Our ceramic transfers have a lacquer coat covering the whole sheet, so you need to cut around the individual prints to separate them out. To release the decal, the transfers have to be soaked in water. The decal will curl up initially and when it uncurls can be slid off the backing paper and applied to the surface to be decorated. Don’t rush this process as you could stretch the decal. Use a rubber squeegee to remove excess water trapped between the transfer and the ceramic and allow to dry thoroughly before firing.
FotoCeramic transfers work best on glazed ceramics or fused glass. An in-glaze transfers system is available which can be fired to the glaze softening temperature allowing the toners to sink into the glaze.
It is also possible to use them on bisque (unglazed) ware by applying a diluted PVA solution to stick the transfer down prior to firing. This can be problematic though, and we can give no assurance that the transfers will work on any particular bisque ware. Alternatively a proprietary adhesive called EMSOLRed (from Vibrantz Ltd) is available on request for the same purpose.
Recommended firing temperatures
We suggest a firing rate of 100°C per hour to 300°C and then 300°C per hour to the peak temperature:
| Toner type | Peak temperature °C | Soak time (minutes) |
| Standard set | 780 to 860 | 20 to 30 |
| Unleaded set | 820 to 880 | 20 to 30 |
| Red toner set | 780 to 800 | 1 to 10 |
| Fused glass | 660 to 720 | 1 to 10 |
| Enamel ware | 720 to 780 | 1 to 10 |
| In-glaze set | 1060 to 1180 | 20 to 30 |
The above firing temperatures serve only as a guide and perfectly acceptable results can be achieved with a fast cycle up the maximum and no soak. If you’re new to using digital ceramic decals we advise a test firing to check all is well. If the colours are weak after firing, then you’ve probably fired it too high. Yellow and black are the most stable colours and will remain after the cyan, red, and magenta have faded.