How To Print On Ceramic Plates (Working Methods 2023)

You are at the right corner if you are trying to figure out a reasonable and simple method to print a design on your ceramic plates and mugs. Either ceramic printing is expensive or not viable at home. But our DIY methods will help you print your favorite print or picture on a ceramic plate.

In two methods, we will cover the whole process of digital printing on ceramic plates. All that is required are some necessary materials which you will get to know below. You can use these methods to make some memorable souvenirs or gifts for friends and family but not commercially.

Whether a professional or a newbie, you can easily print and design your ceramic plates using decal paper and acrylic spray. Decal paper is well known for better results during ceramic printing, and acrylic spray coats the paper for protection against bleeding out.

You will find multiple methods on the web to print your plates, but not all of them are effective and safe to apply. The methods we will discuss here have been tested many times and are safe to perform in households.

To start with the process, you will require some main accessories. Follow every step for the best quality results.

How To Print on Ceramic Plates using Water slide Decal papers.

To print the desired pattern or design on the ceramic plate, you must require the following tools.

An Inkjet Printer
A Decal paper
Scissors
The Printing Designs/Patterns
Ceramic Plates/ Mugs (blank)
Alcohol (optional)
Clear Acrylic Spray
Warm Water Bowl
Paper Towel

Make sure to keep all the tools available and kept on the side. Every tool must be in good condition so it can perform the process with optimal performance. Each and every step has an essential role in the durability and quality of your design.

To avoid smudges, you must be very careful during the printing process. External factors depend on your final result, but choosing the right accessories/tools makes the success rate go exceptionally high. The first and easiest process is how to transfer images to ceramic plates.

Step 1 – Creating The Design In A Software

Creating the design is mostly dependent on the shape of the ceramic. If the ceramic is a round plate, your design should be in accurate shape and dimensions. You can simply design the pattern or an illustration from software like Adobe.

The design mainly depends on the craft of your ceramic, so keeping the right and accurate dimensions in mind is a must.

The purpose of choosing adobe is their easy and friendly interface. Beginners can also make their designs easily. Some other softwares are available in the market, like canva or pixlr, which you must try. All the softwares mentioned above are easy to use for newbies.

Step 2 – Printing Of Design With Decal Paper

The next step is printing on the ceramic plate with an inkjet or sublimation printer. For expected results, you must use an accurate and practical sublimation printer. Avoid printers that lack quality specs because this is a very integral part of the process. Printing your design on the ceramic completely depends on your printer.

To achieve non-scratchable results and avoid smudges on the plate, you must be well aware of choosing the right ink. In this process, we use decal paper; you must know what is the right side to print on a decal paper. After the design is printed, let it dry for 30 mins to achieve the best quality results.

Step 3 – Paper Cutting Process

After the printing is done, you can cut the extra paper after setting the design onto the plate. Be very careful while cutting the paper; most people damage their print during this process.

Step 4 – Use Of Acrylic Spray

First, before using an acrylic spray, you must read all the user manuals mentioned on the decal paper because this will help you in the process of coating. When you are done with the user manual and instructions guide, you must know the right amount of spray to be applied to the printed design. After applying the spray, let it dry for 15 minutes.

Step 5 – Soaking Of The Decal Paper Into Warm Water

The next step is soaking the decal paper and dipping the printed design into warm water for at least 1 minute. Reading the instruction manual before the soaking process is also necessary here because any increase in the treatment time can damage the print entirely.

Step 6 – Peeling off the Backing of The Paper

Soaking the paper in warm water makes the peeling-off process easy. You have to use your nails to peel off the backing of the printed paper. If the backing is still hard to peel, you may soak it in warm water for some more time to make the peeling easy.

Step 7 – Placing the printed Design To Your Ceramic Plate.

The plate surface must be thoroughly cleaned and smooth before placing any image onto the plate. There must be no dust, dirt, debris, grease, or any contamination on the plate surface, as they can damage the print.

Step 8 – Let The Design Dry Completely

After completing the printing and soaking process, let the design set and dry on the plate for at least 60 minutes. After the design is completely dried, you can enjoy using the plate at parties and homecomings.

There are so many other ways this could be done. You can apply photos or logos directly to your ceramic mugs or plates. Printing on ceramic vases and bowls is also a new decorative method used in households. These are decorative items because they are not food-safe after printing.

Important Note

These mugs and plates are not food safe; they are not meant to be used as plates to eat food or mugs to drink coffee. However, you can use these items for decoration or serving trays, where the food is not directly touching the surface of the ceramic.

How to Put a Photo on a Ceramic Plate using decoupage

Another DIY method of printing a ceramic page is using the decoupage process. Basically, it is a traditional method that is normally used to print a photo on a ceramic plate. You can use decoupage to use any stencils, handmade designs, or digital prints to decorate your ceramic plates.

In this process, you need to make a design of your choice on white paper and take the cutouts using scissors. Once you are done with taking the cutouts, apply some glue at the back side of your print and apply it on a clean and dirt-free plate surface.

The last thing to do is a coat of varnish and let it dry until it gives you the required design. You can have a step-by-step process in the following section.

1. Making a design

Design is the important thing when it comes to the decoupage printing process. Choose a design or the photo you want to print and scan it to your computer using a scanner. You can use any photo editing software to edit, crop, resize or brighten up the photo and print it on plain white paper.

2. Taking the cutouts

Take a pair of scissors to cut the printed photo; your image is ready to transfer to the plate.

3. Apply on the plate

There are many decoupage mediums available in the market with different prices. You can buy any of these glues and varnish sprays according to your budget. Apply glue or decoupage medium on the back side of the photo paper and apply it onto the paper with the printed side facing up. Press it gently to remove any air bubbles and let it dry completely.

4. Varnish Coat

Lastly, apply the decoupage medium or the available varnish spray on the plate and let it cure overnight until you get your required photo print on the ceramic plate.

Final Thoughts:

In this article, we have briefly explained how to print on ceramic Plates.

But make sure this is just a DIY method and cannot be commercially used for the crockery design business.

If you want digital printing on ceramic plates for dishes and dinnerware, you need to have ceramic printing equipment. It comes with a proper printing line that can help you print on your commercial projects. These prints on ceramic plates can be used for decorative purposes only.