Overglaze Decal Tips
The Ceramic Shop is excited to introduce a new line of overglaze decals by Milestone Decal Art LLC! These easy-to-use decals come in a wide variety of patterns, ranging from cool little bikes and boomboxes to beautiful flowers, birds, insects, and trees. These decals are now available in a variety of flat colors – see the pull-down menu for each design for color availability. Also be sure to check out our gold- and silver-luster decals if you’re looking to add a little metallic shine to your work!
Each decal sheet measures 4” x 5.25”, and features several decals that can be cut out and applied to your glazed works.
Applying your decal:
1. Begin by removing the wax paper that is protecting the decal, if present. (If it is present, it will be obvious, don’t worry!)
2. The decals are water slide release, which means that the decal is printed on paper that is coated with a water-release adhesive made out of cornstarch. Thoroughly wet the decal in a bowl of warm water until it uncurls – this usually takes 30 seconds to one minute. Do NOT let the decal sit for more than a minute or two in the water!
3. Place the wet decal on top of your glazed ware. You should find that the decal releases easily from the backing paper with little or no resistance. If you find that the decal is not releasing, however, quickly re-wet and allow the decal another few seconds to allow the glue to soften.
4. When properly wetted, the decal will slide straight from the backing paper and should NOT be flipped over. Gently position the decals as desired on clean, glazed ware. Using a small squeegee (a soft rubber rib is great for this), and a lint-free cloth, gently press and push the water from the center of the decal toward the edge of the decal. You should follow a clockwise motion around the piece, starting with a gentle push and increasing the pressure by increments at the end of each rotation. Ideally, your goal here is to squeeze all water and air bubbles from underneath the decal.
5. Once applied, you shouldn’t be able to move the decal. Clean the surface with a damp, lint-free towel to remove any water marks, and then use a dry lint-free towel to wipe it clean. We suggest allowing the decorated wares to sit in a dry environment overnight, or wait at LEAST a couple of hours before firing.
FIRING YOUR DECALS:
It is VERY important to make sure that your kiln is well-ventilated up to 100F, and that the decals should be fired VERY slowly below 500F.
Digital controller firing program:
1. 100F per hour up to 140F, soak 30 minutes
2. 100F per hour up to 190F, soak for 30 minutes
3. 250F per hour up to 450F, soak for 20 minutes
4. 600F per hour up to 1000F, soak for 10 minutes
5. 1000F per hour up to 1465F, soak for 15 minutes
Please keep in mind that every kiln is a little different, so you may need to tweak the suggested program to better fit your kiln’s calibration.
Cone firing program:
On porcelain and ceramic, fire at cone 016 or 017. If you have a slow setting on your kiln, you can use it for the first part of the firing (below 500F).
Cone 6 Overglaze Decals
Application of Cone 6 decals is identical to standard overglaze decals, but the firing schedule is a bit different:
Digital controller firing program:
1. 80F per hour up to 185F, hold 20 minutes
2. 185F per hour up to 400F, hold for 15 minutes
3. 250F per hour up to 700F, hold for 15 minutes
4. 1000F per hour up to 1920F, soak for 10 minutes
Luster Decal Tips
On glass, fire your kiln to 1250°F; on porcelain and other ceramics, fire your kiln to 1380°F. Easy!