Tissue Transfer: The Most Beautiful Pottery Decorating Technique

We joined the Middleport Pottery Factory Tour and learned the production secrets of the most beautiful pottery technique - tissue transfer pottery decoration. Burleigh is the only pottery in the world to continue to use the centuries old tissue transfer printing process. An English invention developed in the 18th Century, its introduction lead to England ruling the world of blue and white ceramics.
Now that the piece of ware has been fired, it can no longer be recycled. It has also now shrunk to the required size, but is still porous. Each piece runs through our rigorous quality checks. If there are no faults, it goes on to be decorated in our famous Transfering Printing Shop.
Burleigh Pottery is now the last English pottery company that still continues this traditional and highly skilled hand decorating process. This process was once widely used in the pottery industry but Burleigh is now the last remaining potbank to use this highly skilled technique, making Burleigh pottery highly prized around the world.
Each of Burleigh's traditional patterns were hand engraved onto copper based cylinders. The printer fixes the cylinder to the printing machine, spreads on the thick oil based ink which melts as the machine heats up. The cylinder rotates and the ink flows into the engraved lines of the roller. Tissue paper is drawn carefully beneath the cylinder creating a continuous stream of pattern . The printer deftly rips the tissue into lengths and hangs them on the line for the transferrers to use. The transferrer cuts out the tissue in the shape to fit the ware and applies it to biscuit pottery. She rubs it down with a brush and soft soap, pressing the design into the pottery and softening the tissue which is then washed off. The ink is oil based and therefore water resistant so remains when the tissue is washed away. The item is then fired for a second time to fuse the pattern onto the ware. This is done in the electric hardening-on kilns at different temperatures depending on the pattern colour. After this firing, the products are cleaned and checked over to ensure the quality is acceptable.
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This is the second clip from our Factory Tour of the Middleport Pottery. Do let me know if you have any questions or comments?