slips.
This layer can also be scratched away or eroded
(figure 2) to allow the backing layer of the white
slip to be brought forward. I apply the white slip
last, covering the entire image (figure 3). In addi-
tion to creating a bright background, the layer of
white slip also helps to ensure a complete transfer
of the image. The prepared print is applied to the
surface of the piece, working from one edge to
the other to avoid air bubbles. Use fingers or a
soft rib to compress the paper, being careful not
to shift or tear the page (figure 4).
Once the paper dries—evidenced by the
change in color, pull it away, revealing the image
underneath (figure 5). If any parts of the print
have failed to transfer, the paper may be carefully
2. Apply additional layers of colored slip to define dif-
ferent sections of the image, then scratch through to
create patterned areas.
4. After applying the slip, place the paper image-side
down, and use a rubber rib to compress the paper
against the clay to ensure a cleaner transfer of the image.
lowered and compressed once more. While I’m
interested in the incomplete transfer possible
with this technique, and don’t mind the blank
spaces, it can also create a sharp and complete
image. This method is flexible, because it allows
underglaze, slips, and stains to be intimately
combined with one another.
Toner-Resist Transfers
The toner-resist transfer technique requires
more preparation, but is similarly flexible. The
method depends on the water-resistant prop-
erty of the toner (rather than the toner’s iron
content as in decal printing). It’s best to experi-
ment with laser printers or copiers available to
determine which may work best. Line draw-
17
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
5. Once the paper dries (the colors change as it
dries), pull it away from the clay, revealing the trans-
ferred image.
7. Paint the frit and stain mixture onto the white areas
of your laser-printed image. Clean any stray drops with
a sponge.
ings or patterns with equal amounts of figure
and ground are suited to this technique. Using
high-contrast images with minimal large open
spaces ensures that the black areas resist the ap-
plication of pigment and the printed spaces are
consistent in their color application.
The image can be generated through the use of
copyright-free imagery, or drawings made either
on paper or digitally. Many copiers have the capac-
ity to color reverse the image (making what is the
black-on-white line drawing into a white-on-black
image). When working with text, letters need to be
mirrored in the original as the print process will
be the reverse making the text readable.
This technique is flexible, working well with
slips, commercial underglazes, and colorant/frit
18
6. Add water to the frit and Mason stain mixture until
it’s a consistency that’s repelled well by the toner spaces
on the image.
8. Apply the image to clay once the sheen disappears.
Compress the back, then once the paper dries, peel
it off.
mixtures. I use a mixture of two parts Mason
stain to one part Ferro Frit 3124. I like the di-
rect control over color that my own stain mixture
provides. Water is slowly added while blending
the components together with a brush or pal-
ette knife (figure 6). The mixture may need to
be adjusted to get the right consistency that’s re-
pelled well by the toner spaces of the image. An
additional variable is the pressure on the brush.
Working quickly and directly can be the most ef-
ficient form of application.
Loading the brush with pigment, the lines of
the motif are traced, reloading as needed (figure
7). The resistant properties of the toner will push
the pigment away from the black areas of the im-
age, allowing a freer hand. Any stray drops can be
 Image Transfer & Application
9. If desired, apply a backing slip over the paper
pattern before applying it to the clay. This creates a
varied background.
11. After the bisque firing, apply glazes to accentuate
the pattern. Here the glaze is applied to fill between
the lines.
picked up with a sponge or dry brush. Once the
sheen has left the page, the print is applied to the
piece and compressed from the center outward,
or from one side to the other to avoid air bubbles.
Using a soft rib, the paper may be further com-
pressed to ensure transfer. Should the clay be on
the drier side, the back of the page can be damp-
ened with a sponge and compressed again. The
paper is pulled up once it has dried (figure 8). It
can be reapplied and recompressed if the image
didn’t transfer completely.
The versatility of this method lies in its ability
to repeat an image using multiple copies, to ex-
ecute fine lines, and be applied to a three-dimen-
sional surface. In addition, with a quick hand, the
page can be backed with a contrasting colored
10. After applying the slip, place the image onto the tile,
compress, and peel the paper away. Note the image’s
added depth.
12. You can add additional layers over the pattern to
the bisque-fired and glazed form by trailing accent
glaze lines.
slip (figures 9–10). The two techniques detailed
here may also work in concert on the same piece.
Glazing
In glazing on top of existing slip decoration, I
seek to continue building visible layers by add-
ing a variety of colored glazes. Glazes are often
applied to fill between the lines of the underlayer
(figures 11 and 12), then covered in wax, so that
the colors resist any additional glazes and main-
tain their integrity in the firing. Once the wax
resist dries, I either pour a glaze over the tile, or
for cups and larger forms, dip the form in glaze.
When glazing cups, I hold them with one finger
on the rim, and my thumb on the foot, then dunk
the cup in at an angle, rim-side down.
19
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

Tiles showing three different techniques, from left to right: underglaze toner resist without a backing slip, toner resist
with a white backing slip and added glaze accents, and toner resist with backing slip and wax-resist glaze patterning.

Wheel-thrown and altered platter with layers of pattern created using both monoprinting and toner-resist techniques.

20
Image Transfer & Application
PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY TRANSFERS
by Kristina Bogdanov
Lisa Dorazewski’s Endangered Species, 4 inches in height each, porcelain Polaroids with photo transfer printed im-
ages, fired to cone 6.
Clay is one of the most receptive materials and
its ability to record even the delicate pattern of
a fingerprint has been the biggest motivation in
my work. Although I focused on sculpture and
pottery as an undergraduate, I fell in love with
printmaking while in graduate school. Wanting to
combine two-dimensional media with my three-
dimensional work, printing on clay seemed a nat-
ural starting point, since clay can pick up almost
any texture. Moving forward, I began layering im-
ages, working with photo transfer techniques on
clay work that would survive cone 6 firings. The
resulting technique is closely related to traditional
lithography.
Lithography Old & New
Lithography, which literally means “writing on
stone,” makes use of the fact that grease and wa-
ter do not mix. Invented as a lucky accident in
1796 by Alois Senefelder who wanted to switch
from printing from expensive copper plates, the
technique consists of drawing with a grease pen
or other water-repellent material on a porous
limestone block. The drawn on areas accept an
oil-based ink while the bare stone does not. Don
Santos was the first ceramist to recognize that a
photocopy behaves like a greased lithography
stone. He developed this printing process, known
as “viscosity transfer.”
Tools
All of the supplies you will need to do this process
can be found online or at art stores—many can be
found at craft and hobby stores. The tools you’ll
need include:
■■ Brayer: a hand roller used to spread the ink
out into a thin layer on the glass and apply it
to your image.
■■ Photocopied image with high contrast or an
image altered in Photoshop using half-tone
dots to create gray areas.
■■ Spatula, scraper or putty knife for mixing the
ink and applying it to the glass.
■■ Mason stains or metallic oxides containing co-
balt or chrome for use as colorants.
■■ Gum arabic to hold paper in place and to remove
21
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Coat a clean glass surface with a small amount of
gum arabic.
3. Place the photocopy on the glass. Spread gum arabic
onto the image.
excess ink from white areas of the photocopy.
■■ Linseed oil for mixing ceramic ink.
■■ Small sponge for wetting paper and cleaning
off excess ink.
■■ Medium-sized metal bowl for water/gum ara-
bic solution.
■■ 12×14 or larger piece of tempered glass or similar
glass surface for mixing and spreading the ink.
■■ Printer: Using a Xerox image, gum arabic and
inks made from linseed oil and Mason stains,
you can mimic the lithographic process on clay.
When the image passes through a photocopier,
a heat process burns the image onto the paper
with a thin layer of plastic material, fixing the
image to the paper, and making it nonporous.
This nonporous area repels water, but attracts
22
2. Spread enough gum arabic onto the glass to cover
the back of the paper.
4. Put several drops of ink onto the glass surface.
oil-based inks while the bare paper does not.
Note: Images from ink-jet printers won’t work
for this process, since most of the inks in these
printers do not repel water. If you don’t have a
photocopier, try your local office supply store.
Ink
The key to successful viscosity transfers depends
on mixing the correct ceramic ink; the chemical
make-up of the Mason stains you use determines
whether the process will work or not. For example,
when helping a student, the first ink we tested used
Mason stain 6650 Black and the test failed. We
tried this black ink several times, altering the pho-
tocopied image, testing very moist, fairly moist,
leather-hard and bone-dry slabs, altering the ratio
of Mason stain and linseed oil, but it simply didn’t
 Image Transfer & Application
5. Use a brayer to spread the ink into a thick layer onto
the glass.
7. Squeeze some water and gum arabic solution onto
the photocopy.
work. Finally, at the point of complete disappoint-
ment, I decided to try a different stain, Royal Blue,
and it turned out to be our “lucky accident.” The
first run with this stain printed perfectly.
What happened? MS 6650 is a cobalt-free black,
while MS 6339 Royal Blue contains cobalt. So far,
all the stains that contain cobalt and chrome, in-
cluding MS 6339 Royal Blue, MS 6537 Mouse Gray
and MS 6109 Deep Brown, work with this print-
ing process and the transferred image withstands
both cone 6 and cone 10 firings. Metallic oxides,
including manganese dioxide or iron oxide, also
make fine ink. If you want a wider color palette,
mix small test batches of ceramic ink using the
colors you want to try, and print with them on test
tiles or slabs before using them on a finished piece.
6. Ink the image with the brayer using gentle and even
pressure.
8. Clean ink from the white areas of the image and
blot excess water.
Select an Image
Getting a crisp, perfect transferred image de-
pends a lot upon the contrasts in the xeroxed im-
age. Although gray tones will print, you get the
most vibrant transfers from high contrast im-
ages. If you have a lot of gray tones that you don’t
wish to compromise by adjusting the contrast,
use Photoshop to modify the image so gray areas
are created using half-tone dots. This creates the
effect of middle tones using only black and white
dots. Create a mirror image of the source, again
using Photoshop to ensure that any text will read
as it should, rather than backwards. Once the
source is ready, photocopy it so the image will
transfer properly.
23
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
9. Carefully lift the inked photocopy from the glass.
Mix the Ink
Mix a small quantity of ceramic ink using two
parts dry stain to three parts linseed oil. Be sure
to wear gloves and a respirator whenever working
with dry materials. The consistency of the mixed
ink should be like that of acrylic paint. If you’ve
added too much oil, the ink will run off of the
spatula too fast and as you roll it, the brayer will
have an uneven, textured coat of ink.
Mix only enough ink that you can use within a
week or two. Even if you store inks in sealed con-
tainers, they tend to dry out quickly, especially
during the summer months. Once dried, ink can-
not be used or reconstituted by adding more oil.
Prepare Your Image for Printing
Once you have the image ready, coat a clean glass
surface with a bit of gum arabic (figure 1). Gently
spread gum arabic with the palm of your hand (fig-
ure 2). Don’t use too much gum arabic, as it will
cause problems when you roll the ink onto the pa-
per. Lay the Xerox copy over it, with the image side
facing up. Run your palm over the image, spreading
the rest of the gum arabic and making sure that the
paper is adhered to the glass surface correctly (fig-
ure 3). The gum arabic on the surface will keep the
ink from filling the white areas of the image.
Fill a medium-sized bowl with water and a
splash of gum arabic. This is the solution used to
wash out the excess ink that you roll on the Xerox
image in the next step.
24
10. Place the inked photocopy face down on a leather-
hard slab or vessel.
Spread the Ink
Using a spatula or scraper, scoop out some of your
pre-mixed ink and trail several drops of it onto the
glass surface (figure 4). Keep several inches between
your image and mixing area clear of ink. Spread the
ink out into an even layer on the glass by rolling the
brayer through it as you would with a roller when
applying paint to a wall (figure 5). Once the ink is
spread out, roll the brayer over the inked-up glass a
few times to evenly coat the roller surface.
Apply Ink to the Image
Apply gentle pressure when inking the photo-
copied image (figure 6). You’ll notice almost im-
mediately how the ink is sticking to the black of
the photocopy as well as to the white of the paper.
Dip a sponge into the bowl of water and gum ara-
bic solution and squeeze it out over the photocopy
(figure 7). Remove the excess water by blotting the
image with a sponge. The solution will push the
excess ink from the bare paper areas of the image
towards the inked areas or onto the surrounding
glass (figure 8). Repeat the process three to four
times by applying ink again with the brayer, then
cleaning off the excess using the water/gum arabic
solution and sponge. Washing out will not remove
the ink that adhered to the black of the photocopy,
since water and oil don’t mix. These areas will
build up a thin layer of ink each time you repeat
the process, so your final print will have even, solid
lines and blocks of color.
 Image Transfer & Application

Though prints are always monochromatic, you

can print over underglazes or slips to increase the
color range of the overall image.

Transfer the Image

The next step is to lift the inked paper and press it
onto the clay surface. Lift the paper with great care
since it’s very moist and will rip easily (figure 9).
The best printing qualities are obtained when you
print on moist to leather-hard clay. Bone-dry clay
does not absorb the image as well. If the clay is too
soft, the combination of inked and wet paper on a
moist surface will cause the image to smear. Once
11. Press down gently on the back of the paper with
you’ve placed the paper on the clay surface (figure a sponge.
10), press it down gently with a damp sponge so it
adheres to the clay (figure 11). As the paper starts
to dry, use the back of a plastic spoon to buff and
further compress the image into the clay. When
the paper is completely dry, it’s easily removed
from the clay (figures 12 and 13).

Finishing
Once your pieces are dry, bisque fire them to the
recommended temperature. Be careful not to
touch the image, even after the bisque firing, since
the stains can be smeared. Spray or dip the piece
in glaze for the best results. The image becomes
permanently fixed onto the surface only after the 12. Remove the paper when it is completely dry.
glaze or high-temperature firing.
The advantages of the photocopy lithography
process are numerous. It’s a very cheap and easy
way to transfer photographic images onto a vari-
ety of objects, from tiles to vessels to sculptures.
The image is transferred after the paper is wet and
flexible, which offers you the possibility to print
not only on flat slab surfaces but on concave and
convex surfaces as well. Since the inks are mixed
from Mason stains and applied on greenware,
it’s very integrated into the actual ceramic firing
process, and the image is durable and permanent
once the piece has been glaze fired. The process
does not use solvents, and so is a nontoxic process 13. Original photocopy and leather-hard vessel with
that does not require special ventilation. photo-transferred image.

25
 Image Transfer & Application
GRAPHITE TRANSFERS
by Judith Berk King

Candy Rain reflects the

artist’s daydreams about
candy raining down from
the sky and her studio
dreams of combining her
love of drawing and of clay.

I’ve always been fascinated by

early interpretations of the natural
world. Explorers and scientists depicted
insects, reptiles, and other creepy crawlies in
their natural habitats, hunting and devouring
their prey. While drawing these creatures, I began
to put myself in their shoes: What would I long to
snack on if it were me? How wonderful it would
be to come upon a doughnut as large as a chair,
or to have it rain gumdrops!
A split personality is sometimes hard to deal
with: What to do when half of you wants to draw
and paint, and the other half wants the immense
satisfaction of making things in clay? At some
point I had a eureka moment, and realized that I
could have it all by creating images on a clay ‘can-
vas’. Through this daydream, a collision of worlds
has developed where Candy Land meets David
Attenborough’s nature documentaries; where
the repellent encounter the delectable. Now the
utilitarian ceramic object becomes a canvas for a
unique personal fantasy world of scientific inves-
tigation and sumptuous tidbits, where everyone
gets their just desserts.
Making a Platter
My two-dimensional drawings tend to be very
precise, and I prefer white earthenware to make
the platters so the drawings remain bright and
crisp. I’ve also found that a smoother surface is
easier to draw on using underglaze pencils, so

26
 Image Transfer & Application
1. Apply a thin coat of underglaze to the bisqued plat-
ter, then wipe away as much as possible with a sponge.
using a fine grogged clay and smoothing out the
areas where you plan to draw your images prior
to drying and bisque firing works best.
To build the platter, roll a slab of clay, place it
on a hump mold and trim it to a desired shape.
Refine the seams and edges, preserving some ir-
regularities in the form and surface that add to
the character of the finished piece. Add three feet
with holes in them so that the platter can be ei-
ther displayed flat or hung on the wall. Having
three feet instead of four ensures that it won’t
wobble, and, when hung up, the third foot keeps
the platter parallel to the wall. Use a level on each
pair of feet while the platter is still upside down
on the mold to make sure the platter will sit flat
when turned right-side-up. Bisque fire the platter
to cone 04.
Prepare the bisqued platter by brushing on a
coat of a diluted underglaze (figure 1) (a light
golden underglaze is used here), then wiping off
as much as possible with a damp sponge. This ac-
centuates any texture you’ve left on the platter,
giving the final image more depth. Once thor-
oughly dry, the surface is ready for an image.
Creating and Preparing an Image
Drawing a detailed image on paper serves both as
a pattern for transfer to the bisqueware and as a
reference for the actual painting (figure 2). I cre-
ate a drawing in pencil, scan it into the computer,
and then use Photoshop to finish the work and
2. Compose a drawing for the platter. I use photographs
from nature and sketch in pencil so I can make changes.
scale it to the desired size. This step isn’t crucial
but it’s convenient. The design and color scheme
can be rearranged and altered in Photoshop to
easily compare various options. Tip: For an alter-
native low-tech option you can simply draw the
image at any scale and then resize it and try alter-
nate color options using a photocopier.
Some knowledge of Adobe Photoshop is useful
in the following steps:
■■ Scan the image. If it’s almost the right size
for the platter, use a resolution of 300 dpi. If
it’s very small, scan it at a higher dpi so you
can enlarge it and maintain detail. Open the
scanned drawing in Photoshop.
■■ Open a new file and make the canvas size
(from the Image drop down menu) slightly
larger than the platter and with a black back-
ground and 180 dpi resolution. This file will
be named the Platter Canvas. Save the file now
and several times during this process.
■■ Choose the Elliptical Marquee tool from the
tool palette on the left, set the Style on the
Options Bar to Fixed Size and then enter the
dimensions of your platter. Click on the upper
left-hand corner of your canvas and a mar-
quee circle of that size is automatically created
(see figure 3).
■■ On the Tool palette, double click the white
color swatch. Choose the Paint Bucket tool
and click inside the marquee to make the plat-
27
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

3. Place the scanned image

and change the mode to
Multiply to see the platter
shape through the drawing.

4. Size and drag the drawing

to the desired position on your
platter shape.

5. Create a new layer, change

the layer mode to Multiply
and start painting over the
drawing with the Brush tool.

6. Create a new layer and

add more to the image with
the Brush tool.

28
 Image Transfer & Application
7. Print the pattern in grayscale and check to see that it
fits your bisqued platter.
ter white. From the menu bar, choose Select,
Deselect Layers to close the marquee.
■■ Use the pointer tool to drag the scanned
drawing onto the Platter Canvas. There are
now two layers visible in the Layer palette on
the bottom left corner of the screen.
■■ With the drawing layer highlighted, choose
Multiply from the upper left-hand Layers pal-
ette drop down list indicated by the red ar-
row (figure 3). This makes the drawing layer
transparent and enables you to see your plat-
ter shape through the drawing.
■■ Select the Move tool and make sure the
Bounding Box is chosen on the tool options
bar (or Show Transform Controls, depending
on your version of Photoshop). You will see a
box with ‘handles’ around your image. Hold
down the shift key on your keyboard, grab a
corner handle (indicated by the red arrow in
figure 4), and size your image to fit your plat-
ter, repositioning it as necessary by dragging it
(figure 4). Press the Enter key when the image
is positioned.
■■ To color a drawing, create a new layer on top
of it (Layer, New from the menu bar). It will
show up in the layers palette as indicated by
the right-hand arrow in figure 5. Choose Mul-
8. Rub graphite on the reverse side of the image so
you can trace and transfer the pattern to the platter.
tiply from the layers menu to make it trans-
parent. Use the brush tool to color over the
drawing (figure 5).
■■ To add other elements to the drawing, create
a new layer and use the Brush tool to create
other forms. If you use a new layer for each
drawing element, you can easily manipulate
each drawing item separately (figure 6).
■■ Once the image is complete, try different col-
or combinations to help you decide which un-
derglazes to use. In this example, you would
click on the layer with the alligator painting
and then choose Layer, New Adjustment Lay-
er, Hue/Saturation from the menu bar. This
automatically creates a new layer and the slid-
ers are used to change the hues. Tip: Turning
the visibility of the Hue/Saturation layer on
and off in the Layer palette easily allows view-
ing of the new color choice vs. the original.
■■ Print the finished image to its actual size in
black and white as a pattern for transfer-
ring the drawing, and also printed in color
as a reference guide to use while painting the
platter (figure 7). Sometimes my drawing will
change between the planning and execution
phases, as it did in the water section of the
platter shown.
29
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

Transferring the Image

to the Platter
Drawings can be done freehand directly onto the
platter surface, but the transfer method explained
here works well for complex images. Note: Trying
to erase unwanted pencil marks from the platter
lifts off the thin wash of background underglaze.
Using this transfer technique enables you to po-
sition the image very accurately, and preview ex-
actly how it will look on the platter.
Prepare the image for transfer by rubbing a
soft graphite stick or pencil on the back of the
image (figure 8). Tip: If you hold the image face
9. Tape the pattern to the platter and trace it with a red
pen to make areas you’ve already traced easier to see.
down on a window or a computer screen, you can
see the drawing on the reverse side.
Tape the image right-side up onto the platter
and trace the image with a ballpoint pen. Using a
red pen enables you to see what has already been
traced (figure 9). The amount of detail traced
depends on the image, but make sure to trace at
least all outside contours and important visual
details. When you lift up the paper, the graphite
tracing transfers to the platter creating guidelines
for painting.

10. Start applying a light wash of underglazes to the

transferred image. The graphite burns out in the firing.

11. Apply, then smudge the underglaze pencil lines to

create the illusion of contour.

30
 Image Transfer & Application

Painting the Platter

Apply light washes of color to the graphite trans-
fer image using diluted underglazes (figure 10).
Watercolor brushes work very well for this step,
as thinned underglaze behaves very much like
watercolor paints. In areas where you want the
illusion of contour, use a dark underglaze pen-
cil and then smudge the pencil in the direction
of the contour using a blending stump (figure
11). A good rule of thumb is to work from the
light colors to the darker hues, and to build areas
from washes of color underneath to an overlay
of detail.
12. With the underglaze pencils, it is best to apply
If the image has a focal point, paint that first, as darker colors and draw in fine details last.
any mistakes on this crucial part can be lifted from
the platter with a wet paint brush without risk to
surrounding areas.
For detail areas and lines, use underglaze pen-
cils (figure 12). Note: Because the underglaze
pencils are dry, the marks lay on the surface of
the bisqueware. If you want the lines to stay put,
take a very fine brush dipped in clean water and
trace over the underglaze pencil lines (figure 13).
For a softer look on the finished piece, this step
can be omitted.
Since underglaze pencils are so wonderfully
“smudgeable,” the method of applying a clear
glaze over the image makes a significant differ-
13. Fix the underglaze pencil lines by painting over
ence to the appearance of the finished result. In them with a fine brush dipped in water.
the example here, I sponge a diluted matte trans-
parent glaze quickly and lightly over the image,
and then brush two more coats over the whole
platter (figure 14). This minimizes smearing the
lines. For a less precise effect, omit the sponging
step and brush the glaze over the whole platter in
one direction, thus ‘pulling’ the underglaze pen-
cil lines slightly into the top coat of glaze. The
platter is then fired in an electric kiln to cone 06.

14. Pounce glaze over the image on the platter to

avoid smearing the underglaze lines.

