Image Transfer onto Clay

Opening a kiln continues to be like Christmas to me. Even when it is an ordinary firing I usually sneak in a little test or something a little different that keeps me interested. This morning I opened the kiln to see the first results of my 08 bisque firing of some image transfer tests I am doing for my Hands on History tile. My first glance into the kiln was of the test tiles with the inkjet transfers on them. All that is left is some clay and talc residue from the paper. The result were better as the lower layers of the kiln were revealed. Here are all the tiles out on my table. I tested 3 white clays, PSH 400 (an 04 white earthenware)on the far left, PSH 910 (porcelaneous cone 6) in the center, and Laguna Frost (cone 6 porcelain)on the right. I printed the images in 4 ways - on an HP inkjet at home, on a laser printer and a photocopier at Robert's work,and on a photocopier at the Big Bear near my house. The key to photo transfer is iron in the toner or the ink for the printer or photocopier. This is the case if you use regular paper on a printer or special decal paper. As can be seen from the photo there was a range from no image to a darkish red image left. The darkest image was on the tests where I used the laser printed images. The ink jet and the photocopier from Robert's work left no image. The photocopier at the corner store left a pale peach-coloured mark. I was elated to find images on some of the tiles as it can be difficult to find a printer or photocopier with iron in it. The photo on left shows the most interesting tile that came out of the firing. The paper with the image still on it remained intact but smaller. Both examples show how clearly the text is - at least at this stage. For all of these tests, I used images/photos that I would actually use for the final tile. The image on the far left is of one of the annual ribbons that the Bertrams and their staff wore at company picnics. The other is of an advertisement for their first business - Canada Tool Works. Images with text had to be flipped mirror image in Photoshop to read correctly as the paper with the image is applied face down onto the wet clay and rolled vigorously with a rolling pin to adhere it. I put the 04 tiles asside and set up tests for the cone 6 tiles that had an image left on them. My good friend Jane from Sheridan recommended the use of Duncan Concepts Clear Coat Ice Grey in a diluted format to lightly coat the images for the Cone 6 Firing.
I also tested a full-strength and a diluted format of my own cone 6 clear glaze Val Cushings Clear to see how it worked. What you are trying to avoid is having the iron eaten up by the glaze, hence the diluted format. For some of the tiles I diluted commercial underglazes to watercolour consistency and painted them first, followed by a coating of the ice grey. In this image I used chartreuse on the left and honey on the right. I kept detailed notes indicating what I did with the different test tiles. I then loaded them all up and they are firing as I write. This bisque also included the "black" clay tests I talked about in my previous blog for the "frame" of the final tile. The black clay - PSH 540i - turned a deep purple colour at 08. For this Cone 6 firing I tested various commercial gray glazes on top of this clay as well as on blank Laguna Frost and PSH 910 tiles. I also tried my clear and the ice grey glaze on the PSH 910 tiles that had the grey underglaze on them. And so on and so on .... Stay tuned for the results ....