Transfer printing is a method of decorating ceramics and enamels in which a design engraved on a copper plate is inked, printed onto thin tissue paper and then transferred onto the surface of the object before firing. It allowed detailed pictures and patterns to be reproduced quickly and consistently, making decorated wares affordable to a much wider public.
The technique was developed in England in the mid-eighteenth century, first on enamels and then on porcelain and earthenware. Early overglaze prints, often in black, red or purple, appear on Worcester porcelain and on Liverpool creamware, while underglaze blue printing became the mainstay of the Staffordshire potteries from the late eighteenth century. Firms such as Spode, Wedgwood and many others produced landscapes, chinoiserie scenes, botanical designs and the enduring Willow pattern. Later in the nineteenth century multicoloured printing and printed outlines filled in by hand were widely used. Collectors study the quality of the engraving, the crispness of the print, the rarity of the pattern and any factory marks. Joins in the transfer, smudging and uneven colour are normal on period pieces and help distinguish them from modern decals.