31
 Image Transfer & Application
RICE PAPER TRANSFERS
by Kate Missett
Rice paper is an inexpensive way to transfer images onto clay surfaces.
Transferring images onto ceramics with paper
has been a standard industrial technique for cen-
turies. In his book, Ceramics and Print, Paul Scott
states that the most often quoted source of the
discovery for a paper-based ceramic ink trans-
fer process is John Sandler of Liverpool who, in
1749, claimed that he and a colleague had per-
fected a printing system. Although not widely
used in contemporary ceramics, it’s a simple and
inexpensive way of printing photographs, draw-
ings, or acquired images onto your clay work. I’ve
been printing onto rice paper, which transfers
easily onto either greenware or bisque and allows
me to use an almost limitless range of colors.
This is a flexible process that allows for lots of
experimentation.
Printing your images onto paper allows you to
do a large run of images all at once, then to store
them indefinitely between sheets of wax paper
for future use. I prefer to print onto a Japanese
rice paper called Shuji Gami as I like the weight
and strength of the paper. It’s available from Pearl
Paint, www.pearlpaint.com, or from Hollander’s
Decorative Paper and Bookbinding Supplies,
32
PHOTOS BY CAROLINE HOLDER
www.hollanders.com. There are a variety of rice
papers available but it’s best to use thin sheets;
paper that’s thick is not useful for this process.
Although this demonstration shows printing
an image in black, you can use any color, limited
only by your firing process, and the stains and
underglazes you have. You can print several col-
ors, one on top of another to get multi-colored
images. You can get the entire range of colors, but
pastel colors are lost in a reduction firing process,
with the exception of encapsulated stains. In ad-
dition to using in oxidation firing, both the Ma-
son Stain 6600 and Duncan E-Z Stroke Black 012
can be high fired in reduction atmospheres.
The Magic Formula
For the ceramic ink mixture, you’ll need Karo
syrup, Mason Stain 6600 Black (or any color you
choose) Duncan E-Z Stroke Underglaze Black
012 (or a color coordinated Duncan E-Z Stroke
underglaze if mixing another color), and CMC
gum solution thinned to a light cream consisten-
cy. If you use any other underglazes, choose ones
with a low clay content.
 Image Transfer & Application

Put one tablespoon of Karo syrup into your

container, and add two teaspoons of Mason Stain.
Mix thoroughly, then add a teaspoon of Duncan
E-Z Stroke 012 Black. Finally, add a tablespoon of
CMC gum solution, and mix thoroughly.
Your mixture should be a consistency that will
pass through the silkscreen without puddling or
gumming up. If it puddles through the screen,
it’s too thin, so add a bit more Karo syrup. If it
doesn’t pass through your screen easily, thin it
out by adding more CMC gum or E-Z Stroke.

Screening Process
In addition to the ink, you’ll need an exposed
silkscreen with the image you wish to print,
which you can have printed onto a screen at a
commercial silkscreen company or an art supply
store. To make a silkscreen yourself, follow in-
structions page 105.
Once you have your mixed ink and silkscreen, 1. Screen the ink mixture onto a piece of rice paper
affix a sheet of rice paper to your work table with with a squeegee held at a 45° angle.
tape. Place your screen on top of the rice paper
with the recessed side of the frame facing up.
With a spoon, run a thick line of your mixture
across one end of the screen. Take a squeegee at a
45° angle and using firm pressure, pull the mix-
ture across the screen with one smooth stroke
(figure 1). This pressure causes the mixture to
print onto the paper.
Allow the image to dry before using it. I usual-
ly print multiple sheets when I’m screening, and
when dry, I cut them up and store them between
sheets of wax paper for future use.

Application
For printing you will need a leather-hard slab
or vessel, your transfer, underglaze or slip, some
water, and a small sponge. Brush a thick coat of
underglaze onto your clay (figure 2). While the
underglaze is still damp, place the rice paper
transfer face down on it and rub the back gently
(figure 3). Let the image dry for a few minutes, 2. Brush an underglaze base layer onto the clay.
then peel the paper away carefully to reveal your
transferred image (figure 4).

33
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

If the slab is drier, or you are working on top

of bisqueware you will need to dampen the back
of the transfer either by gently patting it with
water or using a damp sponge. Be careful as too
much water will cause the image to become blur-
ry. Correct transfer technique should result in a
crisp image.

Firing
If you apply your transfer onto leather-hard clay
and bisque fire it, you can normally glaze it by
any method you typically use from brushing to
pouring. However, these images can be fragile
until they are covered with a glaze. If you have a
high proportion of stain to underglaze, it can rub
off of your bisque even if it is fired on. In order to
avoid smearing on bisque, I recommend dipping
a round sponge in glaze and patting it gently over
the image. This will seal in your picture without
dragging it across your pot.
3. Transfer image from rice paper onto clay.

4. Peel back the paper and allow the transferred image to dry.

34
2
Decals
NO-FIRE DECALS
by Brendan Tang

Printing is an effective device in

contemporary ceramic studio art,
and offers the studio artist in-
comparable options for trans-
lating concepts through the
application of imagery. Decals
can be a cost- and time-effective
approach to printing, and there
are several types that can be used
with ceramics. Regular commercial
ceramic decals are fired at cone 017 and
can withstand daily utilitarian use, mild
abrasives, and exposure to direct sunlight
without any degradation to the image.
Because my works are nonfunctional
and do not need to withstand a great deal of 25 Years, ewer with Lazertran
handling, I’ve produced and used color laser- decal, flocking and wind-up key.
Using nonfiring laser decals is an
printed decals not normally intended for effective way to add printed ele-
ceramic use. Laser printed decals are low- ments to sculptural work.
cost in comparison to ceramic decals, which
may include a large set-up fee.
Heat-cured at low temperatures (within the an assistant. While photographic images suggest
range of a domestic oven), these decals are easy to realistic portrayal, the images I use for decals are
use and permit economical experimentation and subject to manipulation using computer graphics
personalization. Laser printed decals do have limi- software (Adobe Photoshop). These self-portraits
tations and drawbacks. They’re for nonfunctional may be altered to exaggerate features, add ele-
works only since a bare decal can be easily scratched. ments or reconstruct the composition to greater
Similarly, they do not have the same archival quality
inform the content of the work.
as decals produced specifically for ceramics.
Begin with a digital image and, using Photoshop,
Image Preparation alter the composition, color, shape, etc. (figure 1).
Generally, my decals begin with digital photo- The image that appears on the screen is a mirror
graphs, often staged images of myself taken by image of what will appear on your piece. When

35
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Begin with a digital image and, using Photoshop,
alter the composition, color, shape, etc.
3. Tools needed include a heat gun, scissors, rubber rib,
utility knife, cotton balls, rubbing alcohol, and tray.
you’re finished working with the image, reverse it—
this is especially important for text.
When the images are complete, lay them out
on a single page and include multiples. Having
several copies of the same image helps you avoid
additional trips to the printer (figure 2). Print the
decals on Lazertran decal transfer paper on your
printer on the card stock setting (check compat-
ibility at www.lazertran.com); or, have it printed at
an office supply store. Either way, always print out
a proof on plain paper first to check color.
Application
To apply the decals, you’ll need a heat gun, scis-
sors, squeegee (rubber rib), utility knife, cotton
balls, rubbing alcohol, tray for water, decals and
your ceramic work (figure 3). To ensure adher-
ence and visibility, apply decals to clean, glazed
36
2. When the images are complete, lay them out on a
single page and include multiples.
4. Remove dirt, grease and oils by cleaning the surface
with rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball.
white surfaces. The ceramic surface should be flat
or gently curved so that the decal lies flat. Remove
dirt, grease and oils by cleaning the surface with
rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball (figure 4). Cut
the decal to the desired size (figure 5). I use the
proof page images as templates on awkwardly
shaped forms to assist in correct sizing. Get a tight
fit since any further trimming of the decal when
it’s in place may result in tearing.
To eliminate air bubbles trapped in the toner,
use a heat gun to slowly and briefly heat the de-
cal until it becomes shiny (figure 6). Be careful be-
cause overheating will damage the decal. Soak the
decal in water until it releases the paper backing
after it curls and relaxes (figure 7). Gently wipe the
gum off the back of the decal with your fingers. If
the gum is not completely removed, it will turn
brown when heated.
 Decals
5. Cut the decal to the desired size.
7. Soak the decal in water until it releases the paper
backing after it curls and relaxes.
9. Use a rubber squeegee to remove any excess mois-
ture or air bubbles.
Place the decal on the surface, image-side down
(figure 8). If necessary, apply heat from a hair dryer
to help massage the decal over gentle curves. Use a
rubber squeegee to remove any excess moisture or
air bubbles from underneath the decal because air
6. Eliminate air bubbles trapped in the toner using a
heat gun to slowly heat the decal until it becomes shiny.
8. Place the decal on the surface, image-side down.
10. Trim the decal with a craft knife, if necessary, but
use caution to prevent tearing.
bubbles will rupture the surface of the decal when
cured (figure 9). Also, make sure the edges are ad-
hered to the ceramic surface, or they will curl and
melt. Trim the decal with a craft knife, if necessary,
but use caution to prevent tearing (figure 10).
37
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

Firing should become glossier as you approach 400°F. It’s

Before firing, the decal has a satin finish, which
will become glossy once it is fired. (Note: If you
want a less glossy finish, omit the firing. If you do
omit it, don’t wipe the gum off the back of the de-
cal and apply the decal to the piece face up (no
mirror image needed). Apply a coat of clear poly-
acrylic paint to seal and protect the decal.)
Place the kiln/oven on the lowest possible tem-
perature (approximately 150°F) and hold this
temperature for at least an hour, then slowly raise
the temperature every 20 minutes. The decal
possible to get the desired glossy finish at a lower
temperature (e.g., 290°F for 25 Years) if applying
heat for a longer period of time. Check the piece
every 15 minutes or so to see if you have gotten the
desired finish. When done, shut off the heat and
allow the piece to slowly cool in the oven or kiln.
I sometimes rush the firing process or fail to re-
move all the air bubbles, which results in pinhole
marks in the decal. If this happens to you, touch
up the imperfections with acrylic paint, or you can
remove decals with lacquer thinner if necessary.

Out in the Cold, Lazertran and commercial decals, enamel paint.

38
Decals
HOW TO MAKE LASER TONER DECALS
by Frank Gaydos
The image on the left is a 4×4-inch test tile with decals printed on a laser printer. The image on the right is an
example of the enhanced decoration possible with overglazes, enamels and lusters.
Many potters use commercial ceramic decals in
their work, but some are making their own decals
for reasons of creativity or frugality. Creating your
own ceramic decals is easy and fun, limited only
by your imagination. Here’s a simple technique for
creating your own decals.
How It Works
Some brands of black-and-white laser printer ink
cartridges contain up to 60% iron oxide, as well
as other pigments in their toner. If you print a de-
cal using one of these printers, apply it to a glazed
ceramic surface and fire it, the iron oxide survives
the firing and becomes permanently fused to the
glaze surface, leaving a sepia-toned image on the
surface. The other pigments and fillers, which are
typically organic, burn away.
Supplies
This process works using the black ink from a la-
ser printer. The problem is that not all black ink
contains black iron oxide, as some manufacturers
use organic soy-based pigments. You will need to
test various ink cartridges, but they are expen-
sive, so, if you do not have access to a laser printer
at home, try the local office supply store or pub-
lic library. You’ll need to purchase special decal
paper from www.beldecal.com. Click on “Laser/
Copier Decal Paper” and select clear paper from
the ordering section.
Finally, you’ll need a computer with an image
editing program like Adobe Photoshop. A great
source for images is the Dover design book series.
They supply images on CDs in different formats
already scanned. Of course, you can also come up
with your own black-and-white designs, and any-
thing you can type in any font.
Process
First, create an image on your computer. Since the
image prints darker than it looks on the monitor,
you should lighten it with the editing program.
For scanned photographs use 300 dpi (more than
300 usually makes the image too dark); however,
sometimes you might want a darker image, so ex-
periment. You’ll need to test to see how it fires with
the glazes you use. Fill the entire page with images
to avoid waste.
39
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
Several factors affect quality: toner,
underlying glaze and firing temperature.
In the examples above, the fish decal was
fired at cone 06, cone 05 and cone 04
(from top to bottom). Perform tests to
find the best materials and firing range
for your work. The decals above were
fired onto a cone 04 glaze at cone 05
with no loss of detail.
The Publisher advises the reader that certain
decal applications onto glossy substrates may be
subject to Patent No: US 7,622,237 B2.
40
Insert decal paper into your printer oriented so that
the image prints on the glossy side. Since the glossy side
is applied face down, what you print will be a mirror
image of what will be on the piece.
Cut your images from the sheet as close as you can
to the image. Avoid having a lot of decal film left over
because this may hinder placement on curved surfaces.
Place the cut decal into warm water and wait about
30 seconds. When the decal slides off the backing paper,
place it toner side down onto a smooth ceramic sur-
face. After placement, use a soft paper towel to pat the
decal dry while also pushing out any air bubbles that
may become trapped. If you allow air to remain under
the image, that part of the image will not print. There-
fore, the surface must be smooth. You can place decals
on any curved surface within limits. You should not
have problems with the average bowl, coffee mug, etc.
Glaze color selection is important. Lighter colors are
good, but white is the best. Fire your glazed ware to ma-
turity and then refire with the decal in place to at least
cone 08. I find that high-fired porcelain works well for
two reasons: the white color gives good contrast while
the mature glaze is unaffected by the low temperature
refire. Low-temperature glazes may give you more
trouble with the setting of the image. Some earthen-
ware glazes may shift during the refire and some may
absorb the iron oxide resulting in a wavy or faint image
respectively.
After the image is fired onto your pot, you can then
add color by using china paint wash, enamels, overglaz-
es or lusters, and refiring.
With a little imagination and a laser printer, you can spruce
up your work with decals.
Decals
USING LASER TONER DECALS
by Justin Rothshank

Pitcher and mugs, to 7 inches in height, stoneware. Reduction fired to cone 10, laser decal fired
to cone 04, commercial decal fired to cone 015. This set uses commercial decals along with laser
decals. Layering the decals enhances the visual impact.

Decals are typically thought of as low-fire, post-
glaze decorating tools, but laser decals are actu-
ally far more versatile. Laser decals can actually
withstand virtually any firing temperature and
can be used in any step of the creation process.
I’ve been drawn to creating ceramic decals be-
cause of my interest in expressing fine details,
vibrant colors and text on ceramics, and the
decal process serves as an avenue for me to do
this. And, I am not limited to firing in an elec-
tric kiln—decals work great for me in my gas kiln
and even in atmospheric firings.
I create my own decals using a laser printer and
decal paper. (See Frank Gaydos' technique on page
39.) My images originate from numerous sources:
drawing within Photoshop, free-hand drawing
and scanning into the computer, photo manipula-
tion, Google image searches, or any other way to
digitally enhance an image. Photo transfers can
work if you put the photo into a bitmap setting
in Photoshop, but it can be very challenging to get
clear resolution of photos on ceramic ware. I’ve
been specifically interested in industrial images,
line drawings, farm imagery and prayer and hymn
texts, as well as old patent drawings, road maps
and elevation drawings.
Layering Images
I layer decals both in the printing process, as well
as during the application process. Occasionally
I’ll print different images onto the same decal
sheet multiple times in order to achieve a layered
effect on one decal. When layering the decals
during the application process, it’s important to
be sure that no water or air bubbles are caught

41
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Maximize the decal sheet by filling an 8½x11 sheet
with multiple images.
2. Trim decals as close to the image as possible since the
decal film may leave a mark on the clay.
3. Soak the decal in water until the film slides on the
paper backing. The decal will curl in the water.
42
between the decals and the ware. This can cause
the decal to burn off during the firing process re-
sulting in a loss of detail.
Because of the stability of laser toner decals,
their low cost and their ease in transferring, this
process can serve as the baseline guide for further
surface decoration. I apply laser toner decals on
greenware, bisqueware and glazeware.
Unfired Clay
When applying the laser decal to unfired clay, there
are three things to consider. First, the decal “sticks”
to the piece with water so applying decals to wet
or damp clay can be easier than applying decals to
bone dry clay, even though both surfaces can ac-
cept laser transfer decals. Second, a wet decal picks
up a “cloudy” clay residue as soon as it touches
the clay body. The more you handle the decal the
cloudier it can become. Because of this, it’s often
easier to transfer smaller images than larger im-
ages until you become accustomed to handling
decals. Limiting the number of times you need
to smooth the decal with a rib or a sponge also
prevents contaminating the decal with the cloudy
residue. Third, the decal film may leave a mark on
the clay, even if there is no ink on the film. There-
fore it’s important to cut out the decal as close to
the image as possible. Again, the less water you use
in making the transfer, the less chance of leaving
a mark behind to influence the surface of the pot.
Bisqueware or Unglazed Fired Ware
Similar to applying a decal to bone dry clay, it can
be difficult to get the decal to adhere to bisque-
ware. I’ve found that moistening the piece before
applying the decal often allows the decal to adhere
long enough to fire it. Using this technique likely
requires a second bisque firing before glaze ap-
plication, which can be a nice option for allowing
layering of decals.
Glazed Ware
I frequently apply laser decals to glazed ware. Since
much of my glazed ware is fired in reduction to
cone 10, or in a wood kiln beyond cone 10, I apply
 Decals

and fire laser decals to cone 04 to “set” the decal.

Again, you must be careful to cut the decal out as
close to the image as possible in this transfer pro-
cess (figure 2), and to squeegee out any excess wa-
ter and air bubbles to inhibit a low quality trans-
fer or burning away detail in the firing process. If
you notice a cloudy outline after the firing process
you may have tap water with too much calcium or
other minerals in it. Switching to distilled water
can potentially solve this problem.
For me, the most challenging aspect of using
decals on high-fired ware is finding glazes that
remain consistent, or even improve, during the
refiring process. I’ve spent considerable time 4. When applying decals to bone dry greenware,
dampen the surface.
testing a series of glazes that I know will remain
consistent throughout several firing steps. Many
glazes that use iron as the main colorant (tem-
moku and celadon specifically) do not remain
consistent in color through the cone 04 firing. I
have also noted that some of my glazes that use
tin as a colorant will occasionally pinhole more
than other glazes. I’m not much of a glaze ex-
pert, and haven’t had adequate time to continue
testing glazes to determine the qualities that
make refiring at cone 04 a possibility. I do have
a yellow, white and red glaze that work well in
the refiring process. I also use Shinos, which are
typically both frustrating and rewarding. Shinos
5. Work quickly to properly position the decal.
with iron can sometimes yield what I consider
to be the most fascinating and pleasing results,
as the image can fire into a very bright red col-
or with beautiful contrast against the bright
whites, tans or blacks of the Shino glaze. With
all other glazes the traditional laser decal takes
on a sepia color.
One problem that has occurred is that certain
glaze and clay body combinations will dunt or
crack after being fired several times. While I’m
still trying to figure out what causes this problem,
I have found that slowing the firing process down
during both heating and cooling it and reformu-
lating glazes helps reduce this problem. I’ve also
been able to minimize the issue by holding the 6. Remove any excess water and air bubbles with a
kiln for an hour at peak temperature before turn- damp sponge.

43
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
Mug, 3 inches in height; Plate 4 inches in diameter, stoneware, reduction fired
to cone 10, laser decal fired to cone 04.
ing it off. I do this for both laser decals, and for
commercial decals, lusters and china paints fired
to cone 017–015.
The decal process, while very simple, can also be
combined with numerous other surface treatment
methods. For example, I also use commercial de-
cals, china paints, screen-printed underglazes, lus-
ters and commercial luster decals. The versatility
of the laser decal makes it a fabulous tool in the
clay studio.
Decals with Wood-Fired Ware
Laser decals, commercial decals and china paints
can all be used in partnership with wood-fired
wares. All of these processes can be effectively used
on pieces after they have come out of the wood
kiln. Laser decals can also be applied prior to the
wood firing.
Decals are more visible on porcelain or white
stoneware in the wood kiln. Laser decals can turn
very nice shades of iron red on wood-fired piec-
es. When using laser decals during a wood firing
I apply my decals to greenware, and then bisque
fire the pieces. In order to improve the chances of
having the decal remain visible post-firing, I try to
44
avoid glazing over the decals at all. If I do decide
to apply a glaze or a flashing slip, I spray the glaze
and try to do a very light dusting over the decal,
just enough to encourage flashing. During the kiln
loading process I’m careful to load the decal ware
so that the decal is not directly in any flame chan-
nels or high ash areas. This not only helps to keep
the decal visible, but also often highlights the de-
cals with flashing and ash build-up surrounding it.
When applying decals to wood-fired pieces after
they’ve been fired, I follow the same steps as with
any other decal process, but there are a couple of
things to keep in mind during this process. First,
commercial decals, especially old ones, tend to
transfer poorly on wood-fired ware, especially the
more crusty wood-fired pieces. This can some-
times lead to a nice effect, but only if you’re not
concerned with the intricate details of the decal.
Secondly, wood-fired pieces can become some-
what muddled in the refiring process. This is es-
pecially apparent on pieces with glossy ash runs
or areas of very high ash build up. The refiring
will often change the appearance of the piece, and
depending on your goal with the decals this can
either enhance or destroy the wood-fired effects.
 Decals

Tips for Success

■■ In my experience most laser transfer decals fire
permanently onto glazed ware at cone 04 for
both low-fire and high-fire glazes.
■■ Most commercial decals, decals from www.
easyceramicdecal.com and most china paints
and lusters fire to cone 016.
■■ The red ribs from www.mudtools.com make
great squeegees.
■■ The Versa Color china paints from www.ama-
co.com are great for silkscreening or painting
over glaze.
■■ Sometimes regular water can leave a silhou-
ette mark around decals. In this case, buy dis-
tilled water from the store to use in applying
the decals.
■■ Any bubbles will burn out leaving holes and
gaps in the decal. Remove all bubbles with a
squeegee or damp sponge immediately, but do
not overwork the decal.

Resources
PRINTER
■■ Different printers use different inks with varying
amounts of metal oxides so you’ll need to test.

DECAL PAPER Fossil Fuel Oil Can, 12 inches in height, stoneware with dino-
saur decal, wood fired.
■■ Micro-Mark Company—buy the clear decal
paper for laser printers. You don’t need the
fixative spray. www.micromark.com

CUSTOM COLOR DECALS

■■ www.easyceramicdecals.com $30 per 11×17
sheet of custom designed CMYK color decals

COMMERCIAL DECALS
■■ www.harbon.com
■■ www.artdecalcorp.com
■■ www.ebay.com
■■ www.fthstudio.com/ Mugs, to 2½ inches in height, porcelain, reduction fired to
■■ www.instardecals.com cone 10, laser toner decal fired to cone 04, commercial de-
cal fired to cone 015. There are three layers of decals here
■■ www.olympiadecals.com
and it’s important to be sure that no water or air bubbles
■■ www.wisescreenprint.com are caught between the decals and the ware, which can
cause the decal to burn off during the firing process causing
a loss of detail.

45
 Decals
DESIGNING CUSTOM FULL-COLOR DECALS
by Linda Gates

The distressed or worn surface treatment and nostalgic

images of paper dolls on Linda Gates’ works transport
the viewer (and artist) to a different time.

I use images of the paper dolls I remember from

my 1950s childhood as the primary focus of my
ceramic work. The idea started with my final year’s
project in the ceramic design program at Bath Spa
University in England. I decorated ceramic surfac-
es using commercial digital decals with imagery
of everyday objects from the 1950s, including the
shops, and online auctions. The ephemeral nature
paper dolls of that era. Just before graduating, I
of paper dolls means that few have survived. How-
set up my studio with an electric kiln, a table, and
ever, some were carefully packed away into attics,
a couple of shelves so I could continue working.
and see the light of day again when the attics are
Though my studio is small (7×13 ft.), I’ve found
cleared (figure 1). Many of the lovingly played-
that digital technology and the ability to order
with dolls are tattered and torn and need repair
custom-made decals of my own designs has made
or new clothes drawn for them. For this, I use a
it possible for me to continue and expand upon
combination of sketches and Photoshop images
the investigations started while I was a student.
(figure 2).
Image Sources It’s important that the dolls evoke the period
I use a combination of my drawings and found and match the ones of my childhood memories.
images to create my surface designs. I search for As they can be difficult to find, I often draw the
vintage dolls in my local city of Bath and fur- dolls and dresses using inks and watercolor paints
ther afield at book fairs, vintage fairs, antique toy and pencils.

