There are two products that are dishwasher-safe and recommended for frequent washing.

• Film-Free : Our multi-award-winning Film-Free Decal Paper is an excellent way to transfer images from your laser printer without any leftover film. The toner is cured to the surface with our specialized glue, the film is peeled off, and the finished result is completely dishwasher-safe. Film-Free Metallic option is also available.

• High Adhe : High Adhe is a more permanent version of our popular Laser Waterslide Decal Paper. It requires heat curing, and is easy to apply. It's essentially a curable sticker, available in Type C and Type P. C for Ceramic (Glass, etcetera) and Type P for Plastic, respectively.

Both types of Printer today, produce very similar quality results, however, both have their own unique benefits.

• Inkjet : Inkjet Printers spray CMYK liquid ink through tiny nozzles creating excellent colors and detail. The downside is due to it's liquid nature, Inkjet will require an acrylic clear coat spray to harden the ink before submerging in water. It may also produce slightly less crisp text and lines than a typical Laser Printer would.

• Laser : Laser Printers fuse CMYK toner to the surface, creating a durable water-resistant bond. Due to this, Decal Papers made for Laser Printers are typically much thinner than Inkjet Decal Papers. Laser Printers are the recommended printer type for creating decals because they don't require any clear coat before use, and produce crisper text and lines.

Aside from those important details. There may also be a slight color difference.

Inkjet has a wet appearance with better gradients and color transition. Whereas Laser has more bold, dryer looking colors, with more accurate black tone.

We exaggerated it below for demonstration purposes.

These factors are worth considering on your search for a Laser Printer for printing Decals:

• Manual Paper Tray or an External Paper Feeder, instead of drawer type paper tray.

• Avoid "SolidInk". It is not compatible with Laser Decal Papers.

• Avoid complex paper path printers, such as "Multifunction Printers" (MFP). These lead to jams. Stick to printers with a straight through path, or U shaped path. These printers very often have better print quality than Multifuctional Printers.

• Higher DPI (Dots Per Inch) is always better. Typically we recommend 600 DPI minimum for mugs, 1200 DPI minimum for small models, 2400 DPI for dioramas.

Some affordable high DPI Laser Printer models that are compatible with Decal Papers include; Brother HL (2400 DPI), Canon i-SENSYS (1200 DPI).

HP are known for printers that are highly compatible with thicker papers such as Label Paper and Transfer Paper.

Since printers are designed to print on white surfaces (paper), they typically don't have white ink.

• White Decal Paper : You can use the White version of our Waterslide Decal Papers. It may suffice, especially when cut out perfectly using a cutting machine such as Cricut.

• Use a White Toner Laser Printer : If you don't have one, you can ask to use one at a local printing shop.

  Recommended printer models; OKI Pro, UNINET iColor, some Xerox White Toner printers.

• Use a UV / Solvent Printer : If you have access to a UV Printer or Solvent Printer, we have a suitable Solvent Waterslide Decal Paper.

If your printer jams, please follow these steps.

• Paper Type Setting : This setting is very important for the printer to work with thicker types of paper.

  Refer to the Decal Paper instructions (provided) for setting to use with your paper.

• Manual Feed : It is always recommended to use this if your printer has one, as it is designed for non-standard paper types.

• Heat Reduction Settings : Some Laser Printers run the Fuser hotter to speed up printing. It can cause excessive paper curling. You can disable this by finding the Heat Reduction setting, or "reduce page curl" in the printer settings.

• Paper Path : When you look at a printer, you can usually see where the paper goes in and where it comes out. From this, you can assume how many turns and rotations were required to get from point A to point B. This is the paper path. Multifunctional Printers (MFP) often have complex paper paths that can lead to jams. Stick to printers with a straight through path, or U shaped path. These printers very often have better print quality than Multifuctional Printers.

• Printer Maintenance : If your printer is dusty or old, you may need to check to make sure all moving parts are working correctly and clean. Dust can hinder the printer's ability to grip the paper, or moving parts from working. If a cleaning cycle doesn't help, you can refer to the manufacturer or online guides for your particular model.

If you are encountering lines, streaks, smudging or smearing when printing on decal paper, please follow these steps.

Lines through the image (Inkjet):

This happens if the ink hasn't dried inside the printer before reaching the rollers.

• Print Speed : If your printer has a speed setting, you may need to reduce it.

• Print Quality : Increasing this printer setting uses more ink to create a thicker image and also slows down the printing speed, potentially reducing visibility of lines. We recommend reducing it if your printer is smudging.

• Replacement Ink : Using 3rd party inks may result in different drying times than what your printer is used to.

If your Inkjet papers were stored incorrectly for a long time, the ink absorbance may have weakened.

Smudging when touched (Laser):

Laser Printing uses static electricity during the printing process. If the image easily smudges using your fingers, it means there wasn't enough moisture for the printing process to work. This can happen in dry climates or during winter when the heating is always on.

• Humidity : Make sure the room you are printing in isn't excessively dry. Set up a humidifier if necessary.

• Acclimate : If the pages have sat in an extremely arid environment, or in the sun for a long period, they will be too dry for Laser Printing.

  We recommend leaving the sheets in a steamed up bathroom overnight to acclimate. Space them evenly and avoid direct contact with water.

• Toner Type : Some printers such as Kyocera printer, use low-temperature fusing toner. If you have replaced the toner, make sure it is definitely a low-temperature fusing toner, otherwise it won't fuse to the page.

