decal

decal, design that is printed on specially prepared paper to form a film that can be transferred to any surface. Such films are widely used for decorating and labeling any objects that cannot be run through a press.

Decals are made in a variety of ways, depending upon the need to be served. The regular decal, applied to such items as typewriters and trucks, for example, begins with a sheet of porous paper coated with a solution of starch, albumin, and glycerin. The design that will be seen is printed on this paper backing. The printed paper is then covered with several coats of opaque white ink that will not be seen after application. The decal is finished with a coat of water-soluble glue called stickative. When the decal is moistened and applied to the object to which it adheres, the moistened backing paper is removed, and the design becomes permanently affixed.

Decals intended to be applied to windows are printed in reverse order. The layers of opaque white ink are printed first and the design is printed last in order to be seen when in contact with the glass. Decals for china and kitchen ranges are printed with mineral colours and are fired to resist heat.

The term decalcomania had a specific application in mid-20th-century art. Paper was covered with gouache, an opaque watercolour paint. It was then pressed against canvas or another piece of paper and then removed, yielding exotic designs reminiscent of fungi or colonies of sponge. The Surrealist Max Ernst used this technique in his paintings.