46
 Decals
1. Vintage paper dolls used as image sources for cus-
tom ceramic decals.
3. Sheets of custom printed decals created from Pho-
toshop files.
Life in the 1950s was not yet dominated by bla-
tant consumerism, and I want my work to reflect
this time of simple, carefree pleasures. By intro-
ducing text with messages such as ‘No Batteries
Required’, I’m highlighting the contrast with the
electronic toys of today.
Designing Decals
The decals I use are commercially made from Pho-
toshop documents of my scanned images. In the
U.S., companies like Bel Inc. and Easy Ceramic
Decals will produce custom-made ceramic decals
of your designs. In England, I’ve used FotoCeram-
ic. They are based in Stoke-on-Trent, the historic
center of pottery manufacture in England.
Using Photoshop, scan the drawings, manipu-
late and enhance them, and finally put them to-
gether into an 8½×11 inch document and make
2. Sketches and scanned images can be enhanced and com-
piled using Photoshop.
4. While the forms are leather hard, cover surface with
a colored engobe.
sure the mode is set to CMYK for the color rather
than RGB, and the resolution is print quality (at
least 300 dpi). Most decal companies will accept
documents sent via email attachment when you
place your order. The finished, printed decals will
then be sent to you in the mail. The paper backing
sheets are printed with ceramic inks, then lami-
nated with fritted sheets, which ensure the inks
fuse into the glaze when fired (figure 3). To save
space and money, many decals are printed on the
same sheet of decal paper. To keep the decals orga-
nized, clean and dry, cut around each one and put
them into individual envelopes until needed.
Decorating Techniques
Ceramic decals can be applied to any glazed ob-
ject, but it makes life easier if the ceramic form has
smooth surfaces to avoid the problem of trapped
47
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
5. Add border of underglazes to the surface, then
bisque fire the piece.
7. Select and cut out a group of decal images for use
on each glazed form.
9. Prior to firing, the decal retains the color of the fritted
laminate sheet (in this case blue). This color burns out.
air creating bubbles and holes in the image. The
ceramic form shown here is a slip-cast jug that I
designed as part of a college tableware design proj-
ect. At the leather-hard stage, I decorate the jugs
48
6. For a distressed or antique look, coat the forms with
a thin wash of iron oxide.
8. Soak the decal in distilled water for a minute to
release image from the paper backing sheet.
with colored slips and give them borders of com-
mercial underglazes (figures 4 and 5). When the
jugs have been bisque fired to cone 04, I give them
a wash of iron oxide to dirty them down and give
a distressed look because otherwise the bare slip-
cast surface is gleaming white (figure 6). This sur-
face is further enhanced with underglaze crayons
and pencils.
Once you’ve applied any underglaze decora-
tion to your pieces, they’re now ready for a coat of
clear glaze and put into the kiln on stilts, if neces-
sary, for firing. Decal transfer works best on shiny,
smooth glaze surfaces, so keep this in mind when
selecting a glaze. After glaze firing, the ware must
be handled as little as possible as the surface must
be clean and free of grease from fingerprints. To
ensure this, wipe the surface with rubbing alcohol.
 Decals
Decalcomania
Now comes the fun part—selecting, arranging, and
applying the images (figure 7). Gather the cut-out
decals you want to use together with a shallow tray
and some distilled water, which is free of contami-
nants, a kitchen towel for blotting excess water, and
a soft rib and natural sponge to smooth out any air
bubbles. Soak the decal in the distilled water for
about a minute until you can see the image start
to release from the paper backing sheet (figure 8).
Carefully position the decal onto the dampened
smooth glaze surface, gently slide away the back-
ing paper from beneath the image, and smooth out
the image using the soft rib or damp sponge. Once
removed from its paper backing, the decal is very
flimsy and must be handled with great care. There
is a short opportunity to reposition the image and
rub out any air bubbles using a rubber rib and a
sponge while the transfer is still wet and before it
dries and attaches itself to the glazed surface. At this
stage, the decal will still retain the color of the frit-
ted laminate sheet, which in my case is blue (figure
9). This burns out in the firing.
When all the decals are applied and fully dried,
the jugs are ready for the final firing. Because it
is just high enough to melt the glaze slightly, the
ware must again be placed on stilts. During the fir-
Doll with Blue Underwear (left) and Make Do and Mend (right), 5 in. (12.5 cm) in
height, slip-cast earthenware, slips, underglazes, oxides and digital transfers.
ing, the fritted laminate will fuse the ceramic inks
into the glaze, making them permanent. Cone 014
is the usual decal firing temperature, but reds do
tend to burn out. To overcome this, I prefer to fire
to approximately cone 015 with a 15 minute soak
to make sure the inks fuse into the glaze. Note:
Always check with the decal manufacturer for the
appropriate firing temperature. As always in ce-
ramics, it is very important to test as kilns and ma-
terials vary. The kiln used for decal firings must be
well ventilated. Make sure all vents are open, and if
you have a ventilation system attached to the kiln,
be sure to turn it on when firing decals. The fumes
are toxic so the room must also be well ventilated
and the kiln preferably fired when there is no one
around. I have discovered that I can add more lay-
ers of decals and fire the piece again as long as the
subsequent firing does not to exceed the original
decal firing temperature.
With very little equipment—a small kiln, a com-
puter, and a bucket of clear glaze, I am having fun
enjoying my second childhood.
Resources
■■ Bel Inc. (beldecal.com )
■■ Easy Ceramic Decals (easyceramicdecals.com)
■■ UK: FotoCeramic (fotoceramic.com)
■■ South Africa: JT McMasters (skolldecal.com)
49
 Decals
MASKED PATTERNS AND LASER TONER DECALS
by Andrew Gilliatt

Andrew Gilliatt’s work combines colored porcelain slip, brightly colored glazes, resist patterns, and simple decals to
create pots that convey the fun he has working in the studio.

Identifying ways of working that successfully sup- Glazing and Firing

port your ideas can be just as critical and expres-
sive as the ideas themselves.
With my functional pots, I’m designing pieces
that, with the use of color and imagery, are expres-
sive, visually inviting, and easily accessible for do-
mestic use.
The process I developed includes making plas-
ter molds from wood models. The forms can then
be repeated, and each one individualized through
surface decoration and glazing. The prototypes
can be made from clay, but I prefer using wood
for its durability. I’ve also found that making pro-
totypes from wood is great for achieving sharp,
transitional lines and edges.
I leave patterned areas on the outside of my ves-
sels unglazed to expose the colored clay under-
neath. Stickers and masking tape work great as a
glaze resist and give a far crisper and better line
quality than anything I can achieve using wax
and a brush.
Clean the bisqued ware with a damp sponge.
Using a pencil, outline the areas you want to leave
bare. Follow the lines with masking tape (I use
quarter-inch masking tape because it is more flex-
ible than the wider tapes). For curved lines, focus
on laying down just the outer edge of the tape
rather than trying to lay down the whole width of

50
 Decals

the tape all at once (figure 1). With the resist pat-
tern complete, dip or spray to apply the glaze. Peel
away the tape and stickers as soon as the glaze is
dry enough to handle (figure 2). Make sure to peel
away the stickers entirely. Any remaining residue
will leave a noticeable blemish even after firing.
One upside to using different colored casting
slips is that the glazes you use will have a differ-
ent color quality on glazed and unglazed areas, de-
pending on the color of the clay underneath, and
the translucency of the glaze.

Laser Toner Decals

I make my own decals using a laser printer. I gen- 1. Decorate the bisqued bowl using masking tape
erate the images on a computer and then simply and stickers.
print onto water slide decal paper. Some laser
printers work better than others and some types
of copiers also make these decals; however, ink jet
printers do not work at all. I use decal paper from
www.papilio.com. You can also make handmade
drawings to scale or use found images and then
scan them into a computer or have them photo-
copied, just as long as they are printed on water
slide decal paper. The iron oxide contained in the
toner of laser printers is what makes this method
work as a ceramic process.

2. Remove stickers and tape then clean up after the

bowl has been dipped in glaze.

Op Dot Jar, 7 in. (18 cm) in height, colored porcelain, 3. Applying a decal onto the fired bowl by sliding away
glaze, fired to cone 10, decals added and fired to cone 2. the paper backing.

51
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
Laser printer decals work just like traditional
water slide decals but with a few exceptions. For
starters, the only color they fire to is a sepia or red
ochre. Depending on what color clay or glaze you
fire them on and depending on the opacity/trans-
parency you select to print them, a broad range
in tonality can be achieved. Secondly, these decals
have no flux in them so they must be fired hotter
than cone 018 (which is generally suitable for lus-
ters, china paints, enamels, and overglazes) so that
they melt to the glaze. I have found that cone 04–2
works best for high-fired ware.
For most glazed surfaces, you must fire the de-
cals to at least cone 04. However, if your glazes are
cone 04 the decals will dissolve away, so testing at a
lower temperature is in order.
For all of my cone 10 clay and glazes, I do a sec-
ond decal firing to cone 2, so the decals will fuse to
both the glazed and unglazed areas. Any lower, the
decals will melt only to the glazed surfaces.
Applying the Decals
After the glaze firing, sand any exposed areas of
bare clay with 400-grit sandpaper for a smooth
finish. Cut out the decal you wish to use. Don’t
worry about cutting away negative spaces, any
excess material will burn away and this will make
for easier application. Place the decal in room
temperature water and wait for it to become fully
saturated. Hold the decal onto the piece, ink side
down, and slide away the paper (figure 3).
With the decal placed on the ware, use a sponge
or rubber rib to remove any excess water and to
remove any air bubbles that might be trapped un-
der the decal. Trapped air pockets may cause the
image to bubble or become distorted. Be careful
not to work the decals too hard; they are thin plas-
tic and can tear easily. Make sure there is adequate
lubrication when smoothing away air pockets.
For large decals, or for decals that need to curve,
use a hair dryer to lightly heat the decal to make
it more pliable. I let my applied laser toner decals
dry overnight before firing to assure all water has
evaporated away.
52
Recipes
“5,4,3,2,13” PORCELAIN CASTING SLIP
Cone 10
Grolleg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 lb
Water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 lb
Kona F4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 lb
Silica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 lb
14 lb
Add: Sodium Silicate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 g
Colored slip additions (Mason stains)
Black: MS 6600. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 g
Pink: MS 6020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 g
Yellow: MS 6450 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 g
Blue: MS 6376 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 g
Orchid: MS 6332 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 g
14 pounds of slip is just under one gallon. To make
colored casting slip, add 100–120 grams of com-
mercial stain per one gallon of slip, then ball mill the
slip for at least two hours to ensure even dispersal of
the colorant.
BLUE/VIOLET GLAZE
Cone 10
Custer Feldspar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.2 %
Wollastonite. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26.5
Grolleg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.7
Silica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24.6
100.0 %
Add: MS 6332 Orchid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.0 %
Translucent blue in reduction, purple in oxidation.
GREEN/MAROON GLAZE
Cone 10
Strontium Carbonate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 %
Cornwall Stone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Whiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Grolleg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Silica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
100 %
Add: MS 6006 Deep Crimson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 %
Translucent green in reduction, maroon in oxidation.
Decals
ACRYLIC MEDIUM IMAGES
by Juan Granados

The acrylic medium im-

age transfer process works
only on clay that is com-
pletely finished in terms of fir-
ing. If you re-fire your project af-
ter the image has been applied, it will
burn off. An image will be transferred first
from a photocopy to an acrylic medium, then
this image will be adhered to the surface of a clay
object using more acrylic medium. This process
will go very fast, but some time will be needed to
allow layers of acrylic medium to dry, and to peel
away the paper backing from the image.
Process
Match up an image with your form. The shape of
the clay form should be considered to determine
the image orientation.
Make a color copy of the image/photo of your
choice and adjust the scale so it is appropriate for
your purpose. The image can also be cut to fit.
Apply four to five layers of acrylic medium on
the color copy image by brushing thin coats in op-
posite directions. After applying the first coat of
acrylic medium, allow for some drying time be-
Alla, 17 in. (43 cm) in diameter, stoneware and
glaze, fired to cone 6, image transfer.
fore applying the next coat and so on. Eventually,
you should have a total application of four to five
layers. Allow the medium to dry thoroughly.
To transfer, soak the image in water to allow the
paper to slightly dissolve. Eventually you can care-
fully rub the paper off, leaving only the thin layer
of acrylic medium with the image adhered to it.
Once the image is ready to be applied to the
prepared clay form, first apply a thin layer of the
acrylic medium directly on to the object.
You can use a brush to press the image onto the
surface with the medium. This helps to remove air
bubbles and to smooth out any wrinkles. Allow
the image to dry.

53
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

1. This simple image technique uses acrylic medium 2. Match up an image with your form. The shape of the
and no-fire decals. form should be considered to determine the orientation.

3. Soak the image in water to allow the paper to 4. Carefully rub the paper off, leaving only the thin
slightly dissolve. layer of acrylic medium with the image adhered to it.

5. Apply a thin layer of the acrylic medium directly on 6. Press the image onto the surface with the medium.
to the object.

54
3
Relief, Etching & Stamping
PRINTING AND EMBOSSING WITH LINOCUTS
by Paul Andrew Wandless
Linocuts, a common printmaker's technique, provides a way to enhance a clay surface with imagery and texture.
You don’t have to be a printmaker in order to
take advantage of relief printing on clay. This is
a great technique for any kind of simple image,
text or design you want to use in your work. You
can also make a complex linocut or combine sev-
eral linocuts to create a larger image that can be
a finished work on all it’s own. The relief blocks
get “inked up” with underglazes or slips and are
printed directly onto clay or pushed into the sur-
face for embossing. Linoleum, or "lino" as it’s
commonly called, is flexible and works on flat or
gently curved surfaces, making it versatile to use.
Clay, wood and high-density rubber are some oth-
er common materials that can be used for block
printing on clay as well.
Creating Your Linocut
Lino has a smooth gray or brown surface with a
backing made of a coarse fabric called hessian,
which helps reduce cracking. Use sanding paper
(400–600 grit) to remove any oils, scratches or im-
perfections from the surface before drawing and
carving in your image. Sanding also makes for a
more receptive surface to ink up with underglaze or
slip. Lino and the lino gouges used for carving the
surface, can be purchased from craft or art stores.
Speedball makes affordable gouges for the begin-
ner and Flexcut makes gouges that are professional
grade (figure 1). Both brands of gouges will carve
lino, wood and high-density rubber relief blocks.
Relief printing reverses the image when printed,
so keep this in mind when thinking of what orien-
tation you want your finished image. This is espe-
cially important if using text or numbers. Tracing
paper can be used to reverse the original image
onto your block so it will print the way you want.
You can also freehand a drawing as well if you
are comfortable with your drawing skills. I like to
draw using a 2B pencil, then go over my lines with
a black marker (figure 2). The thicker lines of the
marker make for a better guide when carving.
55
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Gouges for cutting lino. Speedball gouges (left) for
beginner and student use. Flexcut (right) for advanced
or professional use.
3. Carved linocut. Black marker used on all the un-
carved areas to give a sense of what the printed areas
will look like.
Once the image or design is drawn onto the
lino, carve away all the areas you don’t want to
print with color. The remaining raised areas create
the relief image that you’ll print or emboss on the
clay (figure 3). When carving, take advantage of
the different widths and shapes of the gouges to
create a variety of carved lines. This will help make
your image more dynamic.
You can soften the surface of old or stiff sheets
of lino by lightly ironing the surface or waving a
heat gun 6 to 12 inches over the surface. Move the
heat source of choice in a circular pattern or from
56
2. Lino with drawn image. Black marker was used to
re-draw the lines to make them thicker.
4. Clay slab preparation. Slab rolled out by hand with
rolling pin and trimmed with fettling knife and metal
square. Smoothed with Mudtools large platter rib.
side to side and don’t sit still in one area too long.
You only need to do this for a few minutes and the
lino will be nice and soft for easier carving.
Always carve on a tabletop and bench hooks or
C-clamps can be used to hold your lino in place
if you like. A bench hook can be picked up wher-
ever you buy your carving tools for the lino. Never
carve with your hand in the path of the gouge and
never hold the block on your lap when carving ei-
ther. Gouges are extremely sharp so be very careful
when using them.
 Relief, Etching & Stamping
5. General items for printing include thickened Amaco
LUG Black Underglaze, linocut, foam roller and Speed-
ball baren.
7. Running a bead of thickened underglaze on the
glass inking plate. Length of the bead should match
the length of the foam roller.
Printing with Linocuts
To print linocuts, you’ll need an underglaze or slip
with a thick consistency that’s almost like honey.
To achieve this, I pour my underglazes into a small
tray and let the water evaporate overnight. Having
the proper consistency is important to the success
of the image being transferred cleanly. If too thin,
the recessed areas of the linocut get filled with col-
or, making a blurry print. I typically use the Ama-
co LUG series, because this line of underglaze has
good opacity; and although I normally use black,
any color can be used to print your image.
6. Set-up to print: thickened Amaco LUG Black Under-
glaze, piece of glass, linocuts to be printed, foam roller,
Speedball baren and smoothed clay slab.
8. The bed of underglaze should be consistent and have
enough material so it has a sheen to it. The foam roller
should absorb enough underglaze so it has a sheen.
Direct Printing on Clay
Before printing, make sure everything you need
is laid out and ready to go. You should have all
your slabs rolled out in advance and be sure to
smooth the surfaces with a rib. A smooth surface
will assure a clean image. The slabs should be in
the early stages of leather hard so they are firm
and no longer sticky to the touch (figure 4). If
the slab is too soft or sticky, it won't absorb the
underglaze being printed on it very well and will
smear easily. Besides the thickened underglaze and
clay slabs, you’ll need a few other items. A sheet
57
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

9. Roll the underglaze on the linocut. Every two passes, 10. Check to make sure the block is fully coated and has
re-load the foam roller. a little sheen to the underglaze. Add more if needed.

11. Rubbing the linocut in a circular motion with firm 12. Rubbing the linocut in a circular motion with firm
pressure by hand. pressure with Speedball baren.

13. Slowly peeling off the linocut, starting with one 14. Linocut peeled off revealing the first print.
side. Don’t pull the linocut straight up.

58
 Relief, Etching & Stamping
15. Second linocut printed, finishing the diptych.
17. Smoothing out the dry underglaze with a Mud
Tools Very Soft (red) polymer rib.
of glass or Plexiglas to be used as an inking plate.
A foam roller, found in the paint section of any
hardware store, will be needed for rolling the un-
derglaze on the linocut. The foam roller loads the
underglaze by absorbing it off the inking plate. A
rubber roller won’t work, because underglaze isn’t
tacky and won’t stick to a rubber surface. If you
don’t want to use your hand to print the linocuts,
you can pick up a baren. This can also be found
the same place where you purchase your lino and
gouges (figure 5).
Once you have all your items set up, you’re
ready to start printing (figure 6). Start with put-
ting a bead of thickened underglaze on your ink-
16. Applying white underglaze as a background color
with a 4-inch bamboo hake on a smoothed out slab.
18. Linocut diptych was printed with thickened black
underglaze after the background color was dry.
ing plate (figure 7). Use the foam roller to pull it
down, making a “bed” of underglaze on the plate.
Move the roller back and forth till you have a nice
even bed of color and the roller is evenly coated
(figure 8).
Once the ink bed is prepared and the foam roll-
er loaded, you’re ready to cover the linocut with
the underglaze. In printmaking, this is referred to
“inking up” your block. Apply an even coat of ink
on the linocut making sure all areas are covered
with color (figure 9). Reload the foam roller after
every two passes on the linocut. As you roll over
the image, underglaze is removed from the roller
and needs to be replaced. Don’t press hard when
59
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
19. Items for embossing: smoothed slab, large rib, pony
roller, linocuts arranged in the desired composition.
21. Using wide roller end to emboss larger linocuts.
rolling on the color, as this will squeeze underglaze
into the recessed areas. The underglaze should ap-
pear wet on the surface of the block when properly
covered (figure 10).
Place the inked up block facedown onto the clay
slab and gently rub the back of it in a circular mo-
tion with your hand (figure 11) or baren (figure
12) to print the color on the surface. Don’t wait
too long to print the block after it’s been inked
or the color will start to dry and won’t transfer as
cleanly. Peel the block slowly away from the clay to
see how it came out (figures 13 and 14).
The first print gives you valuable information
for some questions you may have about the im-
age quality and if adjustments are needed. Was the
60
20. Arrange linocuts facedown after finalizing your, but
remember that images are now reversed.
22. Using small roller end to emboss smaller linocuts.
ceramic ink mixed to the right consistency, was
enough ceramic ink used on the block for good
color results, and was there enough pressure used
for a clean transfer? Many times this first print isn’t
usable and is considered a test print to gather this
important information. Make the necessary adjust-
ments, if any, after seeing the test print, then con-
tinue printing the rest of your images (figure 15).
Once printed, the clay slabs can be used for
whatever handbuilding purposes you want or can
even be the finished piece. The linocut can also be
printed on a clay piece you’ve already built and
is still in the green stage or on a vessel or platter
form. This is where creativity comes into place
based on your work.
 Relief, Etching & Stamping
23. Peeling away linocuts as they are embossed.
Direct Printing on Clay with a
Colored Surface
Another option for printing on clay slabs is to have
a background color for the print. Some images
look good on your raw clay body, but others may
need color behind the image to really make it work.
Choose a color that best suits your overall plan for
the work and brush or spray it on your slab (figure
16). Once the underglaze or slip is dry to the touch,
smooth it with a very soft rubber rib (figure 17).
After the background color is dry to the touch, ink
up your linocut and print away (figure 18).
Embossing with Linocuts
A linocut can also be used like a large stamp to em-
boss a soft clay surface. Many artists make custom
relief tiles in this fashion. The areas that would
normally receive the color are now embossed into
the clay.This use of linocuts has minimal prepara-
tion. Just have the slabs rolled out in advance and
smooth the surface with a rib. A smooth surface
will assure no canvas marks as part of the em-
bossed image.
The clay should be in the stage of drying where
it’s easy to press into the surface, but no longer
sticky to the touch. If the slab is too sticky or wet
to the touch, it will stick to the linocut and won’t
release when you pull it away. You can press the
lino into the surface by hand or with a pony roller.
24. Finished embossed relief image.
Just like printing with underglaze, you can use
one relief block or several to make a piece. When I
use multiple blocks, I like to arrange them in place
to get a sense of how they will all fit on the sur-
face (figure 19). Once my composition is decided,
I place them all face down (figure 20). I remove
them one at a time as each is embossed to assure
my placement and spacing remains intact.
Emboss the block by rubbing the back of it in
a circular motion with your hand, pony roller or
any burnishing tool of your choice. (figures 21 and
22) Press hard enough so the lino sinks into the
surface, but not so hard that is spreads the clay.
Peal the linocut away slowly (figure 23) and the
embossing is complete. Repeat the process till your
piece is complete (figure 24).
A finishing option for your embossed image is
to add color in the recessed areas to make it appear
as a color inlay or mishima. You can also bisque
fire the embossing then apply glaze, underglaze, or
stain in the embossed areas with a brush or other
applicator. Once it dries, use a damp sponge to
wipe the color off the high areas leaving only the
embossed area with color, then fire to the appro-
priate cone.
61
 Relief, Etching & Stamping
RELIEFS WITH PHOTOSENSITIVE POLYMER PLATES
by Paul Andrew Wandless
Ink a light-engraved block with a Fill the impression with a contrasting
contrasting slip to transfer images slip and scrape the surface.
onto clay.
Block printing with linocuts, woodcuts and
claycuts are three common relief techniques used
for image transfer on clay. Printing with photo-
sensitive polymer plates is another relief block
technique you can add to this list. The benefit of
this technique is hand carving won’t be needed
to create the image. You just sit back and let the
sun do the carving for you. An aesthetic benefit
is that any image can be used, including pho-
tographs. This really opens up your design op-
tions since you’re not limited to only what can be
carved by hand with a gouge.
Polymer plates come in light-protected pack-
ages and must remain inside until you’re ready
to expose them to UV light and create your im-
age. They consist of a thin layer of water-soluble,
photosensitive polymer on a thin, flexible metal
(steel) backing. They come in a variety of sizes
from 5×7 inches up to 16×20 inches and are usu-
ally amber color. They can easily be cut to any
custom size you want using a paper cutter, tin
62
Brush oxides or colorants onto the
surface and wipe away excess, leav-
ing highlights.
snips or heavy-duty scissors. Polymer plates with
polyester backing are also available, and are even
more flexible than the metal-backed plates.
The process of creating an image with a poly-
mer plate using sunlight is fairly simple and
requires no special studio equipment. A trans-
parency with an opaque black negative image is
placed on top of a photosensitive polymer plate,
held in place with a glass plate of similar dimen-
sions and then exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light
from the sun. Where the light passes through the
clear sections of the negative (exposed area) and
hits the surface of the plate, the emulsion hard-
ens. Where the light is blocked by the opaque
black (the unexposed area), the emulsion re-
mains soft.
Since the emulsion is water soluble, the un-
exposed/unhardened portions can be dissolved
away with cool tap water creating the relief. These
low areas won’t be part of the printed image. You
will spend about 10 minutes dissolving and rins-
 Relief, Etching & Stamping
ing the soft emulsion away. Once all unhardened
emulsion is removed, the plate is re-exposed to
UV light from the sun for an additional 20–30
minutes to harden the remaining emulsion and
set the plate.
The rehardened plate is now ready to use for
relief block printing or embossing. You may find
your biggest challenge with the process is decid-
ing which images to use and getting a nice sunny
day to expose the plate.
Making a Black-and-White Nega-
tive Transparency
There are several options for making a transpar-
ency to use with polymer plates. Copiers, print-
ers and computers work great with photos and
already existing images, but you can also elect to
draw directly on a transparency with an opaque
black marker for a freehand image. Here are three
important things to remember:
1. The image must be black and white, or con-
verted to black and white for best contrast
when copying on the transparency.
2. UV light hardens the polymer so the areas you
want to print need to be clear in your trans-
parency. This means you need to make a nega-
tive of your image on the transparency so the
printing areas are clear and the nonprinting
areas are opaque black. (Note: the white areas
on the original black-and-white image on pa-
per will be the clear areas on your transparen-
cy.) You will need two transparencies of your
image so you can sandwich them together to
ensure an opaque black. One transparency is
not dark enough to completely block out the
light. Depending on the quality of ink of the
machine being used, you may even need to
sandwich three transparencies to achieve an
opaque black.
3. Since this is a relief block technique, the image
will be reversed during the printing process.
This means that once you decide on the final
image it will need to be reversed if the orienta-
tion is important or if you’re using text.
Create an Image: Photocopiers
and Printers
So how do you actually go about making your
image once you’ve chosen what you want to burn
into the polymer plate? If you’re going to use a
ready-made image or photograph, then a photo-
copier or printer is a fairly simple solution. Most
copiers and printers have options or features to
convert a positive image into a negative image
and to change the size or dimensions. All ma-
chines have a black-and-white mode available for
printing and copying. (Caution: Be sure to use
the correct transparency sheets for your printer
or copier as indicated in its owner manual. Using
incompatible sheets could ruin your machine.)
If you don’t own a machine that has these op-
tions, just take your ready-made image or pho-
tograph to the nearest copy shop and they can
do all of this for just a few dollars. Just say you
need two copies of a black-and-white negative on
a transparency of the image you’re providing. To
reverse your image once it’s printed on the trans-
parency, just flip it over before placing it onto the
polymer plate.
Create an Image: Computers and
Digital Manipulation
Another way to create an image is using a com-
puter, scanner or digital camera and an image
manipulation program. These digital options
give you the freedom to change, adjust and al-
ter an image to your own custom needs. I set my
scanner/printer to black-and-white mode to scan
a photo of myself. I also used my digital camera
to take some photos of my hand. These images
were imported into my computer and used Pho-
toshop to do all of my image manipulation.
Prepare an Image
I begin with opening potential image files (fig-
ure 1) and start getting them ready for copying
onto a transparency. Since I’ll be using 5×7-inch
polymer plates, I’ll need to adjust the images to
fit those parameters. I used Adobe Photoshop
63
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

1. Begin with opening poten-

tial image files.

