FACT SHEET – TISSUE TRANSFERS
- handle transfers with care – do not fold, or expose to moisture or leave in direct sunlight
- Transfers are best glazed with a clear gloss, ideally to stoneware temperature (1280-1300c). Firing to earthenware temperatures (1100c) will result in an underfired powdery and friable result. Coloured transparent glazes will produce a different result, so testing is advised.
Applying your transfers
- On soft clay : place the transfer image side down in the desired position and brush the back of the transfer with a moist firm brush with even pressure. Leave for 1-2 minutes Test the success of the transfer by lifting a corner of the tissue paper. If it is not quite taken leave for a further 1-2 minutes. Peel the tissue paper away. The soft clay form can now be manipulated and altered, and the transfer will do the same, potentially creating a more abstract image.
- On leather hard or bone dry clay : place the transfer image side down in the desired position
on the firm clay and brush the back of the transfer with a moist firm brush and even pressure. Leave for 1-2 minutes. Test the success of the transfer by lifting a corner of the tissue paper. If it is not quite taken leave for a further 1-2 minutes. Peel the tissue paper away. Once the image is fully dry, additional underglazes or slip (on leatherhard surfaces) can be applied over the transfer. Sgrafitto can also be incorporated into the design. Once the form is fully dry it can be bisque fired, glazed with a transparent coloured glaze or clear glaze, then glaze fired to the appropriate temperature. - On bisque fired clay : place the transfer image side down in the desired position on the fired clay surface and brush the back of the transfer with a moist firm brush and even pressure. Leave for 1-2 minutes. Test the success of the transfer by lifting a corner of the tissue paper. If it is not quite taken leave for a further 1-2 minutes. Peel the tissue paper away. Additional underglazes can then be applied, and once dry, a transparent coloured glaze or clear glaze can be applied, and fired to the appropriate temperature.
- Single firing without glaze : Apply the transfer as described above and fire the green clay to at least 1200-1300 C. This gives a great effect on clays such as terracotta (1200c) and raku clays (1300c) giving the end result a ‘stone-like effect’.
- Maiolica Effect : apply an earthenware brush-on glaze to your bisque ware, allow it to dry, then apply the tissue transfer on top of the raw glaze as described above, then fire the form to earthenware glaze temperature (1100-1180C) The transfer will fuse with the brush on glaze avoiding the underfired appearance described above.
* Tissue transfers are printed with a water soluble medium combined with a colourant (oxide,
underglaze etc)
*Do not leave your paper transfers on the form to burn out as this will produce a powdery residue
* Transfers can be cut with scissors to fit your project.
* Transfers will only fit a curve in one direction; they will overlap if trying to fit a bellied or domed form. To fit these forms cut your transfers into pieces to fit.
* Transfers stretch slightly when wet, but will tear if stretched too far.