photo transfer to glass

[ruthpowers]

Hi, This is probably my first post, though I have been lookin' and learnin' for several months now. I want to include a line-art image in some jewelry I am making. I know about etching the surface off dichro and am going to experiment with decals. Has anyone tried to tranfer using Polaroid transfer or laser copy transfer processes?

And, Paul T., I am not going to Warm Glass Weelkend so you will have to bring back lots of info for us in Austin. I am planning to take your class on frits, etc., the first weekend of November. I was glad to see that you are teaching.

Thanks.

[Tony Smith]

Hi Ruth,

There are a number of processes that have been used for ceramics such as a modified Gum Bichromate process that yields an image, but it is not a continuous tone image. I can't think of any continuous tone processes that will stand up to a firing.

The easiest way of transferring an image to glass that can be fired is to use a half-tone image and either a photo silkscreen or photoresist process combined with enamels. With the photo silkscreen, the enamel is applied through the silkscreen leaving the image on the the glass in enamel that would then have to be fired. With the photoresist, enamel is applied to the entire surface of the glass, then fired. The photoresist is then applied and sandblasted to remove enamel thereby exposing the base glass. The glass can then be refired to bring the base glass up through the enamel, or it can be left as is.

Tony

[Paul Tarlow]

Looking forward to it Ruth -- the last one was lots of fun.

Gotta keep spreading the glass gospel here in Austin

[Jack Bowman]

Not sure if this is what you want but look here.

http://www.glasscolor.com/catalog/photo ... /index.asp

Jack

[Brad Walker]

Has anyone tried to tranfer using Polaroid transfer or laser copy transfer processes?

The Polaroid transfer process is not likely to work because it works best on porous materials, and glass isn't porous. The emulsion transfer process (a related Polaroid process) will work on non-porous materials such as glass.

The laser copy transfer process, as with any xerographic process, can work on glass, but my understanding is that it's a fairly complicated process that involves using special xerographic developers that will be permanent on glass.

Another non-traditional photographic process that will work on glass is Liquid Light: http://www.rockaloid.com/

None of these processes, by the way, are kiln-based processes, and the glass probably wouldn't stand up to a kiln-firing. To do that, you need to use enamels and something like the photo screen printing process mentioned above by Tony.

[Lauri Levanto]

I have seen works made that way. I do not know the
process. The images were greyscale photos with
_very_ low contrast.

MY GUESS is that a a lasercopy (on paper or on transparent)
was glued on the glass face down, and fired slowly until the substrate burns off. Then fired higher - maybe with -
flux, to fix the image.

I didn't consider it worth of trying.

-lauri

[ruthpowers]

Thank you all for your replies. I have gotten samples of silkscreened decals from Wise Decal and am going to try them. I will let you know how they come out.

[Wallace Venable]

I've worked out a couple of ways of transferring toner from a computer laser print or xerox copy to glass. When fused or fired, the black turns brown, but otherwise the copy is preserved and becomes bonded into or onto the glass. I've done half-toned photos 7 inches high, and about 8 point type.

I've also gone through a number of unsuccessful ways, so the exercise isn't trivial.

I'm teaching the technique at The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass on the weekend of 18-19 October. (I understand there is a wait list for the class.

I expect to be posting a web page with samples in the next few days.

The web page will NOT disclose details of the techniques.

At some time in the future - maybe November, maybe January, I will publish details on the RMI web site
http://www.cemr.wvu.edu/~venable/rmi

For the moment, I'm saving the secret for the Corning class.

[Wallace Venable]

I've posted at

http://www2.cemr.wvu.edu/~venable/xerog/

[ruthpowers]

Wallace, thanks so much for posting this information. I hope your class goes well. It looks interesting. I look forward to learning more about it as time goes on. I have many ideas and lots to learn from you all who have been working with glass for a while.