2. Select the Image drop down

menu, select Image Size, and
adjust the width.

3. To convert the image to a

negative, select Adjustments
and then Invert.

4. The image is ready to print

onto paper and take to the
copy shop to be copied onto
a transparency.

64
 Relief, Etching & Stamping
5. With the image (right) now copied onto a transparency (left) at a local copy shop, I’m ready to make my transpar-
ency sandwich
6. Place a sheet of glass on top of the transparency to
keep it in full contact with the plate.
for resizing images and making negatives for the
copy shop.
To make the scanned black-and-white self-
portrait smaller, I select the Image drop down
menu, select Image Size, and adjust the width to
5 inches with a 300 dpi resolution (figure 2). I
need two images so I create a new file (canvas)
that is 8½×11 inches with a 300 dpi resolution
and the background contents set on transparent.
I cut and paste the images side by side to create
a two-up image of the positive. This image needs
to be converted to a negative, so select Adjust-
ments and then Invert (figure 3). Now my image
is ready to print onto paper and take to the copy
shop to be copied onto a transparency (figure 4).
Note: You can also make the negative by printing
it on a compatible transparency for your printer.
7. Hold the image up to the sky and make sure the
black is opaque and no light comes through.
Prepare a Transparency
With the image (figure 5, right) now copied onto
a transparency (figure 5, left) at a local copy shop,
I’m ready to make my transparency sandwich. I
have a 5×7 inch sheet of glass to place on top of
the transparency to keep it in full contact with the
plate. It can also be used as a template for cutting
the transparency with a razor blade knife (figure
6). A ruler, cutting board and painter’s tape are
the other items used for this step. After cutting
the transparency, place one image on top of the
other, visually line them up and secure them to-
gether with painter’s tape. Hold it up to the sky
and make sure the black is opaque and no light
comes through (figure 7). If light passes through,
add a third transparency to darken it more.
65
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
8. Other than sunlight you need a timer, polymer plates,
an opaque negative and the glass plate to hold it down.
10. Once exposed, take the polymer plate inside to dis-
solve and develop it in cool tap water, then soak it.
Exposing the Plate
On the day I’m going to expose the photosensi-
tive polymer plate there are some clouds passing
by, but it’s mid-day, the summer sun is bright and
I only need 2 to 4 minutes of bright, consistent
sun for exposing the plate. If you don’t have a
bright sunny day, it’s best to wait until you do for
best results.
The other items needed other than bright sun-
light is a timer, polymer plates, an opaque nega-
tive and the glass plate to hold it down (figure
8). You should be in close proximity to a sink, as
well, so you can rinse the plate off when exposure
is finished.
Now it’s time to start the exposing session. Re-
move the 5×7 polymer plate from the protective
package with the metal side down and the amber
66
9. Immediately place the negative on the amber poly-
mer surface and place the sheet of glass on top.
11. Run cool water over the plate again and use a soft
nylon brush to help clean off the soft polymer.
(polymer) side up. Immediately place the nega-
tive on the amber polymer surface and place the
sheet of glass on top (figure 9). The glass keeps
the negative firmly in place and in full contact
with the plate. Note: I didn’t reverse (flip) the
negative in this demo, because I’m not concerned
about the orientation of the image when printed.
If you’re using text or the orientation does mat-
ter, make sure you flop the image to ensure that
it prints correctly.
After exposing the plate to the sun for two
minutes, remove the glass and negative, and take
the polymer plate inside to dissolve and develop
it in cool tap water (figure 10). Allow the cool
water to run over the entire image and the un-
exposed, water-soluble polymer should start to
soften and wash away. Once this starts to happen,
 Relief, Etching & Stamping
12. Placing the plate and negative side-by-side shows
how well the plate picks up all the detail.
14. Gently pull the plate back to reveal a wonderful
photographic impression.
soak it in a shallow pan of cool water and watch
the polymer dissolve away. The gold color start-
ing to appear is the metal backing and the dark
amber is the raised, UV-hardened image. After
about 10 minutes, run cool water over the plate
again and use a soft nylon brush to help clean off
the soft polymer (figure 11).
Soaking the plate in water makes even the
hardened areas feel a bit tacky, so once all the un-
exposed areas are rinsed away, take the plate back
outdoors into the sun for up to 30 minutes to re-
harden the emulsion. Placing it in the sun hard-
ens all areas of the plate and dries it off as well.
Once you can touch the plate and it’s no longer
wet or tacky in any area, you’re ready to print.
Placing the plate and negative side-by-side shows
how well the plate picks up all the detail and how
13. Use your hand or a roller to press the plate into a
soft clay surface.
15. Use commercial underglaze and a foam roller to
apply the color.
effective this method is for creating a photo-
graphic relief (figure 12). The ragged, light am-
ber color around the edges of the plate are thin
areas of polymer that didn’t completely wash off,
leaving a very thin film. A longer soaking in water
or more brushing would have taken all of this off
the plate. I don’t mind having a little “noise” in
my print so I leave some polymer behind. I tend
to trim all my linocuts to follow the contour of
my image and this can be done to the polymer
plate as well. Use tin snips to cut the plate in any
shape you want.
See how fast this process can be and how few
items are needed? Once you have your negatives
made it only takes about 45 minutes to complete
the whole process of exposing, developing and
rehardening the plate. I enjoy being outdoors
67
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
16. Load a foam roller with underglaze, completely
cover the plate with color, then print onto the surface.
and making the plates using the sun, but you can
also do this process indoors using a UV lamp to
expose the polymer plates as well. The timing is
a little different so you’ll need to do small test
plates to get the right exposure time for the UV
lamp wattage you are using.
Printing with the Plates
Use the hardened plates to emboss the clay sur-
face or to print as a relief block. To emboss, use
your hand or a roller to press the plate into a
soft clay surface (figure 13). Gently pull the plate
back to reveal a wonderful photographic impres-
sion (figure 14). Use the clay slab for any sculp-
tural handbuilding process and in slump molds
for plates or platters. Another approach is to use
the mishima technique of inlaying color inside
the impression. I use colored Amaco Velvet un-
derglaze or my own colored slips for mishima
on greenware. You can also bisque first then use
glaze in the impressed areas.
The polymer plates also print nicely as relief
blocks. Use commercial underglaze and a foam
roller to apply the color (figure 15). I use Amaco
LUG series underglaze for all my relief printing
with a regular foam roller found in the painting
section of any hardware store. Load up the foam
68
17. The image here shows some of the “noise” around
the edges that I enjoy visually in my work.
roller with underglaze, completely cover the plate
with color, then print onto the clay surface (fig-
ure 16). Use your hand or a printmaking baren
to gently rub the back of the plate in a circular
motion to transfer the color from the plate to the
clay. The image here shows some of the “noise”
around the edges that I enjoy visually in my work
(figure 17). If you like a cleaner look, trim the
plate or simply wipe away unwanted color from
the plate before printing.
Creating a photographic relief without all the
carving by hand is a great project to try. Have fun
with polymer plates and the printing processes
associated with them and see how it opens up
your work visually.
Photosensitive Polymer Plates
I used polymer plates acquired from McClain’s
Printmaking Supplies (www.imcclains.com).
McClain’s is a printmaking supply company spe-
cializing in relief printing supplies. They sell the
polymer plates under the name of Solar Plates
(item no. D1900) in three different sizes and all
have metal backing. There are other suppliers of
the product as well and a quick search on the in-
ternet will guide you to a source that is right for
your needs.
Relief, Etching & Stamping
ETCHING A GLAZED SURFACE
by Ann Ruel

Etching the glazed surface provides

a way to create a matte contrast to a
shiny surface.

Using etching cream to embellish glassware is a matte surface, which really stood out against the
favorite technique among DIY crafters. Etching shiny background.
cream is an acidic liquid that attacks the glass
surface, creating matte areas. Of course, since
Etching Cream
Etching cream can be found in craft stores and
fired glazes are a form of glass, it would make
is fairly easy to use. It contains harmful am-
sense that many of them will react to the chemi-
monium/sodium biflourides and needs to be
cals in etching cream as well.
handled carefully. You must read the label of the
Inspired by Sabra Wood, a potter from Cro-
product that you purchase and follow the safety
cus Clay Works in Rochester, New York, I did a
warnings. Be careful not to etch surfaces that will
little experimenting with etching cream to create
come in contact with food. The etching cream
matte patterns on finished, glaze-fired surfaces.
deteriorates the finish on your glazed surface. It
I took a sampling of some of the glazed test tiles
is possible that the etchings may leave these ar-
I had available in my studio and etched a design
eas susceptible to further breakdown from acidic
onto them.
substances it may come in contact with.
An etched design appeared on each of the
tiles, but the most successful tests with the most Matte on Shiny
prominent patterns were those where the glaze Etching cream is very thick and can be easily ap-
was both glossy and opaque. On these tiles, the plied to a glazed surface with a paint brush. Since
area covered with the etching cream resulted in a the cream is thick, it’s less likely to run or move

69
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

and thus can be manipulated on vertical or hori-

1. Draw the design onto the tape and cut away the posi-
tive areas of the design.
2. Generously apply the etching cream ONLY to the
areas to be etched.
zontal vessels or sculpture. The approach I like
to use is applying the cream to create individual
motifs. Achieving intricate, hard-edged designs
can be difficult due to the viscous nature of the
chemical, so I came up with techniques for ap-
plying the chemical freehand.
One such technique is to apply the cream using
a masked-off surface and/or using stencils. Craft
stores sell contact vinyl, which easily adheres to
a clean glaze surface and can be used to create
stencils. As a less expensive alternative method, I
substitute masking tape for the vinyl. It’s just as
easy to trace designs onto the tape and then cut
out the positive areas with an X-Acto blade as it
is on the vinyl. Just be sure that the tape is pressed
firmly onto the glazed surface.
Once the pattern is cut, remove the excess tape
to reveal the visible areas (figure 1). Make sure
that the tape is securely adhered, especially along
the edges. Apply a thick and even coating of the
etching cream to the exposed areas (figure 2).
Note: The cream will etch whatever it touches so
be sure you only apply it only to areas you intend
to etch.
After a few minutes, wash the cream off with
running water (figure 3) and peel off the stencil
or masking tape. Dry the area thoroughly with a
paper towel to reveal your design.

3. After approximately 1–5 minutes, rinse away the

etching cream.

70
Relief, Etching & Stamping
LIGHT SENSITIVE EMULSION
by Jessica Knapp
Use Pyrofoto to transfer high-con-
trast images to glaze-fired pieces.
It was successful with glazes and
underglazes, applied over glossy to
satin surfaces. The fired result can
be muted, as in the example above
here, or more vibrant, depending
on the amount of colorant added
to the glaze.
There are various processes for transferring
images to clay, from photocopy transfers, silk-
screening, and stencils to laser transfer decals and
commercially made decals. There is also a pro-
cess that’s designed specifically for working with
glaze. Pyrofoto is a product—made by Rockland
Colloid (www.rockaloid.com), the makers of
Liquid Light photographic emulsion—for use on
glaze-fired pieces. It works with traditional pho-
tography concepts of exposing a surface to light
through a negative, then developing, processing,
and fixing the image. However, unlike traditional
photography processes, no expensive equipment,
chemicals or darkroom are needed.
How It Works
Pyrofoto is a liquid sensitizer designed to be mixed
with glaze and used on a piece that has already
been glaze fired. The glaze/sensitizer mix is ap-
plied to an already glaze-fired surface, and exposed
to direct sunlight, a work lamp, or a high-wattage
(250-watt) halogen lamp through a high-contrast
transparency image. (Note: Normal household
incandescent bulbs will not work as they do not
provide the right wavelength.) Where the Pyrofoto
mixture is exposed to light (in areas not blocked
by the ink on the transparency), it hardens like a
resin and becomes fixed to the surface. The pot is
then wiped or sponged with cool water to dissolve
away unexposed areas, leaving only the glazed im-
age behind. The piece can then be fired again to set
the image permanently.
71
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
Creating an Image
First, choose your imagery and create a black-
and-white transparency using an inkjet or laser
printer or copier. High-contrast photographs, il-
lustrations or your own drawings will work best
with this process, so avoid images with lots of
mid tones, or alter the image using photo editing
software to increase the contrast.
Make sure your printer or photocopier is set to
“best quality” before printing the transparency.
If ordering the transparency at an office supply
store, ask for a high quality print. This ensures
that the black areas, which resist the light and
therefore result in unexposed areas, are saturated
and opaque. Remember that the black areas of
your image don’t remain once the process is fin-
ished. Think of these areas as the negative space.
If you want these areas of the image to remain,
alter your photo to create an inverse image; make
the white areas black, and black areas white.
To create a multiple-color image, you’ll need to
do one of three things—make a separate trans-
parency for each color just like color separations
are needed for screen printing, work with a con-
trast between the base glaze and your Pyrofoto/
glaze mixture, or selectively apply different Py-
rofoto/glaze mixtures to the piece based on the
colors in your image.
72
1. Mix an equal volume of Pyrofoto with a thick
glaze, and brush one coat onto the glaze-fired
surface. Once it dries, brush on two more coats
and allow this to dry.
Mixing and Applying Glazes
Once you know the colors you wish to use, mix
one part of the Pyrofoto sensitizer with one part
of your liquid glaze by volume. If you use pow-
dered glaze, reconstitute it to a thick consistency
first (at least as thick as slip for slip trailing). For
best results, use a thicker glaze with high colo-
rant concentration. Watery glaze won’t coat well.
If the color or pigment isn’t strong enough, the
image will be faint.
Clean your already glaze-fired piece by scrub-
bing with powdered laundry detergent and rinse
with hot water, then dry. Prepare test tiles as well
to use as exposure test strips.
Apply a thin coat of sensitized glaze by brush-
ing, then allow it to dry (figure 1). Next, apply
one or more heavier coats. Dry thoroughly at
room temperature. You can use a fan or a hair
dryer on the cool setting, or let the pieces air dry
over several hours. Note: It is much more chal-
lenging to apply Pyrofoto to three-dimensional
forms. In addition to the recommended method,
I also pre-heated some pieces to 200°F prior to
applying the glaze to accelerate drying and avoid
drips. Both methods worked, but the recom-
mended method yielded a crisper image. Try
both as your results may vary.
 Relief, Etching & Stamping

Exposing and Developing

Use your test strips to determine your exposure
time. It will be between 5–15 minutes. My im-
ages required 15 minutes. If the unexposed areas
don’t dissolve, the image is overexposed (shorten
the exposure time). If all of the glaze washes off
during processing, the image is underexposed
(increase the exposure time).
Position the transparency onto your piece (fig-
ure 2). For flat tiles, the exposure time will be
straightforward and based on your test strips. If
you’re working on a curved surface, the time may
be different if not all areas can be exposed at the
same time. Set up multiple light sources, or add
the image and expose it in sections.
After exposing the image, develop it by gently
sponging or wiping with cool tap water (figure
3). Don’t use a lot of water as this will dissolve
the image. I used a damp sponge. The unexposed
areas, which look lighter or slightly greenish-yel- 2. Place a high-contrast transparency over the piece,
secure it to the surface and expose for 5–15 minutes.
low in color in comparison with the rest of the
glaze, will gradually dissolve. It may take several
minutes for the image to appear. Don’t brush or
sponge aggressively as this may damage the im-
age. For detailed areas, use a small, cut piece of
sponge to remove the unexposed glaze.
When all of the unexposed areas are removed,
blot and dry the image. If you want, you can ap-
ply a second color and repeat the process. When
the glaze dries, fire the piece to the appropriate
temperature.
The cup shown here has a shiny base and a
3. Gently wipe away unexposed areas using a damp
shiny transparent pyrofoto/glaze. It was fired to sponge. The image will gradually appear.
cone 4.
Pyrofoto can be purchased directly from the
Rockland Colloid website at www.rockaloid.com.
Many of the company’s products are also sold
through photo supply stores.

