Ceramic Decals on Fine Silver

As a precious-metalsmith you have several techniques of using colour in your jewellery. Gemstones, the use of different metalcolours, emaille and resins offer many options. A ceramic transfer is a another way of applying colour with it's own specific features. This technique is borrowed from the ceramic industry.

The ceramic decals I use on fired metalclay are water-slide decals.
A water-slide decal is a paper with an image that must be dipped in water prior to its application. Upon contact with water, the glue is loosened and the decal can be removed or transfered from its backing. The backing or base surface is a special thicker paper. The "ink" which is used to silk-screen or print the image or pattern on the paper is made from ceramic onglazes. The words Decal and Transfer refer to the same technique.

After the decal is applied on a fine silver piece it is baked at ±750°C degree, which creates a permanent bond with the fine silver. This only works with fine silver or fine gold. It can be applied to finished metal clay, being fine silver, but not to sterling silver. This is due to the oxidation of the copper. (all colours in the transfer will turn black)
The colours created by this technique form a very thin permanent layer.

Ceramic onglaze transfers are basically made by two different techniques, Silk-screened or Digital-printed.
They each have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Read more about Silk-screened Decals
Read more about Digital Printed Decal

Transfer technique publication in leading US Jewelry magazine

The januari 2010 issue of the well-known american magazine Art Jewelry features an article by Helga van Leipsig describing Ceramic Decal-techniques on silverclay-jewels.
A meeting at the PMC 2008 conference in Purdue IL sparked the interest of Jill L. Erickson, one of the associated editors of Art Jewelry Magazine, resulting in an 7-page illustrated article in that magazine.
To make this fascinating technique available to interested metalclay-users a transfer material set offers a do-it-yourself introduction into its colourful possibilities.