Decal
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A decal (.
The word is short for decalcomania, a decorative technique by which engravings and prints are transferred to pottery or other materials. The technique was invented by Simon François Ravenet, an engraver from France who later moved to England and perfected the process he called "décalquer" (which means "to copy by tracing"); it became widespread during the decal craze or mania of the late 19th century.
Properties
The term "decal" refers to the mass-produced art transfer in two different states:
1. As manufactured, which consists of the artwork printed on the upper side of a paper or film
2. As applied, where only the adhesive-backed artwork remains, affixed to its desired (and appropriate) substrate, temporarily or permanently as designed.
Two variations include the traditional water-slide or water-dip, with the artwork screen-printed on water-resistant paper coated with a layer of water-soluble adhesive, and a dry peel-and-stick format using a standard adhesive - which technically is not a decal, as there is no "art transfer", rather an adhesive-backed label known as a sticker. When manufactured out of vinyl the latter is known as a vinyl-cut-decal.[citation needed]
Modern production process
Mass-production of vinyl decals starts with large rolls of vinyl sheet. Vinyl is fed through a
A recent innovation involves the inclusion of a
Applications
Decals were popularly associated from the mid-20th century on with
Government agencies (and some private-public partnerships) use permanent peel-and-stick stickers on vehicles for identification. These "decals" are referred to as fleet markings and are required by law on all fire and law enforcement vehicles in the US. Most fleet markings are created from reflective vinyl with an adhesive backing that is applied in a peel-and-stick manner.
Methods of printing
See also
- Bumper sticker
- Ceramic decal
- Country tag
- Dry transfer
- Lithography
- Sticker
- Wall decal
References
External links
- The dictionary definition of decal at Wiktionary