73
 Relief, Etching & Stamping
UNDERGLAZE STAMP PADS
by Holly Goring
Potter’s Pads available in 10 colors from Minnesota Clay.
Minnesota Clay Co. (www.mnclay.com) makes
underglaze products specifically designed to work
with traditional 2-D decorating techniques. Writ-
ing, drawing and coloring, stamp decoration, and
design transfer are fast and easy. The resulting un-
derglaze decoration is then fired on for permanent
and durable decoration on any 2-D or 3-D ceramic
item. Available in ten colors the Potter’s Pads work
just like regular ink stamp pads with rubber stamps
to decorate pots, tiles, or sculptures. The process is
a fast, easy way to create repeat patterns and logos.
To use the pads, press any rubber stamp onto the
pad filled with underglaze and apply to greenware,
bisqueware, or even fired pieces. The result is an
image with an inherent stamp quality—a definable
image with a slightly raised and tacky surface tex-
ture similar to stamping on paper.
The stamps and underglaze also work well on
wet to leather-hard pieces, allowing you to create
texture or repeated decoration into the clay from
the stamp itself.
Multiple images layer very well, with some colors
like black and green being more opaque and bright
red and brilliant orange being more transparent.
The bright red and brilliant orange need several
coats to achieve full coverage. If applying multiple
74
Underglaze stamped onto porcelain greenware.
coats to the same spot, allow the underglaze to dry
between each application.
The stamped, underglaze image can either be
bisque fired first or covered with a transparent glaze
then fired to temperature. Applying the clear glaze
over the unfired stamped images may cause the
images to streak. Spraying your glazes will prevent
this, as will firing on the underglazes first. The un-
derglaze can be left unglazed for a nice matte effect,
but the piece with not be food safe. Stamps can also
be carved from other materials as long as they have
some give to them and absorbency in order to hold
the underglaze and press upon the ware.
Stamps are a good way to imprint a favorite tex-
ture, a company logo or even a potter’s mark. If you
do a lot of testing with glazes and tiles, a set of rub-
ber stamps with numbers and letters would be use-
ful to apply numbers or codes to organize your tiles.
Potter’s Pad underglazes can be fired to a wide
range of glaze maturing temperatures from cone 06
to cone 8 and in different atmospheres.
The stamp pads are great for schools where class-
es are short but the students are familiar with the
techniques of applying underglazes and glazing.
Potter’s Pads are AP (non-toxic) and have 3 oz. re-
fills available for all colors.
4
Stencils & Masking
USING SINGLE-COLOR STENCILS
by Kip O'Krongly
My work in clay is inti-
mately connected to the
exploration of layers. The
physical layers built up through
ceramic processes allude to the more ab-
stract layers of issues currently occupying my
pots; the following leads you through my current
process of handbuilding and decorating a platter
using stencils.
Making Stencils
Before I make a platter, I come up with a design
and stencil for the imagery. Stencils can be as sim-
ple or as complex as you like, but I find the detail
that’s achievable an exciting aspect of the process.
You can work from any drawing or photograph,
but high contrast images are the most straight-
forward to cut. Once you select an image, make
a photocopy (don’t ruin your original!), and use
a permanent marker to clearly delineate the areas
you will include. All of the sections you intend to
retain in the final stencil must be connected to the
whole or they will drop out of the image.
Corn Duster, 17 in.
(43 cm) in diameter,
handbuilt earthenware
with hand-cut stencils, slip,
sgraffito, underglaze, and terra
sigillata. Single fired in oxida-
tion to cone 04.
I cut stencils out of thin plastic tablecloth,
which makes them reusable. Since these cut-
outs often take more than four hours to create,
I cut through as many layers as possible at one
time to create multiple stencils. If you leave the
tablecloth folded out of the package, you’ll cut
through six layers of plastic and end up with six
identical stencils.
After choosing your imagery and determining
the areas to be cut away, tape the photocopy to
the still-folded plastic (figure 1). Using a fresh
X-Acto blade and working on a self-healing mat,
begin by cutting the interior sections of your
stencil. Starting with interior cuts provides the
most structure possible during cutting. Com-
press delicate areas to prevent the layers of plastic
below from shifting out of place (figure 2). Try to
begin each cut from one end of a line, cut to the
75
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Tape a photocopy of the image to an unopened part
of tablecloth. Retain black areas, cut away white areas.
3. The stencil with all interior sections removed prior to
cutting the exterior.
midpoint, then cut from the other end to meet
in the middle. This method helps avoid inadver-
tently slicing beyond joints. Have tweezers on
hand to remove small areas as you cut, so you can
see your progress.
Once all interior segments are removed (figure
3), carefully cut along the exterior image bor-
der to release it from the surrounding plastic. If
you’re careful, you can use the negative image as
a stencil as well. For this particular project, I cut
four stencils: One crop duster from a full-size
copy of my original, one stencil of the dust using
a second photocopy of the original, one stencil
from a photocopy of my drawing reduced to 75
percent of the original size, and one from a 50
percent sized copy (plus a few canaries to add
into the dust). Once all stencils are cut, you’re
ready to build a form for surface application.
76
2. Cut interior sections first to keep the stencil strong.
Compress delicate areas to keep plastic from shifting.
4. Drape a ½-inch thick clay slab over a bisque hump
mold. Trim the edge and immediately attach a foot ring.
Building a Platter
Platters are an ideal vehicle for surface decora-
tion. To form a platter, drape a ½-inch thick slab
over a bisque mold (figure 4) and attach the foot
immediately after draping. Once dried to firm
leather hard, flip the platter and attach a coil rim
(figure 5). I roll out or extrude a coil, then lay
it in a spiral on a banding wheel. With the plat-
ter on another banding wheel, I attach the coil,
then slowly spin the platter’s banding wheel as I
work so the coil always feeds to the rim at the
same spot. Let the rim and platter set up togeth-
er under plastic overnight. The following day,
mask out the rim and foot with latex to protect
from slip while decorating (figure 6). I use La-
guna’s Goodrich Latex because it is water based
(no stinky ammonia, and it can be thinned with
 Stencils & Masking
5. After allowing the clay to set up overnight, attach a
coil rim to the platter.
7. Tack the first stencil down with water once you’re
satisfied with the placement.
water). Applying latex allows freedom of gesture
with slip decoration and gives a clean, crisp line
when removed. Let the platter with latex set up
under plastic another 24 hours prior to decorat-
ing. This extra time under plastic makes for easi-
er latex removal following surface work.
Layering the Surface
Plastic stencils adhere best to leather-hard clay
so keep forms well wrapped prior to decorating.
Once you have determined placement for the
first layer of stencils (three crop dusters in this
case), tack them down with a small brush dipped
in clean water (figure 7). The beauty of using
this thin plastic is the ability to see water spread
under the stencil, which helps ensure edges seal
to the clay. Use as little water as possible—just
enough to make the clay surface tacky. If you use
6. Mask all areas that you want to remain bare with
latex and let set for 24 hours under plastic.
8. After the base layer of stencils is secure, apply a layer
of slip over the surface.
too much water, the stencil will “float” on the clay
rather than stick.
Following the lines of your cutout, gently work
the stencil into the clay. If you’re decorating a
curved form (concave in particular) your cutout
may need to fold to accommodate the shape. En-
courage folds that disrupt the image as little as
possible and take extra care to ensure edges firm-
ly adhere. Once the first layer of stencils is set and
no wet areas remain on the clay, brush slip over
the surface (figure 8). Apply with care so that if
brush strokes show, they appear intentional and
fit with the movement of the piece.
After the slip sets to leather hard, use a very
soft pencil to sketch out areas of sgraffito. A light
spritz of water will erase pencil lines. I use a Kem-
per K23 tool for most sgraffito decoration (figure
77
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
9. Sgraffito areas of drawing into the surface. Note the
crop duster stencil still under the slip.
11. With the dust stencil set, brush underglaze into the
unprotected space.
9), but sometimes use an X-acto knife or pin tool
for variation of line quality.
With sgraffito complete (minus the corn tas-
sels), use latex to mask out corn that will fall
within the dust stencil (figure 10). This results in
corn imagery that appears in the foreground and
visually pops off the platter surface. Once the la-
tex has set (10–20 minutes in this case), apply the
dust stencil. Use extra care when adhering this
stencil to avoid marring the slip below. With the
dust stencil in place, apply slip or underglaze into
the stencil area (figure 11). After the underglaze
loses any of its sheen, add canary stencils using
the above method of stencil application, filling
them in with additional underglaze. Once set,
gently remove each canary stencil with tweezers
(figure 12).
78
10. Mask out any areas of corn that fall within the dust
stencil using latex.
12. Apply the canary stencils and more underglaze, then
remove the bird stencils.
When the surface is back to leather hard, care-
fully remove the latex masking the corn (figure
13) along with all layers of stencils (figure 14).
Note that if you remove stencils too early, the slip
may run underneath. In contrast, if you wait too
long, the edges may be ragged. Try to find a win-
dow where slip is firmly set, but not yet dry. If
slip has dried too far, mist with water to soften
before removing stencils. If you find spots where
slip has bled under your cutouts, use a sgraffito
tool to scrape the clay body clean. Alternatively,
use a small brush with water to “erase” any areas
of unwanted slip. Once all stencils are removed,
add final sgraffito details or any other cutouts to
the surface (figure 15).
I single fire my work to cone 04, so prior to
removing latex from the rim, I coat the sur-
 Stencils & Masking
13. When the surface returns to leather hard, peel the
protective latex coating off of the corn imagery.
15. Sgraffito in the corn tassels and any other details
you would like to add.
face with glaze (figure 16). To apply glaze at the
leather-hard stage, ensure that your glaze recipe
has a healthy portion of clay so it shrinks along
with your piece. If you have minimal clay in your
glaze, it may be better to wait and spray the glaze
on at the bone dry stage to single fire. With the
glaze firm, remove latex from the foot and rim
and let the platter dry slowly. If you’re working
with earthenware, apply terra sigillata to any ar-
eas of exposed clay at the bone dry stage to seal
the surface and add a lovely satin sheen.
Cleaning and Storing Stencils
To clean stencils after use, place on a smooth sur-
face (a piece of Plexiglas works well) and spray
liberally with water. As you spray the stencil, it
relaxes and becomes easy to manipulate. Gently
14. Next remove all layers of stencils and clean up any
areas where the slip bled under using a sgraffito tool.
16. If single firing, apply glaze prior to removing latex
from the rim and foot.
blot clean with a sponge. Once dry, the stencil
will stick to the Plexiglas until next needed. Note
that the more complicated your stencil, the more
likely it is to twist up following use. To help with
untangling, choose a plastic tablecloth that has a
pattern on only one side. That way, you can easily
identify which side is up and which is down as
you clean and reshape your cutouts.
Working with stencils provides the freedom
to explore possibilities of repeating imagery in
different combinations and on different forms.
While there is an initial investment in creating a
new cutout, once cut, there are many decorative
possibilities. Since this process works at any fir-
ing temperature and to range from simple shapes
to intricate designs, I find this surface method a
valuable and inspiring studio tool.
79
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
Stencils & Masking
MULTI-COLOR STENCIL DECORATION
by Paul Andrew Wandless
Stenciling is one of the oldest and simplest tech-
niques for creating single and multi-color images
or designs. Almost any thin sheet of stiff plastic
material, such as commercial stencil film, trans-
parencies or acetate, can be used for stencils,
making this an easy and convenient method for
your studio. Stencils are easily cut with an X-Acto
knife or heat wand, and the significant advan-
tages of using plastic stencils are they’re easy to
clean with water and are very durable lasting for
many years.
Getting Started
Creating a multi-color image using a multi-part
stencil is easy to do and makes a basic design
visually more dynamic. The biggest challenge
with this technique is deciding how to cut your
stencils to separate all the colors to create the dif-
80
ferent stencil layers. Although this takes a little
planning, just remember that the colors will be
applied in separate layers and each layer repre-
sents a stencil.
I used a stencil heat wand and commercial
stencil film (available from art and craft stores)
to make three stencils for a five-color image of
St. Pablo the Fighter. Since you can apply more
than one color on a stencil, two of my stencils
will be used for two different colors. This helps
maximize color opportunities for a design.
I approach cutting out the stencil images in re-
verse order. The outline of the image and boxing
gloves are cut out of one stencil first, the head
and robe are cut out of the second stencil, and the
halo is the third stencil (see image on next page).
To make sure this image can be lined up by sight,
 Stencils & Masking

I make sure all three stencils line up in the top
left corner when stacked on each other to ensure
proper registration (figures 1 and 2).
Any firing temperature is fine for this process
as long as the cone range of the slip or glaze is
compatible with the cone range of the clay body
you’re stenciling the image onto. Colored slips
and commercial underglazes can be used on
greenware, or you can even use the stencils with
glaze on bisqueware.
For best results, the slips or glazes should be
a yogurt consistency so the color doesn’t bleed
underneath the edges of the stencil, blurring your
design (unless, of course, that’s the effect you’re
going for). I tend to like the looser edges for my
work, but you can also be very neat and precise

St. Pablo the Fighter (see figure 10) was created from a slab decorated using three
stencils and five colors.

1. After you cut your stencils, mark the top left corner 2. Line them up in the top left corner to be certain the
of each stencil. registration is correct.

81
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

3. Line up the top left corner of the first stencil then lightly rub it to ensure a good seal with
the surface.

4. Brush an even coat of underglaze then peel the 5. Register the top left corner of the second stencil.
stencil off.

82
 Stencils & Masking
6. For large areas like the robe, work from the inside
out to get cleaner edges.
if that’s what your work calls for. Thin slips and
underglazes can be thickened by pouring the
amount you need into a small tray or pan and
letting them sit and stiffen through evaporation.
The Stencil Process
Roll out, cut, smooth and mark all the clay slabs
you’re going to need for your project in advance.
In this case, I’m making a total of five images with
this multi-colored design. Once the slabs are ready,
place all your colored underglazes and brushes
within easy reach. Next, mark the clay slab or slabs
where the top left corner of the stencils should line
up to ensure proper registration.
After lining up the top left corner of the first
stencil, lightly rub the stencil to ensure a good
seal with the clay surface (figure 3). An even coat
of yellow underglaze is brushed on for the halo,
then the stencil is peeled off (figure 4). After
waiting 5 to 10 minutes or until the shine on the
slip has gone dull, the next stencil can be used. If
you don’t wait until the color dries to the touch,
it will smear when the next stencil is placed over
7. After applying both colors, peel back the stencil and
let it dry.
it. Clean the stencil with water and dry it with
a paper towel or cloth after each use. Since I’m
making five tiles, I’ll repeat brushing this first
stencil on the remaining four prepared slabs and
by the time I’m done, the first slab should be dry
and ready for the second stencil.
The second stencil is for two colors and they’re
both applied at the same time. I register the top
left corner of the stencil, but can also plainly see
how the stenciled halo matches up with the head
(figure 5). Once in place, the first color is brushed
on for the head, then the second color for the
robe. For large areas like the robe, I work from
the inside out to get cleaner edges (figure 6). Af-
ter applying both colors, I peel back the stencil
and let it dry (figure 7).
Once the robe and head have dried to the
touch, I register the final stencil, and all of my
parts should line up pretty well. As mentioned
earlier, I cut my stencils to give myself a little
overlap so there will be a little wiggle room on
some of the edges. I brush on the red underglaze
83
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
8. I register the final stencil and brush on the red un-
derglaze for the gloves.
10. The smaller lines cut into the face always smudge a
bit with this stencil, but I like the look of it since it’s on
a fighter and works visually with that theme.
84
9. I then brush the black outline on last.
for the gloves first (figure 8), then brush the black
outline on last (figure 9).
The smaller lines cut into the face always
smudge a bit with this stencil, but I like the look
of it since it’s on a fighter and works visually with
that theme (figure 10). Once all the slabs are sten-
ciled, I’ll let the final colors dry and decide what
to do with them.
Final Thoughts
See how easy it is to make a five-color stenciled
image? I’ll treat these slabs as an edition of five
prints (images). I could also use them for hand-
building purposes as part of a sculptural work.
Several images can be printed on just one large
slab as well or you can make one image that can
be used in a slump mold to make a plate or plat-
ter. You can alter and do more work to these
leather-hard slabs, or after bisque firing you can
glaze and add more color to them. Once the sten-
cils are made, you’ll be surprised at all the uses
you can come up with for your image or design.
Stencils & Masking
FRISKETS
by Frank James Fisher

All of my work is rooted in the

commercial world. Market-
ing is everywhere we look. It
is part of life. I embrace the
impact of advertising and
use it frequently. Applying a
logo and graphics changes
a ceramic piece from a ge-
neric sculpture into a singular
American object. The use of
logos and brands is a short- Sunoco Tea-Can, 6¼
cut to the viewer. It provides inches in height, thrown
and handbuilt porcelain,
instant common ground for
raku fired, with metal
artist and audience. It gives the and wood handle.
work immediate, real-world,
daily-life context.
For the last few years I’ve
been creating teapots that I refer to as “Tea-Cans.” not only be a part of the overall glazed surface,
They owe a great deal to industrial fuel-can designs but actually be the glazed surface. Using a range of
and all the various plumbing fixtures found around glazes, my experience in painting, airbrushing and
the workshop. The glaze effects on these tea-cans commercial printing, along with a few new twists
slowly evolved over four years with the first tests to control the glaze application, creating a graphic
starting at cone 10 reduction firing and finally end- from glazes evolved.
ing at cone 06 raku firing. Finding a way to enliven the predictable but
There are many ways to reproduce a graphic im- plastic-looking glaze color required something in
age on ceramic surfaces—decals, transfers, screen- between two extremes. I wanted controlled glaze
printing or even applying paints. The guiding force edges, but with vibrant areas of color. My applica-
behind each technique is to control and present tion method provided accuracy, but the “lively col-
a precise image on the ceramic surface. I wanted or” owes as much to the raku process as to my glazes
a method of reproducing the look of a printed or glazing techniques. Raku firing provides an aged
graphic—something where the graphics would and worn color palette to the tea-can not achievable

85
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Use an image as-is or manipulate them using image
software and print several copies.
3. Label each frisket, then check for color and fit.
in other firing methods, and also lends a touch of
spontaneity into my art. Here is the technique I de-
veloped and use with a reasonable degree of success.
The tea-can in the photos is bisque-fired porcelain.
Process
Find an image. Applying a real-world logo to my
forms adds a stronger impact to my work. The In-
ternet, especially eBay, is a great source for industri-
al shapes and graphics. After locating a 50-year-old
oil can logo (figure 1), I stretched and pulled the
digital image until it was the perfect size and shape.
A frisket is used in airbrushing to mask off areas
you don't want to spray. To make a frisket, take the
printout and carefully cut out the printed shapes
and letters with a sharp knife (figure 2). For each
color, you’ll need a different frisket labelled with
the color and the order it is to be applied (figure 3).
86
2. Cut through two sheets of paper at the same time
so you’ll have a second set for a back up.
4. Spray adhesive on the back of the frisket.
Make sure to double check your work for fit. Deter-
mining the order in which the friskets are applied
is a key element of the design, and the first one is
often the most complicated one you’ve cut.
The paper frisket needs to adhere to the bisqued
surface. Set up a quick spray booth with a card-
board box and hold the frisket with its reverse side
toward you. Using spray mount adhesive (I prefer
3M Spray Mount Artist’s Adhesive), evenly coat the
frisket. Keep the booth set up and spray each frisket
as needed. Caution: Protect your hands with dis-
posable rubber gloves (figures 4 and 5).
The entire design keys off the first frisket, which
will help you position successive colors, so mentally
plan the process once more to be sure of placement.
You may want to practice the technique on a piece
of paper first before attempting it on your bisqued
 Stencils & Masking
5. Use a Post-It note to hold small pieces while spraying.
7. Carefully remove the frisket when glaze is dry.
piece. When the adhesive is dry but tacky, position
and press the frisket into place. Dab a stamping
sponge into the glaze and apply the color (figure
6). Applying glazes with sponges reduces the need
for overspray masking needed when airbrushing.
Sponging contributes to a healthier studio environ-
ment as well; however, airbrushing is still an excel-
lent technique to produce glaze color gradations.
When the glaze has fully dried to a chalky texture
on the frisket, it’s safe to peel away (figure 7). Peel-
ing the frisket while the glaze is still damp results
in tearing, leaving adhesive residue stuck on the
bisqued surface.
Repeat the previous step for each color and for
each frisket you’ve made (figure 8). If the frisket
touches already glazed areas, the glue will not stick
to the chalky surface. In these cases, tape a frisket
6. Sponge glaze within the masked bare clay surface.
8. Attach the next frisket and apply glaze.
without the spray adhesive firmly in place and
sponge the glaze onto the surface. Since there is
no glue, you may remove the frisket immediately
(figure 9).
I always glaze the logo first because of all the
jostling during the application of the many little
design elements. If I glazed the larger but simpler
areas first, those surfaces could be rubbed off and
ruined while glazing the logo.
Use a frisket to protect the finished logo while
applying glaze next to the logo’s edge. This de-
sign has two large areas of color so I taped off
the bottom rim for a second accent color. Apply
each color in turn (figure 10). The final result is a
precisely glazed logo and a tea-can ready for fir-
ing . . . almost.
Since everything is too clean and precise, I like
87
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques

9. Two glaze colors applied and friskets removed. 10. Apply base color and trim glazes after applying
detailed design work.

11. Use an old toothbrush to speckle the glaze surface.

to add a little chaos to the surface. After setting up

another quick spray booth and placing the tea-can
into position, I glaze the lid, which doesn’t have
any tight color areas, only an aged metal look. Now
it’s time to splatter, drip, fling, smear and wipe the
glaze across the surface. Use a stiff toothbrush and
assorted hobby brushes to launch the glaze in an
even-handed but haphazard manner at the surface
(figure 11). Some glazed areas are dry wiped with
a stiff paper towel to thin the glaze application.
Other areas are wiped damp or even scratched
to reveal a bare bisque surface that will become
blackened during the post-firing reduction.
Spectrum glazes (other commercial glazes
would work as well) provide the intense commer-
cial paint colors found in mass-produced prod-
ucts and printed logos. My own hand-mixed raku
12. Applying and allowing the edges of two glazes to
touch may result in blurred or melted edges. Control
the integrity of the edge by leaving a thin line of bare
bisque surface between the colors to prevent bleeding.
For my work, I prefer the colors to blend as it provides
a nice balance to the tight execution of the logo image.
glazes offset the intense commercial hues. I like the
balance achieved by incorporating both types of
glaze mixes: intense commercial color versus the
more unpredictable earth tones. The tea-can is
now ready to raku fire (figure 12).

88
 Stencils & Masking

Stencils & Masking

DIE-CUT STENCILS
by Paul Barchilon

My own explorations into ap-

plying patterns to tiles have
been driven by two factors: my
lifelong interest in Islamic Art,
and a need to find a quicker
way to work. I often spend up
to 30 hours painting a platter, so for
tiles I wanted to find a less labor in-
tensive way to reproduce my patterns. I
began experimenting with vinyl stencils sev-
eral years ago, and my techniques gradually
evolved as I worked with different plastics and
came to understand what was realistic to actu-
ally produce in the studio. Complex patterns are
difficult to cut out by hand, but commercial sign
companies can cut directly into vinyl to create
virtually any stencil you need.
This process involves using graphics programs
like Adobe Illustrator to lay out patterns and
designs before sending the digital files to a sign
company to be cut. However, if you’re less tech-
nically inclined, you can make stencils by cutting
simpler designs into sheets of plastic or vinyl.
Clear vinyl used for report covers is a good me-
dium, and can be purchased by the sheet at of-
fice supply stores. You can also send your original
drawings to a sign maker, and have them do the
digital conversions for you. Just make sure you
have a separate drawing for each stencil, and that
your originals line up with each other perfectly.
The great advantage of using stencils is that
you get a crisp clean line, and can reproduce
pieces that are identical quite easily. Although
producing the stencils is relatively expensive, you
can use them well over a hundred times before
they wear out, making them cost effective.
Design Work
I began tiling by working with squares and hexa-
gons, but have since moved on to more compli-
cated forms. The process demonstrated here uses
five different shapes that can interlock with each
other in an infinite number of combinations.
This tiling system was developed more than 600
years ago in Central Asia, and I learned how to
use it by studying a copy of the Topkapi Scroll,
an ancient Islamic design manual intended for
master craftsmen. Some of the patterns in the
scroll can be seen on the buildings in Samarkand,

