How to Make Pottery Decals

Add interesting decals to your pottery using transparency sheets.

Many artists find that colorful decals can add visual interest to their pottery work. With the right tools and supplies, you can make your own decals to create personalized pieces of art to use or display in your home. Decals can also be used to create a series of related pieces you can put up for sale or give to friends and family.

Things You'll Need

• Printer
• Acetate transparency sheets
• Emulsion mix
• Glass-covered image screen
• Squeegee
• Lamp with 200-watt bulb
• Masking tape
• Straight-edge weights
• Decal paper
• China paint
• Cover coat
• Kiln

Instructions

1. Choose the image you want to make into a decal. Print or copy this image onto an acetate transparency sheet.

2. Cover the screen with an even coat of emulsion mix using a squeegee. Place the transparency sheet on the screen and cover it with a piece of glass. According to Ceramics Today, describing a technique used by Rimas VisGirda, the screen should be placed under a lamp and exposed for 12 minutes using a 200-watt bulb.

3. Wash the screen gently using cold water, ensuring all of the emulsion mix is removed. The image will turn light blue. Allow the screen to dry completely.

4. Secure the decal paper in place with masking tape. Use sturdy weights with a straight edge---such as thick, hardcover books---to align the screen directly over the decal paper so the transparency and the paper line up. Ceramics Today also suggests bricks as an option for aligning your materials.

5. Place a small amount of china paint along one edge of the image on the screen. Use a squeegee to spread the paint delicately over the image surface. Once the paint is evenly spread, move the squeegee across the image again, pressing down firmly. The squeegee should be held at a 45-degree angle to the table, according to Ceramics Today.

6. Tape the decal paper to the wall and allow it to dry completely. Apply a cover coat with the squeegee then allow the decals to dry overnight on the wall.

7. Apply the decals to pottery by soaking the decals in water and smoothing them onto the surface of the piece, according to Ceramics Today. Allow the decals to dry, then fire the piece in a kiln.

Tips & Warnings

• For the best results, choose images that have little shading and clear lines.

References

• Ceramics Today: Enhancing Images With Decals