Decals: A Very Vital Part Of Labels

The term decal in the printing world is the shortened version of the word decalcomania, which the English pronunciation of the French work decalcomania. This is a decorative tactic where artist images and graphics of prints and engraving can be transferred onto pottery to decorate the stoneware. The invention of taking artist rendering from canvas and printing these images over a medium to decorate ceramic pieces was attributed to Simon Francois Ravenet. This person was from France, he was an engraver who lived and immigrated to England, and after arriving in England circa in the year 1750, he perfected this transfer process.

This printing process of decorating ceramic pieces was then imported to the US in the year 1865. In the US, this process was popularized during the ceramic decorating times of the mid 1800 hundreds. Moreover, in the US, the word decalcomania was shortened to the version most of you use today as the decals. As you can notice and see, the decal had its genesis in the desire of artist to decorate their ceramic art. The decal being used nowadays continues to transfer artist renderings to ceramic products, such as the fine china table setting for vases, coffee mugs, drink ware and as well as any ceramic or glass products for any kind of purpose.

This decal term has evolved from a water slide off ceramic decal to decorate ceramic pieces to a business product that is screen printed onto an environment friendly, tough material with a pressure sensitive adhesive. This now brand business products and services, warns for any danger, and is also utilized to promote or advertise ay business products and services. The labels on the other hand is a more recent invention and is most of the time printed on paper materials, cloth, or a plastic substrate that is also pressure sensitive. This print material is printed by using flexography-printing equipment that makes these print materials from a roll to roll, and uses water based inks. These print materials most of the time brands consumer products and services that have a short shelve life and is not exposed to harsh environment.

The latter is just a short sketch of the history of the products that you want to look at. Now, let us try to answer the question of what is the difference between a decal and a label. To further improve your know how about these things, all you have to do is to read on below.

• This decal is most of the time printed on a plastic substrate that can be adhered to any given surface of a business product and has to withstand harsh elements or environmental conditions such as the direct sun exposure without fading much of the inks. Moreover, these things are also printed by using screen-printing manner. In the last 10 years, digital printing can also claim a non-fading resistance to sun exposure. These decals can be made using this manner and attain the same quality as with screen-printing.

• Label printing on plastic substrates can improved with plastic lamination to protect the printing against chemicals, water, abrasion, but this added over lamination will not protect the printing or the images from the fading rays of the sun. These things is also made and delivered to the client or customer on a roll.