89
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. To create a color separation in Adobe Illustrator,
begin by coloring each area on your original design.
3. Separate the layers by copying each one into its own
group. This layer is mainly the red areas.
Uzbekistan, and also in various places in Iran. I
created my own designs to go inside the inter-
locking shapes, and have found this system to be
incredibly useful in generating patterns.
In the diagrams above, I demonstrate how I
made the computer files for my stencils. Using Il-
lustrator, I create the patterns using vector lines.
Vector graphics can be scaled to any size with-
out losing resolution, unlike a jpg or a tiff image,
which has a set maximum size. I first designed
the pattern, and then colored it in using the live
paint bucket tool (figure 1). To create separation
lines between colors, I added layers to the pat-
tern, and outlined individual shapes using the
pen tool (figure 2). Then I isolated the layers in
the file and made each one into its own stencil
(figures 3 and 4).
90
2. Next draw vector lines around each shape. The green
lines are on a different layer than the purple ones.
4. This is the second layer. It contains areas that are
both blue and black.
In this pattern, notice that there is a continu-
ous line that runs around every shape (figure
1). This is the easiest way to create a stencil, but
it requires that none of your colors touch each
other, and that the line will be the color of your
clay body. I make the width of the line similar to
the width of the grout lines, which makes them
almost disappear in the finished piece.
Stencils
Once your files are ready, send them to a profes-
sional to be cut. You may already have a com-
pany you’re comfortable using, but I recommend
www.labelsandgraphics.com. Regardless of the
company you choose, the stencil will be cut out
from your design using what’s called a Gerber
Edge machine, which looks like a printer but is
essentially a digital die cutter.
 Stencils & Masking
5. Gently bend each cut back and forth, from all
angles, and for all lines.
7. Roll out a slab and rotate 90˚ after each roll. Roll the
stencil on when you have reached the final thickness.
There are many kinds of vinyl available, but 10
mil clear Lexan is the one that works best. Most
cut jobs are run with adhesive, so explain that you
don’t need either printing or adhesive, just cut-
ting. The machine cuts most of the way through
the vinyl, and then the individual shapes must be
punched out by hand. This is called “weeding”
and you should plan on doing it yourself or you
will be charged a small fortune in labor.
Your stencils will arrive on a roll, and you
should bend the outside cut lines back and forth
to pop out the individual tiles. Now you can be-
gin weeding, which must be done very carefully
or you will rip your new stencil. Begin by bend-
ing each cut line gently back and forth. You must
do this around all of the edges for each individual
piece (figure 5). Try not to bend further than you
6. Working with a dull metal point, slowly and gently
punch out the shapes. Don’t ever force a seam.
8. Apply underglazes using a thick flowing coat and
flood each area. Let dry, then apply a second coat.
need to, as the crease lines it makes will weaken
your stencil in the long run. Once all edges have
been bent back and forth, use a dull metal or
wooden tool to begin punching out the shapes
(an old nail file works well). Start in the corner
of any shape, and gently push down to get the
cut to break open (figure 6). If you can’t get a
given corner to release, try starting with a differ-
ent one. After you remove all of the shapes, place
your stencil between two sheets of paper and iron
it until it’s flat. Start with the lowest heat setting
and work your way up only if needed. If the iron
is too hot, you will ruin the stencil.
Making Tiles
In order to make flat tiles, you will need to pre-
pare sheets of drywall. Cut the drywall to a de-
sired size by scoring one side with a razor, and
91
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
9. After both layers are dry, peel the stencil off with a
needle tool. Then gently roll the tile flat.
11. Apply underglazes as before. Peel off the stencil
when it is dry. If moist, wait a little before cutting.
then hitting it with your knee. It will break in a
perfect line along your score marks. Wrap duct
tape around the edges so the plaster doesn’t con-
taminate your studio (it can cause damage to
pots during and after the firing).
Now you are ready to begin making the tiles. A
clay body with some sand in it is helpful. Don’t
use a slab roller! It compresses the clay in only
one direction, and the clay will retain a memory
of this that comes back to haunt you in the firing.
Instead, start with two strips of wood that are
the same thickness. I use ³/8-inch strips, which
are readily available at a hardware store. Roll
your slabs out using a rolling pin, and use the
strips to guarantee uniform thickness. After ev-
ery few rolls of the pin, rotate your slab 90˚, and
also flip it from top to bottom. This creates even
92
10. Align the second stencil and then roll it into the
slab. Align R1 on the stencil and the newspaper.
12. Cut the edges. The clay will be stiffer by now, so run
the knife along the edge a few times.
compression from all directions. When the slab
is very close to the thickness of your strips, put
a sheet of newspaper under it, and do the final
roll. Your slab should now be perfectly flat. From
here on out, avoid bending the clay or picking it
up. Put your first stencil on and roll it into the
clay (figure 7). Make sure it sticks and leave it in
place. Place a sheet of drywall board level with
your work surface, and then slide the tile onto
it by pulling the newspaper. In this way, you can
move your tiles anywhere you need to without
bending them or distorting the design.
Painting on the Pattern
Paint underglazes on the stencil (figure 8) and let
them dry. This takes about two hours. The pro-
cess can be accelerated by pointing a fan at the
tile. However, you must rotate the tile every 15
 Stencils & Masking
13. Place tiles on drywall, cover with newspaper, and
stack another sheet of drywall on top.
15. After the tiles have been glaze fired, they can be in-
stalled. It helps to apply the adhesive to both the back
of the tile and the area you are attaching it to using a
ridged trowel.
minutes or so, or it will dry unevenly. When the
first coat is dry, add a second one on top of it.
After the second coat has dried, use a needle tool
to pry up an edge, and then gently peel the stencil
off. If it will not release, the slab is too moist and
you should wait before peeling the stencil. Before
applying the second stencil, you need to make the
surface level again. Do this by gently rolling over
it with the pin, making sure to rotate 90˚ after
each pass (figure 9).
Align the second stencil on top of the pattern
(figure 10). I mark both the stencil and the news-
paper with the orientation of each piece, which
makes lining up the second stencil much easier.
If your stencil doesn’t line up properly, you may
have inadvertently stretched your tile in step 9.
14. Bisque tiles and then apply a clear glaze. Smooth
any drips on the edges with a brush.
Use less pressure next time to avoid this. Repeat
the previous steps for the second stencil (figure
11). When the final coat is dry, peel off the sten-
cil, and use a ruler and knife to trim the edges
(figure 12). I cut exactly on the line of the under-
glaze, which gives me color all the way to the edge
of the tile. By now the tile should be firm enough
to handle without bending it. Take the newspaper
off the back, and set your tiles on a sheet of fresh
drywall (figure 13). Cover them with fresh news-
paper, and stack another sheet of drywall on top.
You can layer 4–6 sheets of tiles and drywall. If
you stack more than that, it puts too much pres-
sure on the tiles. Change the drywall daily. Once
your tiles are dry after 5 or 6 days, bisque fire to
the appropriate cone for your clay, and then ap-
ply a clear glaze (figure 14) and refire.
Using Your Tile
You can either install your tiles yourself, or hire a
tiler. My tiling system is quite complex, so I do it
myself (figure 15). For indoor tiles on walls and
backsplashes, low-fire clay is fine. For outdoor
tiles, or ones that need to be totally waterproof,
as in a shower enclosure, you should use high-
fire clay that has been fully vitrified. Smaller pat-
terned items like coasters and trivets can also be
made using stencils.
93
 Stencils & Masking
USING STENCILS
by Hannah Lore Hombordy
Stencils, in combination
with airbrushing, spraying,
sponging, painting and stip-
pling underglaze or other colorants
on clay, provide enormous potential for
artistic expression. Though they’re merely cut
out silhouettes, a series of strategically placed sten-
cils combined with shading can add interest, intro-
duce motion, and enhance the illusion of depth.
Negative and Positive Stencils
Stencils have both negative and positive compo-
nents. You can use either the solid shape cut out
from the center section of a stencil or the remain-
ing background section of a stencil to create an im-
age. We’ll think of the cut out section as the posi-
tive stencil, the background as the negative stencil
(figure 1). More complex projects can combine all
negative or all positive stencils (figure 2) or both
(figure 3). The positive stencil masks out the color
of the original piece, so if your clay is white and you
want a dark image on a white background you must
use the background section, or negative part, of the
stencil to achieve this result. You use the negative
stencil to produce the positive image, and vice versa.
94
Seeds, stencil design
in black underglaze,
fired to cone 5.
Stencil Materials
The ceramist must select the material that most
satisfies each project. Stencils should be strong,
flexible, transparent, non-porous and washable.
The many options available for stencils include:
■■ Clear or tinted acetate sheets
■■ Clear vinyl or flannel backed vinyl fabric
■■ Commercial frisket paper made for airbrushing
■■ Commercial stencils from craft stores
■■ Contact paper or reinforced contact paper
■■ Leaves, or cutouts of leaves
■■ Paper­—anything from newsprint to card stock
■■ Stencils sold for cake decorating
■■ Found items including coins or bottle caps,
gummed labels or tapes, pebbles and metal
parts—washers, gears, sinkers, etc.
■■ Semi-porous materials to add visual texture or
pattern, like cheesecloth, netting or lace screen-
ing, hardware cloth and even furnace filters
 Stencils & Masking
1. Stencils can be positive or negative shapes.
3. Image created using positive and negative stencils.
Making Stencils
You can create a hand-cut stencil using your own
original drawing. Sketch out the design first, keep-
ing the shape simple; delicate details will cause
trouble later. Save a copy in case you want to re-
peat or adjust the design later. To preserve both the
negative and positive part of the design, carefully
cut along the center of your drawn line.
Don’t overlook the help you might get from a
copy machine. Place your objects directly on the
glass to get a quick reproduction. This is especially
useful if your subject is perishable or delicate. In
addition, the copier can enlarge or reduce the size
of your image.
Applying Your Design
An airbrush is better for smaller, detailed proj-
ects. Larger sprayers are great for bigger and less
2. Left: Image created using a positive stencil. Right:
Image created using a negative stencil.
4. Weights keep the stencil stationary as you spray.
detailed work. Hold the sprayer about 8 to 14
inches from your ceramic piece. Results depend
on the size of your piece, the air pressure in your
sprayer and the consistency of your glaze or un-
derglaze. Remember to wear a mask.
You’ll need to put some sort of weight on the
stencil to keep it from blowing away while you
spray. Use nuts, washers, or anything that’s small
and heavy (figure 4). A carefully placed rubber
band or string helps on round shapes (figure 5).
Small pieces of double-stick tape may also work.
It’s possible to use glue or rubber cement to
temporarily position stencils. Their residue can
sometimes cause stains, so do a test first.
Color can be applied evenly to produce a flat,
solid area. Color can also be shaded with varia-
tions from dark to light. Making more passes of
95
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
5. Use a rubber band to hold the stencil in place on
round forms.
7 Creating a smooth transition from dark to light by
varying the number of passes with the airbrush.
color near the edges of the stencil and gradually
applying less color away from the edges creates a
shaded effect (figure 6). It takes a bit of practice
to make a smooth transition from dark to light
(figure 7). If you are familiar with drawing, you
might try creating some shading on your image
that creates the illusion of a three-dimensional
form (figure 8).
Creating Depth
A major advantage of using stencils is their abil-
ity to achieve the illusion of depth. The key to
achieving depth is to overlap and apply shading
to the stencils in a specific sequence. The inter-
play between the placement and systematic re-
moval of the stencils, and the way you use the
sprayer, creates the illusion of dimensional space.
As shown, the stencils you use can be negative or
96
6. Create a shaded effect by varying the density of
the color.
8. Three-dimensional effect created using some selec-
tive shading.
positive shapes, or a combination of both.
The most perplexing thing for many ceramists
is that what you place down onto the surface first
will be the object that ends up appearing to be in
front, or closest to the viewer in the finished im-
age. This is because the stencil you lay down first
will be preventing the clay underneath it from
being touched by any spray, or color, from the
airbrush or whatever tool you’re using. The area
underneath this stencil stays blank, all other areas
will have shading on them and will therefore ap-
pear to be underneath. You won’t be able to see
the result until you carefully lift off all stencils
after airbrushing is complete.
Acetate Stencils
Using clear or translucent acetate enables you to
see through the stencils and avoids awkward po-
 Stencils & Masking
9. Place objects under a sheet of glass, lay a sheet of
acetate on top and cut out the shapes.
11. Image created using positive and negative stencils.
sitioning of elements. You’ll find acetate to be a
durable material that can be rinsed off and reused.
To make a stencil, place your selected image un-
der a sheet of glass. Select acetate sheets that are
stiff but still flexible. Avoid thin flimsy sheets. Col-
ored sheets help you to sort out the elements in
your design and do not get lost as easily as clear
sheets. Place your acetate on top of the glass and
cut out the pattern following the image under-
neath. You can cut with a sharp utility knife, or a
stencil burner in a well-ventilated space (figure 9).
You can also place the acetate directly over the
images, trace the design with a fine black marker
and then cut out the design with scissors.
Creating Your Image
To make things less confusing, I’ve separated the
stencils used to create the clustered image by col-
10. The red stencil is placed first on the clay. This shape
will appear closest to the viewer in the finished image.
12. Two purple stencils become the middle ground,
and are placed so that sections overlap the red stencil.
or-coding them. One object, the red stencil, is in
the most prominent position (figure 10). The two
stencils used to create the shapes in the middle
distance will overlap the first stencil and are pur-
ple (figure 11). Place the last two green stencils so
they are overlapping previous stencils. They will
end up looking like they’re farthest back in the
final image (figure 12).
Prepare your stencils, create your arrange-
ment, secure or weight down the stencils and
you’re ready to make your practice cluster. Plan
to use just one color of underglaze. Test your un-
derglaze on a piece of scrap paper to be sure the
airbrush is spraying properly.
Spray whatever underglaze you’ve selected
around the edges of all the stencils and in any
blank spots in between (figure 13). For light
97
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
13. Using an airbrush or sprayer, spray underglaze on
exposed areas around the edges of the stencils.
15. After removing the purple stencils, spray along the
uncovered edges of the red stencil.
shading, take only one pass over the area. If you
want a really dark shadow, pass over the area with
the airbrush two or three times. The image area
will look pretty dark and muddled now, but the
individual shapes will emerge as the stencils are
lifted off.
If the weather is damp and if you’ve applied a
lot of underglaze, take a short break before lifting
off the first two stencils, in this case, the green
ones. When the underglaze has lost its sheen,
carefully lift off the two green stencils and set
them aside.
Spray color around the newly exposed edges of
the purple stencils, creating a shadow along the
edge (figure 14). Here again, be careful in lifting
off the purple stencils when you’re done.
Spray color along the newly uncovered edges of
98
14. Remove the green stencils then spray color around
the edges of the purple stencils to create a shadow.
16. After removing the red stencil, touch up any flaws
using an X-Acto knife to remove excess underglaze.
the red stencil (figure 15), wait a few minutes, then
lift it off of the clay. When you lift the red stencil,
you will be able to view your completed design.
Inspect your piece for flaws and touch up what
you can (figure 16). Rinse off your stencils and
save them for later use.
You may feel discouraged that your prelimi-
nary preparation required a lot of time and ef-
fort. However, it pays to double check your place-
ment of stencils, ensure that the weights don’t
extend over the edge of a stencil, and so on. Once
airbrushing begins, things happen very quickly.
If you find that you’ve forgotten something or
made an area too light, you can still make adjust-
ments in your spraying. Proceed with caution,
replacing all stencils in their exact original loca-
tion, then filling in the oversight very carefully.
Stencils & Masking
DIMENSIONAL STENCILS
by Ann Ruel
Bowls with stenciled designs
sprayed with multiple colored slips
then coated with a clear glaze.
Traditional stencils are made by cutting or tearing
paper shapes, adhering the pattern to leather hard
clay and then applying slip over the entire clay sur-
face. Once the slip dries, the paper is peeled away
to reveal the design. But unless you spray multiple
colors to create a sense of dimension, the resulting
decoration is limited to visually flat areas of color
divided by areas masked by the stencil.
Looking for Dimension
To get more dimension on pieces without air-
brushing and layering stencils, I began to search
for other materials with interesting textures. The
materials needed to be lightweight, durable, and
possess a unique shape or pierced surface to cre-
ate the illusion of texture. I found candidates such
as pierced shelf liners, photo corners, doilies, lace,
and lace paper.
■■ Non-slip gripping shelf liners are relatively in-
expensive, easy to cut, and have an assortment
of perforated designs.
■■ Pointed photo corners can be rearranged to
form a multitude of designs—a jagged border,
flower petals, a basket weave. Look for them in
stores that carries scrapbooking supplies.
■■ Paper doilies often have a pierced spiral, heart
or scallop pattern and can be cut apart and re-
arranged into a variety of textures and designs.
Although pleasing, avoid the temptation to use
the whole doily stenciled onto the center of a
piece. Don’t be afraid to cut the doily apart and
explore the possibilities.
■■ Lace comes in a beautiful array of patterns that
can be cut apart and rearranged to come up
with new and exciting designs. There are sev-
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 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Stiff lace, when cut apart, can be arranged in a
variety of different ways.
3. Test your stencils with paint on a piece of scrap
paper before you commit your design to greenware.
eral types available, including lace made from
thin netting and a lace that’s made from heavi-
er cotton or stiff polyester. The thicker cotton
and polyester lace tends to be more durable
for masking surfaces and holding up against
repeated slip applications. Lace contains beau-
tiful design elements and cutting it apart can
yield some exciting designs (figure 1).
■■ Japanese “lace paper” (figure 2) is made from
100% manila hemp and is available at art sup-
ply stores. This hemp has long thick fibers and
the patterns are created by dripping water
onto the newly formed sheets, causing a sepa-
ration of the hemp. The fibers can be gently
separated into long strands to create a totally
different texture.
100
2. Lace paper, found in art specialty stores, takes on a
bumpy appearance when cut into silhouettes.
4. Apply a generous amount of glue to the stencil.
Remove any glue clumps prior to attaching the stencil.
Building Texture
By experimenting with these or similar materials,
you can design stencils with a repetitive pattern
or create cutouts of more recognizable objects. If
you decide to make cutouts, be sure to keep the
outlines as simple as possible. The texture of the
material creates the details within the shape you’ve
cut out. After you’ve pieced together a design, test
it using paint on a separate surface first before put-
ting it on your clay piece (figure 3). This simple
method for testing stencils will save you lots of
cleanup time that might happen otherwise if you
don’t do a test and end up dissatisfied with the
stencils you’ve created on your greenware piece.
Once you’ve tested the stencil design, glue it to
the clay using a glue stick. Water does not work
 Stencils & Masking
5. Apply the stencil to the clay by gently rubbing the
back of the stencil with your finger.
7. Remove the stencils with a needle tool then outline
designs and patterns with additional brushwork.
well for holding these non-traditional materials on
the clay surface. Generously spread the glue to the
back of the material (figure 4) and apply the stencils
to leather hard clay (figure 5). Be careful to avoid
excessive globs of glue which may clog the perfo-
rations and prevent slip from easily penetrating.
Lightly tap or rub the stencil into place, making
sure that it is secure, especially around the edges.
As soon as the stencils are in place, begin the
slipping process. If the glue dries before the slip
can be applied, the contact between the stencil
and the clay will loosen. Always double check
and reinforce the stencils before spraying or
brushing slip on top, or when dipping a piece
into a bucket of slip. One loose stencil can throw
off the whole design.
6. Make sure the stencils are securely glued down with
a blast of air then spray slips over the stencils.
Glazing
The most effective way I have found to apply
slip over these delicate surfaces is to use a spray
gun (figure 6). Spraying ensures complete cover-
age over even the most intricate designs. Before
spraying, disconnect the glaze canister and give
the stencils a quick blast of air to see if they will
adequately adhere to the clay surface.
Generally speaking, all of the stencil materials
recommended here can handle up to three rounds
of spraying before breaking down, so limit your-
self to no more than three colors of slip for a single
piece. Allow the slips to dry between rounds and
be careful not to peel the stencils away from the
clay until the slips are fully set or else you risk
bleeding into the masked off areas.
Once this slip has dried to the touch or lost its
sheen, take your needle tool and carefully lift up
the stencils. You will now see that at this point, the
thick texture of the stencils has allowed for a thick
build-up of slip thereby adding texture to an oth-
erwise two-dimensional decorating process.
At this point, you can decide whether the design
is complete or whether to overlay this initial sten-
ciling with another layer for added dimension or
to outline portions of the shapes with black slip
using decorative brush strokes (figure 7). Once the
piece is bisque fired, cover it with a clear glaze and
fire to the required temperature.
101
 Stencils & Masking
WAX RESIST INLAY
by Sumi von Dassow
The design on this tile was
carved in a layer of wax
resist—an ideal technique
when you need fine lines
and intricate details.
A lot of potters make beautiful pots with only
one sublime glaze on them, or a couple of glazes
dipped, poured or sprayed in combination. On
the other hand, a lot of other potters make very
beautiful pottery with painted or slip-trailed
decoration. If you are working in oxidation, par-
ticularly at low temperatures, it is often difficult
to make a pot come alive with only a single glaze,
a circumstance which leads many potters to turn
to painted decoration.
If you would like to decorate your pottery
but you don’t feel confident about your paint-
ing skills, there is still hope for you. Though you
won’t regret any time spent learning to master a
paintbrush, slip trailer or potter’s pen, there is a
relatively simple way to render a line drawing in
glaze or underglaze. It is called resist inlay and
requires only wax resist, a tool such as a wire loop
102
sgraffito tool, a small paintbrush, glazes or un-
derglazes and, of course, a design.
The basic technique of resist inlay is to coat the
surface of your piece with glaze or underglaze,
cover with liquid wax resist, scratch your design
through the wax and then brush a second color
of glaze or underglaze over the incised design.
If you use resist inlay with glazes, you will have
to be careful to choose glazes that are not too
runny, so your design will stay crisp after firing.
Even so, you may find that the technique gives
more satisfactory results on a flat piece, such as a
platter. If you use underglazes, they won’t run or
blur, but you will have to fire the piece to burn off
the wax before coating it with clear glaze. You will
also have to be very careful to apply three coats
of your background color to ensure adequate
coverage. Whether to use glazes or underglazes
 Stencils & Masking
1. Paint a tile with three coats of underglaze. Using
fewer coats results in a streaky background.
3. Wax the entire tile. The pattern will clearly show
through the wax.
will depend on the particular materials you
have available and the type of design you have
in mind. Either way, you will find it an enjoyable
and rewarding way to explore decorating.
Working with Wax Resist
Many potters try decorating with wax resist and
give up in frustration, but the following tips will
help you achieve success with this useful mate-
rial.
■■ Liquid wax is usually quite thick in consisten-
cy, like buttermilk. You will generally get bet-
ter results if you thin it with water, sometimes
2. Trace around a stencil, then remove it and complete
the design free hand with the pencil.
4. Once the wax is dry, incise the design through the
wax using a wire loop sgraffito tool.
as much as a 50:50 ratio. If it is too thick, it
just takes longer to dry, and if it’s not dry, it
won’t resist. It is also harder to carve through
when thick. You may have to experiment with
the brand you have available to figure out
the proper proportion of wax to water, but it
should be no thicker than cream.
■■ A single coat of wax is all you ever need. Once
it has touched your pot, it will resist anything
you paint over it, including more wax.
■■ If it isn’t thoroughly dry, it won’t resist. Let
waxed pieces dry overnight before doing re-
103
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
5. Paint the tile with a contrasting color of underglaze.
Make sure all of the lines are filled with the underglaze.
sist-inlay decoration. If you’re in a hurry, you
can put your waxed piece in front of a fan for
an hour or two. It also helps to let your piece
completely dry after coating it with glaze or
underglaze before applying wax.
■■ You can use any brush for liquid wax—just
wash it with hot water and soap as soon as
you’re done.
Inlay Technique
The traditional method of resist inlay uses com-
mercial underglazes on a commercial bisqued
tile. Since there is an intermediate firing to burn
off the wax after executing the design, you have
a chance to touch up any small defects before
applying glaze and refiring. For this method of
resist inlay, you can make your own stencil, use
a purchased stencil or simply execute your own
free-hand design.
First paint a tile with three coats of underglaze.
Using fewer coats of underglaze will result in a
streaky background that won’t be apparent un-
til the piece is glazed and fired (figure 1). Use a
104
6. Remove droplets of underglaze that remain on top
of the wax by dabbing with a damp sponge.
pencil to trace around a stencil (figure 2). The in-
terior design or the pattern will need to be com-
pleted free hand with the pencil, after the stencil
is removed.
Cover the entire tile with wax (figure 3). The
pattern will clearly show through the wax. Once
the wax is dry, incise the design through the
wax using a wire loop sgraffito tool (figure 4). A
sharpened pencil or a dental tool can be used for
finer lines. Avoid brushing away the crumbs of
wax and underglaze—blow them off instead.
Next, cover the tile with a contrasting color
of underglaze (figure 5). Examine the design
to make sure all of the lines are filled with the
underglaze. Small details can still be added to
the design at this time by repeating the process.
Droplets of underglaze that remain on top of the
wax can be removed by dabbing with a damp
sponge (figure 6). They also can be brushed off
after the tile is fired to burn off the wax.
The finished tile is now ready to be fired after
which a coat of clear glaze can be applied.
5
Screening
BUILDING A SILKSCREEN
by Paul Andrew Wandless
Sea Gods #1, clay monoprint, screen-
printed image, 12 inches (30 cm) in
height, low-temperature brown clay,
underglaze, watercolor underglaze.
Building your own custom-sized screen is a fan-
tastic option when faced with images that just
don’t work well with standard commercial screen
sizes. I like screen printing on plaster bats, so I
custom built my screens to the same dimensions
as the bats I have. For printing individual im-
ages on small sheets of decal paper, I have small-
er screens just for this purpose. The benefit of
building a screen the exact size needed for your
idea is that you’ll be able to print with the high-
est degree of success. The financial benefit is the
overall cost is reasonable and typically lower than
comparably sized commercial screens.
It’s important to have the appropriate screen
size in relation to your image size for a success-
ful print. In general, you want about 1–2 inches
between the edge of your image and the screen
frame wall. You don’t want your image too close
to the frame wall because the edges of the image
won’t print as well due to uneven screen tension.
You also don’t want a screen where only a small
section is utilized, making it awkward to align
your screen on the printing surface.
Materials
A basic home-made screen is square or rectan-
gular in shape, made of wood with screen fabric
stretched tautly over it and secured with staples.
Building a screen has three stages and each has its
own set of materials and set up. Stage one is cut-
ting your wood for the stretcher bars, stage two
is assembling the screen frame, and stage three is
stretching the screen fabric tautly over the frame
and securing it with staples. The whole process
will be done using hand tools that are readily
105
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Cutting setup to make a 45° angle. Miter box
clamped to table, lumber clamped to miter box and
saw positioned in the 45° grooves of miter box.
available at hardware stores. The only art supply
is the screen fabric, which can be found at any
art store that carries screen printing supplies, or
online. There are a few other variations and ap-
proaches to building screens, but this is a great
way for those who haven’t done this before.
Selecting the Wood
Selecting the right wood is very important for
making a durable screen that will last for many
years. Wooden boards that are 1×2 inches in
height and width are the best size for screens and
can be found in 6- to 8-foot lengths. It’s good to
have two lengths of wood for each screen you
want to make. When purchasing wood for the
stretcher bars, be sure it’s the higher grade wood
that’s normally in the shelving/finishing/molding
area. This grade of wood is commonly called se-
lect wood and has sharp 90° corners, is straight
over its whole length, and free of knots. General
grade lengths of wood that are 1×2 inches in
height and width are commonly called furring
strips. These have rounded corners, aren’t always
straight over the whole length, and have some
knots so they’re not good for making screen
printing frames. Clear pine works great, but
spruce or poplar can be used as well.
Lumber is usually smaller in size than the di-
mensions on the label. So don’t be alarmed when
you measure it at home and your 1×2-inch lum-
106
2. Placing mitered stretcher bars in clamp to get the
faces aligned at a 90° angle. Once aligned, one side of
the clamp gets tightened to keep it in place for gluing.
ber is actually closer to ¾×1½ inches. The label
dimensions are the original (nominal) size of the
wood before running through a planer as part of
the milling process.
Cutting Wood Stretcher Bars
The materials needed are a pencil, ruler, square,
miter box, clamps, hand saw, and the wood for
your stretcher bars.
Your first decision is figuring out what size the
screen will be for your project. Add approximately
1–2 inches to the height and width to the size of
the image you want to print. This will give you
the dimensions for the printing area of the screen,
which are the inside dimensions of the frame.
For example, my image size is 9×6 inches, so I
need a frame with an interior measurement of
at least 13×10 inches, which allows for a 2-inch
border around my image. This means the exte-
rior measurements for the frame, which are also
the length measurements for cutting the mitered
stretcher bars, are 16×13 inches.
Once you know your measurements, you can
start cutting the wood. Secure a miter box to your
worktable with a clamp. Place lumber in the mi-
ter box and secure it with a clamp so it doesn’t
move while cutting. Make a 45° cut on the end
of the board then make your first measurement,
which is 16 inches for this demo (figure 1). Cut
a 45° angle on the measurement and you have
 Screening
3. A stretcher bar with wood glue is firmly pushed
against the clamped bar until wood glue comes out of
the seam. Once in place, that clamp is tightened as well.
your first stretcher bar! Cut a second board to the
measurement of 16 inches, then cut the other two
to 13 inches in length. The result is four wood
stretcher bars (two 13 inches long and two 16
inches long) that are mitered on both ends at 45°.
When the mitered ends are put together, they will
form nice 90° corners. If you have access to power
tools, a power miter saw can be used in place of
cutting the boards by hand.
Building the Screen Frame
The materials needed are 90° corner clamps (or
frame straps), wood glue, paper towels, square,
fine sandpaper (220 grit), a hammer, and wood
joiners (or corrugated joint fasteners).
Place two stretcher bars with the mitered ends
facing each other, in a corner clamp to form a 90°
corner (figure 2). Once correctly aligned, tighten
one piece of wood in the clamp. Remove the other
and apply a bead of wood glue down the center.
Return it to the clamp, firmly press it against the
other and tighten the clamp. Excess glue may ooze
from the joint (figure 3), which should be wiped
off with a paper towel. Check the corner with the
square to assure it’s at 90°. Repeat these steps with
the remaining stretcher bars until all four corners
are clamped together and the screen frame is fully
assembled. Double-check all the corners with the
square to assure accuracy and make adjustments if
necessary (figure 4). Check the wood-glue bottle
4. Assembled frame, all clamps tightened and corners
checked with a square. Let the wood glue dry over-
night to cure.
for drying times. I typically let my frames set up
overnight just to be safe. Frame straps can also be
used in place of corner clamps.
Once the glue is completely dry, remove all
the corner clamps. Use fine sandpaper to sand
smooth any hardened excess glue that came from
the joints. Select clear pine has sharp edges that
can tear the screen fabric when it’s being stretched
over the frame during the next stage. To avoid this,
lightly sand the outer edge of the frame on the side
where the screen will be stretched. This is consid-
ered the face side of the screen. Be sure to sand the
outer corners as well (figure 5).
Next, it’s time to reinforce the glued corner
joints. The wood glue holds the frame together
pretty well, but it’s not strong enough to hold up
to the stress it’ll go through when being printed.
I hammer wood joiners into each corner of the
frame on the side that isn’t going to be used as the
face of the screen (figure 6) to reinforce the miter
joint. Having them on just one side of the frame
has always been sufficient for me. If you want to
put them on both sides of the frame, be sure to
hammer them in as flush as possible on the face
side so the screen sits flat on the printing surface.
Corrugated joining fasteners can be used in
place of wood joiners and hammered flush to the
surface. Be careful using them because they can
sometimes split the wood. If used on both sides
107
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
5. Sand the outer, top edges of the frame face with
200-grit sandpaper to prevent tearing of the fabric.
7. Frame, canvas pliers, heavy-duty staple gun loaded
with #T150 5⁄16-inch staples, 220-mesh screen fabric.
of the frame, be sure to offset them to avoid split-
ting the wood.
Sealing the Frame
This step is optional, depending on how you plan
to use the screen. I usually clean my screens with
a sponge and rarely get much water on the screen
frame itself, so I don’t worry about the wood
warping. But, if you’re going to be washing your
screen a lot and the frame will get wet often, then
you should water seal your screen now.
Wood sealers release some fumes during ap-
plication, so do this in a room with good air cir-
culation or ventilation. Gloves and a vapor mask
can also be worn for additional safety and protec-
tion. Cover your work surface with newspaper for
protection from dripped sealer. Brush on a poly-
acrylic or polyurethane water sealer, cover all sides
108
6. Metal wood joiners are hammered across the miter
seams in each corner to reinforce the glue joints.
8. Staple the middle section of first side with staples
positioned at a 45° angle and spaced ¼ to ½ inch apart.
and surfaces of the frame. Check labels for drying
times, but as a general rule, it’s always good to wait
24 hours for a coat of sealer to fully cure.
Choosing a Screen Mesh Size
Once the frame is built, it’s time to choose a
screen fabric with an appropriate mesh count
for your image quality. Different companies have
different mesh counts, with 60, 110, 123, 156,
180, 200, 230, 280, and 305 being fairly common
sizes. If these particular sizes aren’t available,
then choosing something close is just fine.
Fabric with lower mesh counts are more open,
(fewer threads per square inch), which allows for
more ceramic ink and thicker slips/glazes to pass
through the screen. Lower mesh counts are good
for simple images or line-art that have few, if any,
small details and consist more of bold lines and
 Screening
9. Firmly pull the screen taut with canvas pliers before sta-
pling, but avoid tearing the screen on the opposite side.
11. Returning to the first side, add 3–4 more staples on
both sides of the middle group of staples.
shapes or silhouettes with high contrasts of black
and white and no mid-tones or grays.
Higher mesh sizes have smaller openings
(more threads per square inch), produce better
details, and use thinner ceramic inks or slips/
glazes. Higher mesh counts are good for images
that are more complex with finer lines and more
details. Photographic images, digital images or
halftone images also need higher mesh screens to
catch that level of detail in the fabric.
Most images work well with 120 to 260 mesh
counts and 220 is what I typically use for every-
thing with consistent success. Most graphics you
see screened on T-shirts fall in this mesh count
range. Mesh counts above 260 require some prac-
tice and experience to use. The small openings
tend to clog easily.
10. Screen with all four middle sections stapled. Fabric
is taut in the center and loose toward the edges.
12. After folding the fabric corners over, staple it to se-
cure the corner. More than one can be used if needed.
Stretching the Screen Fabric
The materials needed are a heavy-duty staple
gun, staples, canvas pliers, scissors, screen fabric,
and your wooden frame (figure 7).
Place the frame on the table with the face side
up and drape the screen fabric over top. The fab-
ric should be cut about an inch or so larger than
the dimensions of the screen so the excess fabric
overhanging the edges evenly will touch the table
surface. Starting in the middle of one side, shoot
3–6 staples spaced ¼ to ½ inch apart. The staple
pattern should be angled approximately 45° to
avoid tears when stretching the fabric (figure 8).
Rotate the frame 180° to the opposite side and
firmly pull the fabric taut using the canvas pliers
(figure 9). Shoot 3–6 staples in this side, spaced
and angled like the first side. Rotate the frame a
109
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
13. Handbuilt screen with adhesive vinyl stencil image
(Mask Ease brand) being printed using Amaco LUG
Black underglaze.
14. Screen and resulting printed pattern on Amaco
Brown Stone Earthenware No. 29 with Amaco LUG
Black underglaze.
quarter turn and repeat these steps until all four
sides are stapled in the middle. When this first
pass of stapling is done, you’ll see the screen is
tight in the middle and loose in the corners and
has some wrinkles in the fabric (figure 10).
Return to your first side and put 3–4 staples on
both sides of the middle staples. Rotate the frame
180°, pull the screen taut with the canvas pliers
110
and repeat stapling. Rotate the frame a quarter
turn and repeat the process on the remaining
two sides. This second pass should get the staples
closer to the edges (figure 11). Now the major-
ity of the screen is very tight and almost all the
wrinkles are gone.
Continue this stapling routine until you get
within a half inch of the corner. At this point,
the screen should be evenly taut with no wrin-
kles. When you finally reach the corners, fold the
fabric over the corner just like wrapping a gift.
Put a staple in the center to keep it in place. This
assures there is no loose fabric on the corners
(figure 12). Use scissors to trim away the excess
fabric, hammer in any staples that are not flush
with the surface, and you’re all done!
Putting Images in the Screen
Now that your frame is built and has the fabric
stretched, you’re ready to put an image, design, or
pattern into the screen. Depending on the level
of detail and line quality of the of image, there
are three common options you can choose from.
■■ Drawing fluid and screen filler—Used for cre-
ating hand-drawn images directly in a low-
mesh-count screen.
■■ Adhesive vinyl stencils—Used for cutting com-
plex stencils with floating details and is at-
tached directly to a low-mesh-count screen
(figures 13 and 14).
■■ Light sensitive emulsion—Used for highly de-
tailed images, photographic and digital im-
ages as well as halftone images in a high mesh
count screen.
Like anything else, there are other options to
put an image in the screen, but these are the most
common and the best place to start. Screening is
a great way to transfer an image and being able to
make your own custom sizes will make the pro-
cess more effective and successful.
Screening
USING PHOTOCOPY FILM NEGATIVES
by Paul Andrew Wandless
Clay print created by screening an image
made with a photocopy film negative onto
a clay slab.
Film negatives are used with light-sensitive emul-
sion to burn an image into a screen. A film nega-
tive is typically created by printing a black and
white image onto a transparency. The clear areas
of the film negative allow light to pass through
and harden the emulsion in the screen. The print-
ed black areas of the film negative block the light
and the emulsion stays soft in the screen. These
unhardened, soft areas are washed out with water,
leaving open spaces in the screen for ink to pass
through to create a printed image.
Film negatives made from transparencies work
really well, but are limited to standard printer sizes
of 8½×11 inches or 11×17 inches. What happens
when your image doesn’t work within these di-
mensions or you don’t want to use transparencies?
An easy way to make a film negative of any size
without the use of transparencies is to simply use
a photocopy (figure 1).
Materials
Making a photocopy film negative requires the fol-
lowing items: a black and white photocopy on regu-
lar paper (the size needed for your screen), a sheet
of plastic to protect your work surface, two sponges
(one for mineral oil and one for underglaze), paper
towels, mineral oil, a pre-made silkscreen, light-
sensitive emulsion, thickened underglaze, and clay.
Make the Photocopy
Once you have a black and white image created,
print it out on any printer or copier on regular pa-
per. The printed or copied image on regular paper
becomes your film negative. Make sure you can’t
see through the black ink. The printer or copy
machine should be set to print a heavy or opaque
black. I enlarged my image to 14 inches square and
trimmed off the excess blank paper. You can also
draw your own black and white image on paper
with an opaque black marker or black ink.
111
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. Photocopy, sponge, and mineral oil on a surface
protected with plastic.
3. Photocopy film negative positioned on a screen
coated with emulsion.
Oiling the Photocopy
Place the black and white photocopy on a sheet of
plastic for the oiling process so you don’t make an
oily mess of your work surface. Pour a little min-
eral oil on the photocopy and slowly rub it into the
paper. As you continue to add more oil, the paper
will start to become transparent (figure 2). Once
the paper is fully transparent, use a paper towel to
blot off the excess oil.
Hold it up to the light and you should be able
to see light pass through the paper easily and the
black should still be opaque. This is now a photo-
copy film negative and can be used with any light-
sensitive emulsion to burn it into a screen.
Note: The oil in the paper will transfer to what-
ever it touches when stored, so it needs to be sand-
wiched between plastic.
112
2. Wipe mineral oil into the photocopy with a sponge.
4. Photocopy film negative next to the burned screen.
Burning Screens
Diazo sensitive emulsion and UV light-sensitive
emulsion are two commonly used mediums for
burning silkscreen images (figures 3 and 4). The
UV and diazo mediums have somewhat different
exposing times and the processes are different for
each. I recommend following the instructions that
come with the emulsions for best results.
Printing onto a Clay Slab
Once an image is burned into a screen, you can
use it to print directly onto a firm clay slab. The
surface of the clay slab should be dry to the touch
and not sticky or soft as it has better porosity when
it’s drier. It should also be ribbed smooth so your
image prints cleanly. Place the screen face down
directly onto the slab. Using a sponge (I like to
use a Mudtools Blue Workhorse sponge because
 Screening

