Callie Beller Diesel Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Ok. The topic of how to get a logo stamped onto the side of a pot comes up a lot, and I wanted to post an alternative idea on how to get a detailed image onto the side of a pot. Frankly, I don't love the look of a cookie or boss stuck on the side of a form, so I thought rather than pressing an image into the clay, what about making a raised image with slip instead? I have a client that had some specific requirements about any font to be used in their promo material, and it was a bit too precise to cut by hand out of something like tar paper. I got the idea to have a stencil cut out of Mylar at a sign printing shop that has a plotter (see image 1). After a bit of trial and error, I got the idea to "silkscreen" the slip backwards onto a piece of newsprint (image 2, 3 and 4). Let the slip set up until there's only a slight sheen left, usually only 5 minutes, and then gently apply the newsprint to the side of a medium leather hard pot (image 5, and also see my gallery.) I do this at the same time I attach handles and roll the bottom of the mug. DO NOT pull the paper off! It's best to let the paper fall off by itself as the piece dries, or you'll distort any fine detail. The resulting image is best glazed with a glaze that breaks and pools somehow, like a celadon or something else translucent. (Image 6) Some notes: It's a subtle effect with an uncoloured slip, but it would be quite simple to add some sort of pigment to the slip. I just use slip made from the same clay body I throw with. Sieve any lumps or grog out. Trust me. It should be the same consistency as pudding or custard. I use the same slip to attach handles with. I use a pastry scraper as a silkscreen squeegee, but any firm rubber rib that has a wide enough flat edge will work. The cost of having the template in the pictures made was $25 CDN. In my area, it's comparable to having a rubber stamp made. Most of this charge is involved in setting up the plotter, so it's probably more cost effective to have more than one image cut at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted December 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Images 2 and 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted December 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Images 4 and 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted December 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Image 6: final product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Campbell Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Excellent idea ... I really like the fact that you made it out of the matching clay body thus eliminating a whole world of problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dale pots Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Wow I like it alot! I can see many ideas from this, its so much cleaner than adding a slab block. Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberta12 Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Callie, I had wondered how you got your phrase on those wonderful mugs. Thanks for sharing. We have a local printer/sign maker. I will have a chat with him. r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChenowethArts Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Not to sound too much like a commercial, but Ceramic Arts Daily has Jason Bige Burnette's The Graphic Pot video in the bookstore. I watched the teaser video and his newsprint transfer technique is definitely something that I want to look into very soon: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benzine Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Diesel, that's a terrific solution! So that is indeed mylar you use, for the "screen"? Paul, thanks for reposting that video. That's excellent. I've been doing a lot with inlays, using wax resist, this past year. This seems like something else I need to experiment with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantay Posted December 31, 2014 Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Diesel, thanks for this great information. The photos really help. I remember you mentioning this awhile back. I am surprised the logo shows up so well as thin as the layer of slip is. Does the mylar come in various thickness? I will be trying this out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted December 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 Benzine, it's the stiff Mylar, make sure it's not something thinner, like acetate. And Chantay, the thickness of the slip layer depends on how much pressure you apply to the squeegee. If you push too hard, the slip layer will be too thin, and you'll catch the rib on the finer details in the template and bend them. Too light, and you leave too much slip behind and it pools a bit. Play around with the first few; you'll get the feel of it quickly. I think my slip layer is about 1-2 mm thick, somewhere between 1/16" and 1/32". It looks like it'll get lost once it's bisqued, but flares to life again under the celadon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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