Photo on ceramic

[katie]

Hi all.

I have a customer that has a photo on a thick white ceramic plate. It has been manually touched up at the time of its inception.

Does anybody out there know anything of this type of photography?

Thanks.

Kate

[DannyRaphael]

Hi Kate:

Maybe I'm missing something here... (but I haven't had dinner yet). Is your question regarding the process of getting the image transferred onto the plate and then later, how one goes about touching it up?

I'd be interested in seeing how this comes out. Sounds facinating.

~DannyR~

[katie]

I am asking if anybody has any information on this type of photography.

Enjoy your dinner.

[DannyRaphael]

I'm still not getting it... I've seen all kinds of stuff (coffee cups, pillows, t-shirts, plates, whatever) onto which photo images are transferred. The photography is photography regardless of the ultimate destination of the image.

Are you saying that somehow the photo image is applied directly to the plate? Is there something special about the image on the plate?

I know the light will go on for me (eventually). Be gentle.

[katie]

This is funny - but then I am warped.

Ok the photo is really old. It is on a ceramic plate, something link a ceramic tile but not shiny. It could even be marble come to think of it. Anyway it is a photo but at the time of inception it was highlighted using some form of ink/paint.

It is the best I can describe it.

I am glad dinner was good. I am off to have lunch now.

[NiteOwl]

Hi, I hit the next thread and ended up here, and after the few posts, I too became interested....What are you going to do with the picture that has been touched up and placed upon a shiny marble tile? [Not trying to be coy, just thorough.

Do you plan to replicate the image onto a different medium, or do you want to restore the present image on the present medium?

I missed dinner entirely, so I may be having my own brain short. Curious to see how this plays out. And I would love to see this image!

Take care,
NiteOwl

[katie]

You people really need to eat.

Let me say it again. I am after any information somebody may have about this medium used in photography. Nothing else.

sigh.

Many thanks.

[NiteOwl]

Ok, I had a quick snack for some brain power.... Are you planning to do the same type of work yourself with your own pictures on your own marble tiles? Whew....I hope tht is close.

I have not heard of this other than the ivory painting, and they use a special dye. I once did acrylics on a automobile hood,...I did a huge 'Ninja Turtle' saying "Cowabunga" on a car hood for a demo derby. That thing went throw, rain, mud, and repeated smashes and the paint held up beautifully.

have you checked the web? Ask Jeeves, usually does a pretty good search for info on a particular subject. Interesting. Let us know what you find out, and where you decide to go with it.

take care,
Nite Owl

[Trimoon]

I know of an old technique where the image is separated from the backing and applied directly to a plate or canvas and sometimes wood?

[katie]

Phew - we seem to have got over that hurdle.

I was beginning to think that I was chasing my tail.

No I am not planning on doing anything particularily fancy with the photo as it is a customers. I told her I would try and get some info about the format of it.

We are getting closer with the info about transferring onto other items so that is good.

Thank you all.

(Should some of you not be tucked up in bed? It must be quite late there as it is mid afternoon here in Sydney. Gotta tell you we are melting with this humidity).

[NiteOwl]

Here were I am it is about 11pm,...and we just had a foot of snow dropped on us! Sub freezing temps and an artic wind blowing pretty good! We are all freezing to death in Michigan!

Glad you are getting some answers,..aren't these forums fun?

NiteOwl

[katie]

It is funny isn't it we are so close but so far away.

I bet you would like some of our warm (really very hot and muggy) sunshine. I sure would like a cool down.

We are in the midst of a water crisis here - NSW has been declared completely drought stricken. We might be buying your snow soon to melt for water!

[NiteOwl]

My husband just filled me in on the situation down there. I would have to say we have it much better, at least this snow only effects school attendance and heat bills. I can only hope and pray things approve for your crisis in your country.

I enjoy this forum, and I love computers, photography, and cool people like you that I get to meet on these forums!

Nice to meet you by the way, I am Paula, fairly new to this forum, new to photography, new to photoshop, new to all of it except for computers, been there done that for a while!

Take care,
Toodles,
Nite Owl

[Bob Walden]

Katie, the medium is photography. The technique is putting an image on a surface. Fixing the image on the plate is repairing or retouching.

If you are asking what kind of photography to use, any type 35mm, medium or digital it doesn't matter.

If you are asking how to get an image on a surface there are serveral ways I know of. Most require special equipment. A simple solution ia a product called liquid emulsion. Was you plate photo black and white or color? If b&w this product works well. Color not so well.