5. A slab ready to print, a clean burned-in screen, and 6. Print the image by moving the underglaze-loaded
thickened underglaze. sponge in a circular motion.

7. Slowly pull the screen away from the surface to 8. After the printed slab stiffens up, trim the sides to
reveal the printed image. create a clean edge to be framed for a hanging wall tile.

it loads and spreads the underglaze in broad, thick Finishing Touches

strokes), and an underglaze that has been thick- Once the image is printed, use the slab for nearly
ened up through overnight evaporation (figure 5), any project. Drop it into a plate mold, curve it into
print the image by moving the underglaze-loaded a vessel shape, cut it up to use in a sculpture, or
sponge with firm pressure in a circular or wiping simply trim it to make it a large tile or wall hang-
motion over the screen (figure 6). Be sure to cover ing (figure 8). Just use it as you normally would in
the entire image to ensure a clean print. Slowly your work.
pull the screen away from the surface and your
image will be printed on the clay (figure 7). Resources
PRE-MADE SCREENS
Troubleshooting
■■ Blick Art Materials: www.dickblick.com
If your underglaze is runny or the edges of the
■■ Victory Factory: www.victoryfactory.com
lines bleed, the underglaze was too thin and/or
you used too much pressure. If the image is light ■■ Daniel Smith: www.danielsmith.com
or parts didn’t print, you need a little more pres- LIGHT-SENSITIVE EMULSION
sure and/or you missed some spots printing. It ■■ Blick Art Materials: www.dickblick.com
takes practice to get a good print at first, so keep ■■ www.silkscreeningsupplies.com
tying and you will get the hang of it in no time. ■■ Speedball: www.speedballart.com

113
 Screening
ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT-SENSITIVE EMULSION SCREENS
by Paul Andrew Wandless
Image on a hi-res
screen by Chicago artist
Tom Lucas, used to
print on clay.
Screen printing ranks as one of the most popular
printmaking techniques because it can be used to
apply images to virtually any surface.
Clay artists are always looking for simple op-
tions to transfer complex images, designs, pat-
terns, digital images and photography onto their
ceramic pieces. While some image transfer tech-
niques, such as decals, require chemicals and
equipment, I’ve discovered a simple, commer-
cially available screen that requires minimal ef-
fort and items to create an image for printing.
The product is called EZScreenprint Stencils
(available at www.ezscreenprint.com) and it’s de-
signed for use with simple black-and-white pho-
tocopies and the sun. You can go from an idea
to screening an image on clay in about an hour!
How cool is that?
114
EZScreenprint Stencils are screens pre-coated
with ultraviolet (UV) light-sensitive emulsion. In-
stead of needing an exposure unit to expose (burn)
an image, you simply use the sun as your light
source to expose (burn) the screen for 7 minutes.
Its then soaked (developed) in tap water for about
15 minutes. After the exposed areas have developed
and set during the soaking, rinse the screen with
water to wash away the unexposed emulsion and
create an open, stencil version of your image. The
final step is going back out into the sun for another
20–30 minutes to harden the emulsion. Experiment
with the test strips included in the kit to get the
hang of exposing and setting the screen before us-
ing a full sheet for your final image. Exposing times
can vary based on the time of year and the strength
of the sun for where you live.
 Screening
1. Peeling protective covering off the screen.
Image, Paper and Screen
For best results, the type of image and screen
mesh size and must be suitable and compat-
ible with each other. Though your image can be
simple or complex, it must be black and white. It
can be line art, an illustration, photograph, digi-
tal image or halftone. Line-art images have few, if
any, small details and consist more of bold lines
and shapes or silhouettes with high contrast and
no mid tones, so those are considered simple im-
ages. Illustrations, photographs, digital images or
halftone images that typically have finer lines and
smaller details are considered complex images.
(Note: If the line or image parts are too fine or
small, the screen may clog when printing.) Once
you choose an image, make a black-and-white
print or photocopy using standard printer paper.
EZScreenprint screens come in two mesh siz-
es for simple or complex images. The Standard
screen is 110 mesh and the HiDef screen is 200
mesh. The 110 mesh has larger openings and is
best for simple images, while the 200 mesh is a
tighter screen (with more threads per square
inch, resulting in smaller openings) and is best
for the more complex images. Both screen mesh-
es come in a variety of sizes.
The image in figure 1 started with digital pho-
tographs of tools in my studio, which were altered
in Photoshop to make them high contrast black-
and-white images. You can arrange the images on
2. Black felt covered board, screen centered over
photocopy placed on Plexiglas and fastening clips.
the screen in a group, leaving half-inch spaces be-
tween individual images for easier printing. You
can also fill the screen with just a single image,
pattern, text or any combination of these. The
image was printed on standard printer paper.
Setting up the Exposure Frame
With the black-and-white image on paper, you’re
ready to set up the exposure frame. Everything
needed is supplied in the EZScreenprint starter
kit—one 10×12-inch exposure frame (black felt-
covered board with clips and Plexiglas), two sheets
of 8½×11-inch Standard Stencils, small test strips,
a plastic canvas and a small squeegee. Work in
a dimly lit room while setting up the exposure
frame to avoid prematurely exposing the screen.
Remove the protective covering from both sides
of the Plexiglas and place it on a flat surface, then
align your black-and-white image in the center.
Take one of the screens from the protective black
envelope then close the bag tightly so the unused
screen inside is still protected. Peel the protective
backing off the screen (figure 1) and immediately
place it shiny side down on top of the black-and-
white image (figure 2). Place the black board on
top of the screen with the black felt side down and
clamp together with the clips provided in the kit.
When done, take the frame out into the sun-
light. Keep the Plexiglas side down to keep light
from hitting it or cover it with a towel to protect it
from light before and after exposing it to sunlight.
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 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
3. Rinsing screen to remove unexposed emulsion.
Exposing and Setting
Once outside, turn the exposing frame Plexiglas
side up to face the sun. Expose for 7 minutes dur-
ing a regular sunny day and for 9 minutes if it’s
a slightly overcast day. Dark, cloudy days with no
real sunlight are not optimal and success varies
if exposed under these conditions. I exposed this
screen for 6 minutes on a partially cloudy day, but
had good sunlight through the light clouds.
Once exposure is complete, turn the frame
over (Plexiglas side down) or cover with a towel
and go inside. Unclamp the frame and submerge
the screen in a sink or container filled with cool
water for a minimum of 15 minutes to develop
your stencil. Soaking longer than 15 minutes
doesn’t harm the stencil in any way. After a min-
ute or two, the unexposed areas blocked by the
dark parts of your image appear light green. The
exposed areas turn dark, and these darker areas
become the stencil.
After 15 minutes, place the perforated plastic
canvas provided in the kit under the screen and
rinse with cool water from a faucet or kitchen
sprayer (figure 3). The plastic canvas acts as a pro-
tective backing for the screen during the rinsing
process. Rinse both sides of the screen to remove
the unexposed emulsion (light areas). Take more
care when rinsing the emulsion side. Keep rinsing
until all the residue from the unexposed emulsion
is completely removed. Use a soft nylon brush if
116
4. Dabbing off extra water from screen.
there are some small detail areas that did not rinse
out well. This happens more with complex images
in the HiDef screens because of the tighter mesh.
When thoroughly rinsed, hold screen up to the
light to check it. You should only see the white
threads of the screen itself in the open areas. If
you still see a thin film of residue, rinse again. Af-
ter completely rinsing, place the screen emulsion
side up on a paper towel and dab off all the excess
water (figure 4). Put a fresh dry paper towel un-
der the screen with emulsion side up and take it
outside to re-expose in the sun for 10–20 minutes.
This hardens the stencil and making it durable and
long-lasting.
Using the Screen
Once the screen is hardened, it’s ready to use!
Since the screen is unframed, it’s flexible and can
be used around a vessel or on a flat slab. Any sur-
face you can bend the screen around is fair game
to print your image. Be careful not to make creases
in the screen if you try to bend it around sharp
corners. If you group several images onto one
screen, you can use scissors to cut it into smaller
individual screens (stencils).
Experiment and have fun with this easy to use
product. It’s a great way to create images for screen
printing on clay that you thought were only pos-
sible with a darkroom. You can screen images di-
rectly onto greenware, bisqueware or decal paper
using both underglaze and glaze.
Screening
SILKSCREEN PRINTING ON WET CLAY
by Brad Menninga

I took, perhaps, the most indi-

rect route to making prints on
clay, and that, with a nod to
Robert Frost, has made all the
difference. It happened like this:
for many years I’ve been firing
with Richard Rowland in his As-
toria Dragon Kiln, an anagama-style
wood kiln that typically fires for over
100 hours with temperatures in the cone
11–13 range, and a lot of ash. Several years ago,
the kiln developed a problem. The back of the kiln
Chicken plate, silkscreen prints on porcelain,
was struggling to get to temperature—the pots in fired to cone 10. Photo by Jim Koudelka
the back third of the kiln had decent ash and flash-
the pigment into place. The problem with trying to
ing on the front-facing sides, but the backsides were
screen wet, ink-like glazes onto wet clay is that the
anemic and lifeless. I decided that silkscreened im-
clay doesn’t absorb any of the glazes—it will just
ages would be the solution to pursue to bring the
smear the glaze all over the clay surface.
backsides of these pieces to life.
The solution was to reverse the wet-onto-dry
I had three technical goals for the process I
screen printing process, and to print with a dry
wanted to develop. First, I wanted to manipulate
blend of pigments and glaze ingredients onto
the printed clay, so it had to be printed while the
wet clay, giving a nice sharp print. This solution
clay was still workable. Next, I wanted the prints to
evolved into adding the intermediate step of print-
survive high-temperature firings, including wood
ing with dry pigment onto damp newsprint, then
firing. Finally, I didn’t want to mess with solvents,
rubbing the newsprint onto clay, leaving a transfer
oils, decals or other products that might produce
print, like a temporary tattoo. Since the paper can
irritating fumes or messes.
wrap around simple curves, it allows me to print
Jumping right in, I naïvely assumed that printing
on rounded forms, like wheel-thrown cylinders.
on clay would be just as easy as any other kind of
screen printing. The silkscreen process gives a nice Making a Silkscreen
sharp image because while the wet ink is squeezed A silkscreen is a fine mesh of monofilament poly-
through the screen, the dry paper or fabric binds ester fabric that pigments pass through, unless a

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 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
1. To make a silkscreen, burn a transparency into photo
emulsion by shining a light onto the screen.
3. Smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles, then blot
away excess water with a clean cloth.
masking material blocks it. One of the simplest
ways to get pictures onto silkscreens is to use a
light-sensitive photo emulsion (figure 1).
To use, squeegee a thin, even coat onto a clean,
dry silkscreen and allow to dry in a dark place.
When dry, place a positive black-and-white or
halftone image printed on a transparency onto the
screen held in place by a clear piece of glass. Shine
a bright light through the transparency, creating
an exposure on the photo emulsion. Where the
transparency is clear, light will pass through onto
the light-sensitive emulsion, causing it to harden.
Where the transparency is printed, the ink will
block the light and the emulsion underneath will
remain soft.
When the exposure is complete, run water
through the screen and the soft, unexposed areas
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PHOTOS: TIM HAVENS
2. Dampen a piece of newsprint on the glass with a
wet sponge.
4. Place the screen over the damp newsprint and
sprinkle black pigment onto the screen.
will wash out. Exposure time depends on the type
of emulsion used, the kind of light source, and the
distance between the light and the screen. Since the
quality of the print will degrade at each step, start
with a good print on the transparency. I prefer to
use a computer with Photoshop software and print
out the transparency myself. The advantage of us-
ing a computer is that you can easily resize, crop,
increase contrast or otherwise alter the image. Con-
verting the image to a halftone is also easy, and I can
do color separation for multicolor printing.
Printing Process
After the transparency has been burned into the
screen, washed out and dried, it is ready for print-
ing. For printing, I mix 50% Mason stains with
50% clear glaze (dry). The clear glaze helps fuse the
print on during the bisque firing. My work surface
 Screening
5. Use a stenciling brush to push the powdered pig-
ment through the screen onto the newsprint.
7. Use the lightbox beneath the glass to help line up
the second screen.
is a sheet of glass placed over a lightbox. Dampen a
piece of newsprint on the glass with a wet sponge
(figure 2). Smooth out any wrinkles or air bubbles,
then blot away excess water with a clean cloth (fig-
ure 3). The newsprint should be wet but not so wet
that water can be squeezed out of it.
Place the screen over the damp newsprint and
sprinkle black pigment onto the screen (figure 4).
Use a stenciling brush to push the powdered pig-
ment through the screen onto the newsprint (fig-
ure 5). Depending on the openness of the screen
mesh, you may need to go over the screen several
times to get enough pigment through onto the pa-
per. Remove the screen to reveal the black channel
printed (figure 6).
The trick is to use the right amount of pressure
on the brush and to keep the screen close to the
6. Remove the screen to reveal the black channel printed.
8. Check the quality of the print on the paper before
transferring it to the clay.
paper without touching it. If too much pressure is
used, the screen will touch the wet paper and the
pores will clog. If the screen is too far from the pa-
per the pigment will spread out as it falls, creating
a blurry image. Make sure your screen is tight and
unwarped and use shims or weights to hold it about
two millimeters above the surface of the paper. If
the screen gets blocked or the print looks too light,
use a dry brush to clean both sides. Use the lightbox
to line up the screen with the already printed image
to screen more pigment where needed.
Adding Color
To print with more than one color, there are two
possibilities. Different colors can be brushed
through different areas of the same screen, like
brushing colors onto a woodblock for printing. Or
a more precise way to use multiple colors, neces-
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 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
9. Use the back of a spoon or a burnishing tool to rub
the print onto the clay.
11. Place the printed slab face down onto an internal
plate mold and trim off the excess clay.
sary for color halftones, would be to use a different
screen for each color. Be sure to create registration
marks on each screen so you can easily line them
up. Use the lightbox beneath the glass to help line
up the second screen (figure 7). Start printing with
dark colors first and finish with light. While four-
color printing is possible, good results can often be
achieved with only two colors.
Work quickly and carefully so that all the colors
are printed on the paper before it dries out. Check
the quality of the print on the paper before trans-
ferring it to the clay (figure 8). The order of the
layers of color will be reversed when transferred
to clay. If it’s unsatisfactory, set the paper aside to
dry and try again. When it has dried, the pigment
will easily brush off and the paper can be reused.
120
10. Slowly peel the paper away, checking to make sure
all areas of the print have been transferred to the clay.
12. After the plate has set up, it can be taken from the
mold and cleaned up.
Transferring the Print
When the print on paper is good enough, care-
fully spread the newsprint onto the clay, print
side down, avoiding wrinkles or bubbles. The clay
should be wet to leather hard. Use the back of a
spoon or a burnishing tool to rub the print onto
the clay (figure 9). Slowly peel the paper away,
checking to make sure all areas of the print have
been transferred to the clay (figure 10). Avoid
touching the printed surface until the clay has
been bisqued. Place the printed slab face down
onto an internal plate mold and trim off the ex-
cess clay (figure 11). Compress the slab into the
mold using a wheel, then throw a foot ring. After
the plate has set up, it can be taken from the mold
and cleaned up (figure 12).
Screening
THERMAL SCREEN PRINTING
by Alice Drew

Years ago I decided to take Ayumi Ho-

rie's advice and explore the idea of ap-
plying silkscreen printed imagery on
my work. I started out with the tra-
ditional screen-printing method of
applying photo emulsion to a screen
and exposing it in a dark room us-
ing ultraviolet light. The screens
worked well, but were large, cum-
bersome, and took up a lot of space.
When I returned home at the end
of the internship, I noticed that my
father, a local high school art teacher,
was using a Thermofax machine (also
called a transparency maker) to make
silkscreens with his design students. It was
a much faster way to make a screen, and it
didn’t require a dark room or light table.
Slab-built pitcher with
After my father retired, the teacher who images created using a
replaced him decided not to use the Thermo- Thermofax machine.
fax and it found its way onto the loading dock to
seemingly obsolete machine is a great tool for ce-
be thrown out. My dad grabbed it, and brought it
ramic artists who want to create screenprinted im-
home for me. The machine was made by 3M and
agery on their work. The Thermofax can be used
is called “The Secretary”.
with a special type of silkscreen material to create
Thermofax Machines stencils of any high contrast image.
Thermo-Fax (also spelled Thermofax) is a trade- New and used Thermofax machines can be
marked name from 3M Corporation for a pho- found at school district and university surplus stor-
tocopying technology from the early 1950s. It’s a age and warehouse sales and they often have great
type of thermographic printing that relies on heat deals on them. In the US, Welsh Products (www.
and the presence of carbon-containing ink. This diyprintsupply.com) sells refurbished Thermofax

121
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
machines, and they run from $700–$1000. They
also sell new machines made by the Panenka com-
pany and replacement parts for older machines. If
you search on eBay for “thermofax machine,” there
are usually many 3M-brand models available. Note:
All the old models are reliable except for 3M Model
no. 45EGA. This model was a known fire hazard,
and even those that were retrofitted by 3M cannot
be guaranteed to work safely.
Screen Supplies
To create a screen from a Thermofax, make a high-
resolution (300 dpi) photocopy, laser print, or
drawing with a high-carbon-based ink. Images that
are line drawings with a small amount of grada-
tion work best. Note: To work directly with a hand-
drawn image instead of a photocopy or print, use
a drawing implement that contains a high enough
carbon content to react with the Thermofax. The
following will work: black Sharpie pens, Pentel Col-
or Pens, Tombow Bush Pens, Itoya Fine Point (non
permanent), Piga Micron, Pitt Pens, Zig Calligra-
phy, Staedlter Pigment Liners, Rapidograph Ultra
Draw, Stabilo (all), Ritmo Charcoal, china mark-
ers (wax pencil/grease pencil), Staedtler 2B pencils,
Sanford Uni-Ball pens, and black crayon. (Source:
www.thermofaxconfidential.blogspot.com)
For the screen, use RISO thermal screen film
(also called SwiftScreen), which you can get from
Welsh Products or search the Internet. The screen
material comes in large rolls of various widths or
as precut sheets. There are different mesh sizes (70
and 120) available. Most companies recommend
the 70 mesh for ceramic applications, due to the
particle size of our materials, and that’s what I also
recommend. The smaller mesh size makes crisper
images­—think of the holes in the screen like pix-
els. Having 120 threads per inch creates smaller
squares as opposed to 70 threads per inch, allowing
for smoother curves and finer detail—but the finer
mesh may get clogged by larger particles in slips and
underglazes. Finally, you’ll need duct tape to protect
and seal the edges of the screen, keep it flat, and cre-
ate an impermeable border.
122
On a Thermofax, the screen and image feed in through
the back and the burned screen comes out the front.
Making the Screen
RISO film is a silkscreen product that has a thin
sheet of plastic bonded to one side of the screen.
The other side is matt/textured. Lay the Riso sheet
over the image with the shiny side touching the
ink or toner side of the paper with your image
on it and send it through the Thermofax. The
Thermofax burns away the plastic screen back-
ing wherever there is carbon (either the ink or
printer/photocopy toner) on the paper. The rest
of the plastic coating remains intact, and this is
what resists the ink or underglaze. Every machine
is slightly different so read the instruction manual
and test the settings to see which speed works best
for the photocopy. After you peel the screen off the
paper, line the edges with duct tape.
Thermofax Services
If you want to just experiment with this technique
without investing in a Thermofax, there are sev-
eral businesses that will create thermal screens for
you. Visit www.thermofaxconfidential.blogspot.
com and refer to “Thermofax Services” to start.
Slabs Are Best
This particular screen printing process works very
well for handbuilders using slabs, as the clay must
be completely flat to pull a clear, crisp image. It’s
possible to screen print on a thrown object, pro-
viding that the sides are straight and smooth, but
the results are not the same. I have experimented
with different forms and handbuilding techniques
 Screening
1. Send the film and paper through the Thermofax. The
burned screen and paper come out immediately.
3. Apply a thickened underglaze over the area you
want to print using a soft brush.
to see which works best with this printing process.
I began printing on thrown cups and bowls that
I cut up, printed, and reassembled. However, be-
cause of warping and drying issues, I now build
everything with slabs and use press and slump
molds to form pieces after printing on the slabs.
This works much better with my techniques for
screen printing.
Printing on Clay
Prepare a soft leather-hard slab of clay for print-
ing. If you’re planning to form a vessel, cut it to
the shape you want using a template, so you can
accurately place the image. The slab can be up to a
firm leather hard if you don’t plan to manipulate
it after printing.
When printing, start with lighter colors (the
background) and build up to darker, brighter,
2. Place the screen shiny side down, and gently press
on it making sure it’s sealed to the clay.
4. Peel one corner (or half) of the screen away from the
clay to see how opaque the image is on the surface.
bolder colors and patterns on top (foreground).
After making a screen with the Thermofax ma-
chine, peel the screen away from the photocopy
(figure 1). Cover the edges with duct tape to keep
the screen flat and protect the edges. Place the
screen shiny side down on the clay, and gently
press on it in a sweeping motion, making sure it’s
sealed to the clay (figure 2). If it’s not sealed, the
underglaze will seep under the screen and leave a
bleed mark and a blurry image.
Apply thick underglaze with a brush over the
image area (figure 3). If the underglaze is too wa-
tery, the image will not be crisp and clear. Start out
with a drier brush and add more underglaze a lit-
tle at a time. It doesn’t require a lot of underglaze
to print the image. Note: I use Laguna, Amaco
LUG, and Coyote Clay underglazes. I’ve used slip
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 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
5. Layer additional colors. Here the outline of the ship
is registered over the blue silhouette that’s still visible.
7. Apply underglazes from background to foreground,
and generally layer darker colors over lighter ones.
colored with commercial stains, and that works
well too. Test your underglazes to see if they are
suitable for screen printing.
Peel one corner (or half) of the screen away from
the clay to see how opaque the image is (figure 4).
For a more opaque result, place the corner of the
screen back down and brush over with more color.
Continue to layer different images and col-
ors over the previous image (figures 5–7). When
printing directly over other images, a ghost image
may appear on the back of the screen. Gently wipe
off the back of the screen before printing again.
After printing each image, lay the screen on a
towel face up and wipe with a damp (not soak-
ing) sponge using cold or room-temperature wa-
ter. Wipe dry with a towel, and do the same to the
under side of the screen. (Do not run the screens
124
6. Thickened underglaze is painted over the ship’s
outline then the screen is removed and cleaned.
8. Create the round slab for the bottom. Apply a pat-
tern that echoes the image on the slab.
directly under water.) Store the screens in an area
away from heat and direct sunlight.
When you’ve finished printing the last image,
lightly dust the entire slab with cornstarch, then
carefully brush it off with a soft bristle brush. The
cornstarch seals the printed surface, allowing the
clay to be manipulated without distorting the
printed imagery.
Making a Pitcher
Once the underglaze or slip has lost its sheen, it’s
safe to form the slab into a vessel either by hand or
using press and hump molds.
Cut a round slab for the bottom using a biscuit
cutter and apply a pattern that works with the rest
of the piece (figure 8). Brush the side edges of the
larger slab with water and score with a sharp tool (I
use an X-Acto knife).
 Screening
9. Stand the slab up and attach the scored sides. Use a
printmaking brayer to smooth the edge.
11. Using a damp sponge, gradually stretch the form
from the inside out from about halfway up the wall.
Stand the slab up and attach the scored sides. Use
a printmaking brayer or pony roller to smooth the
edge (figure 9). Place a ½-inch-diameter coil along
the inside seam and blend smooth.
Attach the bottom (figure 10). I use a biscuit cut-
ter to cut out the bottoms of my pitchers and cups.
It’s faster than cutting by hand, and makes a per-
fectly round circle.
Place the cylinder on a banding wheel. Lightly
spray the inside with water, then, using a damp
elephant ear sponge, gradually stretch the form
from the inside out. Push the form out a little over
10. Attach the bottom of the cylinder. Add a coil on
the inside to reinforce the join and blend it in.
12. Roll a brayer vertically around the cylinder to collar the
neck inward. Stop below the rim to preserve the flare.
halfway up the inside wall, continually turning the
wheel and pulling up and out on the cylinder, put-
ting slightly more pressure on the clay halfway up to
create a widening curve (figure 11). Turn the band-
ing-wheel, and roll the brayer vertically against the
clay to push the wall inward on the top third of the
cylinder to collar the neck and flare the rim (fig-
ure 12). Gently pinch and pull the rim up in a 3- to
4-inch wide area, forming a hill- or dome-like curve
opposite from the seam. Using a small amount of
water, smooth out the curve creating a slight edge.
Shape the spout by pushing in on either side of
125
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
13. Shape the spout by first pushing in on either side of
the dome with your thumb and index finger.
15. Cut the handle to length, then slip, score and at-
tach the bottom below the belly of the pitcher.
the dome with your thumb and index finger (fig-
ure 13). Next, shape the throat. Starting at the bel-
ly of the pitcher, directly below the spout, drag two
fingers along the inside all the way up to the top of
the spout (see figure 16). Press in along the both
sides of the throat to define the channel. Do not
drag your fingers along the outside or you might
distort or smear the imagery.
Make a handle and attach it last along the seam,
directly opposite from the spout (figures 14 and
15). Attach it just below the rim at the top, and
where the belly of the pitcher swells at the bot-
126
14. Create a handle from a slab or a flattened or pulled
coil. Score and attach the top opposite from the spout.
16. Dry the form slowly, first under plastic, then uncov-
ered, before bisque firing.
tom. The width of the spout should be the same
as the width of the handle (where it is attached at
the top of the pitcher). When finished, allow the
piece to dry slowly, then bisque fire. I use a clear
cone 6 glaze and fire in an electric kiln. Be sure
to test your glazes layered over the underglazes on
test tiles first before using them on finished pieces
to make sure they are all compatible.
Screening
SCREENING MULTI-COLOR IMAGES ON CLAY
by Paul Andrew Wandless

Amy Santoferraro combines just about any pro-

cess, method or material with clay if it enables
her to ultimately achieve the visual result her
work requires. She’s not alone in combining dif-
ferent methods and techniques with clay for new
and more efficient ways to create work. It’s more
popular than ever these days to seek out different
processes to use with clay and the work created is
aesthetically exciting and fresh as a result.
One such combination of processes is screen
printing directly onto clay, then using plaster
molds with thick springy foam to press-form the
Amy Santoferraro creatively combines different meth-
clay slabs into a variety of shapes. This method ods and techniques to create exciting and fresh work.
is fairly quick to do from start to finish and has
even earned the name “Plate-O-Matic” due to its
ease of use and predictable reliability.
slab, and the second stage is to press-form the
Ceramic artist Linda Casbon was giving a col-
printed slab with a plaster hump mold into a
lectors workshop at Watershed Center for the
thick, springy piece of foam.
Ceramic Arts and Amy was her assistant. Linda
taught this method (which she learned from one Silkscreening Images
of her students) to Amy during this time. Amy Amy transfers images onto clay using a silkscreen
has since put her own unique twist on the ba- process. In this example, she begins with a rect-
sic process using screens. I always enjoy hearing angular-shaped slab of clay about ³/8-inch thick,
these stories about how everyone learns from which she smooths with a rubber rib. The slab
each other regardless of who is the teacher and should be roughly 3 inches larger than the hump
who is the student! Clay folk are always happy to mold you’re planning on using to assure it con-
learn from anyone and then share with everyone. forms to the whole shape. (Note: Amy uses terra
You can create a shallow platter with a two- cotta for this demo, but any clay body can be used.)
color, screen printed image using the following For a base color, she then coats the surface with
two-stage process. The first stage is to create the porcelain slip (figure 1) brushed evenly across
image by screening directly onto a prepped clay the entire surface with a wide brush. Once the

127
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
Tools and supplies for this process
include simple hump/drape molds
and 3-inch blocks of soft foam.
Texturing tools, cutters and printing
supplies are all optional.
1. Prepare a slab and coat with slip.
slip dries a bit and the shine is gone, she smooths
it with a rubber rib to remove any brush marks
(figure 2). Although porcelain slip is used here,
you can use any white or tinted slip—whatever
background you want for your piece. Tip: Prep
two or three slabs at a time so you have extras to
work with.
Screen a Two-Color Image
To make a two-color print, Amy uses two screens
with images burned into them using diazo pho-
tosensitive emulsion. Each screen is printed using
a different color with the first screen being the
background pattern and the second screen the
primary image.
Commercial underglazes need to be the right
consistency for silkscreening to avoid bleeding
edges on the image. To get underglazes to the
128
2. Use a rib to smooth the surface.
consistency of honey, Amy leaves them open
overnight so some of the water can evaporate.
Before printing on the clay, you need to load
the open areas of the silkscreen with color. Amy
applies a bead of underglaze across the length
of the screen (figure 3), then using a squeegee
with a stiff rubber blade, she draws the under-
glaze across the screen into the open areas (figure
4). Next, she applies another bead of slip on the
screen then carefully lowers the screen onto the
clay slab (figures 5–6). Once in place, she screens
the image onto the slab creating a background of
light blue circles (figure 7).
The second screen has several images in it so
Amy uses wax paper on the bottom of the screen
to block out all the images not being used (fig-
ure 8). The screen is then “loaded” with thick-
 Screening

3. Place a bead of slip on the silkscreen. 4. Use a squeegee to charge the screen.

5. Place another bead of slip on the screen. 6. Carefully place the screen over the slab.

ened black underglaze, lined up over the slab

and screened over the blue circles (figure 9). The
finished image is left to dry for 15–20 minutes or
until it’s dry to the touch. Once the image is dry,
check the slab to see if it has stiffened enough to
handle but is still flexible (figure 10).

Forming the Plate

Center the clay slab on a piece of thick springy
foam and use a damp sponge to clean the surface
of the plaster hump mold (figure 11). Be sure the
piece of foam is larger than the mold being used.
Place the mold over the area of the print that
will be the final composition, taking into con-
sideration how the shape and depth of the mold
will interact with the image you created. Trim a
wide border, leaving enough clay to conform to
the mold (figure 12) and remove the excess slab. 7. Squeegee slip to transfer the design to the slab.

129
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
8. Mask off areas of the screen you will not use.
10. Allow one slab to set up, but be careful to make
sure it is still flexible.
Keep your trimming tool handy because you’ll
need it after forming the plate.
Place both hands on the mold and press with
slow even pressure until the back of the mold is
roughly even with the surface of the foam (figure
13). While keeping pressure on the mold, trim and
remove excess clay from the edge of the mold to
create the rim (figure 14). Amy cuts at an angle
so the rim also acts as a border. If you cut straight
down, the rim will have more of an edge where the
image or design would end at the perimeter.
Finishing Touches
To finish the plate, keep one hand on the mold,
and flip the plate and remove the foam. Use a rub-
ber rib to smooth the bottom of the plate (figure
15). Once the bottom is finished, flip the plate
130
9. A second screen with a second color is added.
11. Place slab on foam rubber and prepare a mold.
back over and remove the mold (figure 16). Finish
the rim with a Surform tool and rubber rib.
Amy hand-glazed additional images on her
plate. The finished piece looks wonderful and was
simple to make. Once you have prepared slabs,
this whole press forming process should only take
about 15 minutes per plate.
Remember that the hump mold you’re using
must be slightly smaller than the slab so you’re
sure to get a good rim after pressing into the foam.
The foam itself needs to be at least 4 inches thick
and “springy” so you can achieve good depth in
the plates or bowls. Seat cushions work well or you
can get thick springy foam at a craft store.
 Screening

12. Trim excess clay from the slab before pressing. 13. Use even pressure and press mold into clay.

14. Hold mold down and trim remaining excess. 15. Keep slab on mold and use rib to smooth the
surface.

16. Place the completed piece on flat surface and remove mold.

131
 Screening
IMAGE TRANSFER FOR VOLUMETRIC FORMS
by Forrest Lesch-Middelton
Five minaret bottles, to 18
in. (46 cm) in height, iron
rich stoneware with iron
transfer patterns, fired to
cone 9, reduction-cooled.
My work is planned layer-by-layer, both literally
and figuratively. I start with an idea, a pot that to
me has the feel of a weathered place prominent
in my lifetime that has also stood the test of time.
Once the layers and materials are chosen, the pro-
cess begins with a pattern.
Prepare the Screen
The patterns I use primarily come from the his-
tory of the Silk Road, which, to me, is a time and
place in history that began to define the modern
era. I fine-tune each pattern to a specific size and
line density with the aid of Adobe Photoshop or
Illustrator. By importing the image and adjusting
color and contrast, I arrive at a black, photo-ready
positive to be printed on a polyester laser trans-
parency. The printed transparency is then laid
over a light-sensitive photo silkscreen, exposed
132
to light, and then washed out to create the final
screen. When using ceramic materials as a screen-
ing medium, a 156-mesh screen is best. I order
pre-exposed screens through a company in Van-
couver, Washington, called Ryonet (www.ryonet.
com). Send them an image, they send you a fin-
ished screen.
Prepare the Printing Medium
When printing with ceramic materials, it is impor-
tant to use a printing medium compatible with the
ceramic process. For colors, I use straight Crocus
Martis, a naturally occurring 50/50 mix of black
and red iron oxide, because it suits the very spe-
cific aesthetic needs of my work. You can use any
ceramic oxide or stain.
The trick to my surfaces lies in transferring the
image from the screen to the clay. For that you
 Screening

1. Screening slip ink onto the transfer newsprint. 2. Coating the image on newsprint with deflocculated
slip using a hake brush.

3. Carefully placing transfer newsprint around slip- 4. Bellying out the cylinder to create a pitcher, stretch-
coated cylinder. ing the pattern along with the form.

need a screening medium and some 25–30 pound

newsprint. The recipe that I have found works best
for a screening medium is a thick, white slip that
is deflocculated to the consistency of sour cream.
Deflocculating the slip allows it to become fluid
with a smaller percentage of added water, which
means it will not saturate or break down the news-
print when screened, and dries to a usable state
more quickly. For color, add stain to the slip, mix
it, and sieve through a 160-mesh screen.
Next, add wet wallpaper paste (a starch-based
glue that adheres the screened image to the news-
print) at a ratio of one-fifth the total volume of the

Large pitcher, 11¾ in. (30 cm) in height, iron rich

stoneware with iron transfer pattern, fired to cone 9,
reduction-cooled.

133
 Image & Design Transfer Techniques
slip. I have found that Roman’s brand wallpaper
paste for unpasted wallpaper works best because
you can pour it straight from the jug into your
screening medium.
Printing
After mixing, place a line or bead of the medium
at the top of your screen and press it through onto
a piece of newsprint using a printmaking squeegee
(figure 1). Once the image is on the paper, it only
needs 20 minutes or so to dry and it is ready to use.
When the transfer is re-wetted at a later time by
painting a slip over the surface, it is able to stick to
another surface (think temporary tattoo)!
Measuring the Form
In order to get each pattern to register around
a thrown cylinder correctly, I have found ju-
nior high school geometry (like circumference
= π × diameter) comes in handy. First, tear or cut
the pattern so that the pattern lines up correctly
when wrapped end-to-end into a cylinder. Next,
measure the length of the pattern with a metric
ruler. This measurement will be the circumference
of your cylinder. Once the image is measured, di-
vide the total length by 3.14 and round down to
get the diameter of the cylinder. For example: 33
cm/3.14=10.509, or 10.5 cm. Set your calipers to
10.5 cm and you are set to throw a cylinder. Each
cylinder should be completely vertical and exactly
10.5 cm across.
Four cups, 4½ in. (11 cm) in height, iron rich stoneware with iron transfer patterns, fired to cone 9, reduction-cooled.
134
Transfer the Pattern
Coat the freshly-thrown cylinder with the plain
deflocculated slip using a hake brush (figure 2).
The deflocculated slip will dry more quickly, and
will not add as much water to the form as a regular
slip. This speeds up the drying process, allowing
you to add the transfer sooner for more produc-
tivity. When the cylinder is coated evenly with
the slip, coat the newsprint transfer on the side
that contains the image. Once both surfaces are
tacky to the touch, lift the newsprint off the table
and stick it to the pot by wrapping it around the
surface end to end (figure 3), trying not to trap
air bubbles (students say that this is the trickiest
part). Use a flexible metal rib to adhere the news-
print gingerly to the cylinder with vertical strokes,
starting at the bottom and moving upward. Once
attached, peel off the newsprint and your image is
transferred to the cylinder.
Final Forming
Once the image is in place it should not be touched
or agitated in any way or it will smear. In order to
add volume to the image-laden vertical form, you
must belly the pot out from the interior (figure 4).
One issue that arose for me in working this way
was the amount of torque that a wheel puts on the
soft clay cylinder while it is spinning. To eliminate
too much twisting, I carefully monitor the pattern
while the pot spins, watching for twists. As a twist
occurs in the pattern, I simply begin to spin the
wheel in reverse and further belly out the form to
counteract the distortion.

Paul Andrew Wandless currently
lives and works in Chicago creating
art that combines ceramic processes
and printmaking techniques to
create clay prints that are also
incorporated into freestanding and
wall-mounted clay sculpture. In
addition to authoring several books
and numerous magazine articles,
Wandless is also featured in Ceramic
Art Daily’s video Fundamentals of
Screen Printing On Clay featuring
his techniques. Wandless holds an
MFA from Arizona State University,
an MA from Minnesota State
University-Mankato, and a BFA from
University of Delaware.
IMAGE & DESIGN Ceramic
TRANSFER Arts
Handbook
TECHNIQUES Series
Edited by Paul Andrew Wandless
For many years, ceramic artists have used printmaking, drawing
IMAGE & DESIGN TRANSFER TECHNIQUES
and photography to enhance the surface of their work. Using
underglazes, slips, and glazes it’s entirely possible to take
advantage many 2-D mediums to decorate both functional and
sculptural work.
Image & Design Transfer Techniques covers more than thirty
techniques that can be used on greenware, bisqueware and
glazeware. You’ll discover ways to create and transfer images
and designs using appliqué and paper transfers, decals, stencils,
silkscreening, etching, stamping, embossing, and more.
An expert printmaker-turned-clay artist, Paul Andrew Wandless
presents you with many of his own discoveries where he found
clay receptive to his many printmaking skills. In addition,
he includes the methods of many talented artists who have
developed a variety of applications that can add a whole new
dimension to your clay surfaces.
Whether you’re looking for the perfect book to start decorating
or you need expert information to expand your skill set, Image &
Design Transfer Techniques contains a wealth of information for
every clay lover.
Wandless
The American Ceramic Society
www.CeramicArtsDaily.org
Printed in China