If you want to repair the image on the plate, I don't have an answer. More then likely the image on the plate had to have been sealed in some maner. Retouching doesn't seem like it would be possible.

Bob

[jeaniesa]

Katie, I just thought of something. When I had a photo on white acetate and was trying to learn more about that process, I contacted the George Eastman House: International House of Photography and Film. Click on the "Ask a Curator" link and ask your question. I got a helpful response within a couple of days.

If you learn anything, I'd be interested knowing too. Sounds intriguing.

Jeanie

[COLONELFLAG]

Well while we are on this topic, my wife has a few ceramic tiles with wine bottles and glasses on them. She asked me if I could make some for her with photos of her own favorite wines and glasses. I can certainly do the pictures but how are they transferred to the ceramic tile ?

[pstewart]

Originally posted by COLONELFLAG
Well while we are on this topic, my wife has a few ceramic tiles with wine bottles and glasses on them. She asked me if I could make some for her with photos of her own favorite wines and glasses. I can certainly do the pictures but how are they transferred to the ceramic tile ?

I'm sure there are more professional (and more costly) ways, but here's something that might be worth a try. I make T-shirts using Avery Dark T-Shirt Transfers. These, unlike the ones Avery and other companies make for white shirts, work in such a way that you actually peel the printed picture off the backing then place that (soft and surprisingly sturdy) film over the shirt and iron on with a special paper between it and your iron. These are pretty much foolproof for shirts... might also stick to a tile. Then you could paint/spray it with a protective coating.

Phyllis

[angue]

If you want to put pictures on tiles maybe those kits that tranfer photos to mugs will work. I have to investigate where to get these kits.

Tony

[Hunter]

I think the thing that confused a lot of people is the terminology used. I don't know that I'd say it's "photography" per se, but more the act of *printing* the photo. It's been years since I heard much about it... if I remember correctly, the process entailed physically painting an emulsion to print on onto the object itself and then taking that item into the darkroom and exposing it, then developing the print. Of course, you then have an issue of having to use some sort of sealant on the item. I would think that there would be some special transfer photo paper one could use these days - i.e., print on the paper, transfer it to another medium.

[MoonFizz]

What I think you are looking for is called "sublimation".
It's a process that can be be done with an Epson Inkjet
such as the 1280. The inks are replaced with special bulk
sublimation inks. A plain or slightly more expensive enhanced
paper is used to print your photo onto.
A heat press is then needed, not an iron because you need a
a lot more pressure.
Two types of tile are used, one with a special coating that
fuses with the ink under heat and pressure and u can also
use a any plain tile or tumbled marble and coat it yourself.
This latter type of manually applied coating should cooked in
an oven (domestic one is fine) ...time depends on tile
thickness, amount etc...
Once the print which is now in effect a "transfer" has emerged
has emerged from the printer it's placed on felt on the heat
press. The tile is then placed on top. The heat press is then
used for between 7 - 10 minutes depending on type, thickness
of tile.
You can make single tiles this way or huge murals.
Use photoshop to tile a large image for example into 16 tiles
then print out each tile section that PS generates.

Useful links are:
http://www.tropicalgraphics.com/ht/

http://www.dyesub.org


There is a forum that covers the whole spectrum, but
has quite a bit of info re: photos on plates / tiles etc.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sublimation/messages

Hope this helps you .....I've been investigating this quite recently
as I was asked to produce some of my art as a mural.

-Gary
http://www.moonfizz.com

[Tim_S]

I know I'm coming in late in this thread, but I'm curious...


Kate, does your picture on ceramic look anything like the picture in this thread here ?

This is something I was working on restoring a while back. It sounds similar to what you are describing. Not that I can tell you much about it, other than it is hand tinted, and was made around 1910 in or around Chicago Il.

If nothing else it could provide a reference point for others to see and understand what you are talking about...


--tks

[lesbones]

Hi!

I beleive the technique used to print images on ceramics in the olden days they used a silkscreen of the image and used china paint overglaze as the paint. ( some artist just used china paint and painted portraits with out the aid of silkscreen) Then kiln fired it. Vintage china paints are hard to come by and are highly toxic. They use lead as the flux. Most people will not fire lead based products in there kilns and I do believe in the state of California it's against the law. http://www.lagunaclay.com/ might be able to tell you what type of china glaze would be okay to use and if it is even available. To preserve what is left of the image on the plate I would not soak it or use any harsh chemicals or anything abrassive on it. I am interested in knowing what the colors of the glazes are? And if it is possible to show a picture of what you are talking about so we can help you better.

Leslie