If you believe you received a counterfeit product or need further assistance, please get in touch.

Due to its liquid properties, Inkjet requires sealing to create a water resistant barrier. Laser Toner on the other hand is fused to the surface and therefore already water resistant. The preferred printer type for Decal Papers. The following tips are for if your Inkjet Waterslide Decal dissolves when in contact with water.

• Printer Type : Make sure the Decal Paper you are using is compatible with your printer. Inkjet and Laser are not cross-compatible unless stated.

• Acrylic Clear Coat : We recommend Kyrlon Crystal Clear, Plasti-kote Clear Acrylic, or similar.

  We strongly advise against using oil or polyurethane based clear coats.

• Clear Coat Instructions : Not all sprays or coats are made equal, for best results we recommend you follow the instructions and drying times provided by the spray manufacturer.

For objects that go through regular washes, such as kitchenware, glass and food containers, we recommend using a dishwasher-safe transfer such as Film-Free Decal Paper or High Adhe Decal Paper.

Typically, the Default printer settings often prioritise speed over quality, so it is important to set these.

• Print Quality Setting : Depending on the printer model, this setting can increase the thickness of the ink printed.

• DPI (Dots Per Inch) : Higher DPI means pigment is packed tighter together for more detailed, and less transparent printed images. Most printers will print at 600 DPI as default. If your printer is capable of printing at a higher DPI, make sure it is selected in the printer settings.

  Typically we recommend 600 DPI minimum for mugs, 1200 DPI minimum for small models, 2400 DPI for dioramas.

  Some affordable high DPI Laser Printer models are; Brother HL (2400 DPI), Canon i-SENSYS (1200 DPI).

  

This is worth knowing if you are printing very tiny detailed images, such as text.

When your printer prints colors, it mixes CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key aka Black) pigments to repoduce other colors. This applies to all Inkjet, Laser, UV, and Solvent printers. It is the standard for all printers.

The problem is, when it comes to printing other colors, there are downsides, and this can largely depend on the color printed.

• CMYK : When printing these colors ; Cyan (#00FFFF), Magenta (#FF00FF), Yellow (#FFFF00) and Black (#000000), a printer will use its full DPI capability to apply toner precisely. Since the color is a single toner layer (e.g cyan), the printer can achieve a high level of detail and density, fully utilizing the DPI for sharp and vibrant cyan text or shapes. This goes for all CMYK colors. If you printed in 2400 DPI resolution, it will use all 2400 Dots Per Inch to create a perfect cyan shape with smooth lines.

• Lighter Colors : When printing lighter color, it will print with gaps. For example, the color Pink (#FFC0CB) will print exactly in the CMYK ratio "0:25:20:0". This symbolises 25% Magenta pigment, 20% Yellow pigment, and the rest is purely empty space. This means the color you have applied your pink decal to, will be slightly visible through the pink color. This also means that the lines, won't be as perfectly crisp because it isn't printing in full density. Printers don't have the color Pink, they have to create it with the assumption that the surface is white. For this reason advanced printers such as White Toner Laser, UV, and Solvent Printers will print a coat of white color, before printing the other CMYK colors on top.

• Darker Colors : When printing darker color, for example Blue (#0000FF) it will print exactly in the ratio "100:100:0:0". This symbolises 100% Cyan and 100% Magenta. These pigments will overlap to create the color Blue. However, this doesn't guarantee a perfect usage of the full DPI resolution to produce excellent detail. Depending on your printer, it may create tiny gaps around this Blue color, as room for printing error, possibly resulting in less crisp lines and more transparency. Although, often invisible to the naked eye. This isn't always the case with Inkjet. Since Inkjet ink is slight transparent compared to Laser Toner, you may notice a smoother transition between colors. However Inkjet comes with it's own set of problems when it comes to water resistance, less rich CMYK colors, as well as less crisp lines and text.

Typically most images are 72 DPI as default, so we need to make sure that the images we are printing are set to a high enough DPI.

Resolution : Make sure the Image Size settings have the resolution set to the DPI quality you'd like to print.

These programs refer to DPI as "Resolution".

You will notice that changing the Resolution will also affect the Dimensions (Width and Height), representing the size of the image when printed. If it is too small, you need to compromise on the resolution, or find a larger (higher pixel) photo.

When printing logos, cartoons, line art, or other very simple images. Use vector files (.svg) instead of raster (.png, .jpeg). Vector images will always print at the highest possible DPI resolution as set in your printer settings. You will need a program like Adobe Illustrator or similar.

Shapes made in Illustrator are typically vectors (or “paths”) already, and will make the most of your printer’s DPI setting. However text and images, usually require an extra step before printing.

• Outline Text : Ctrl > A, and then click Type > Create Outlines.

• Image Trace : This doesn't work well with gradients or detailed photos, but is excellent at turning logos, cartoons, or similar into vectors. Make sure to access the full Image Trace tool here: Window > Image Trace.

  We recommend the Sketched Art preset, but your results may vary.

  

• Detailed Photos : As mentioned earlier, you can change the DPI of your photos in Photoshop, GIMP etc. When you paste these images into Adobe Illustrator for printing, it is recommended to not enlarge these images as it will cause pixelation.

• Document Setup : Make sure the document settings are set to your desired DPI before printing: File > Document Setup > Custom.

  Adobe Illustrator refers to this as PPI.

  

The following tips apply if your decal is sliding off, not sticking, or edges lifting.

• Clean Surface : It is important to clean the surface before application. If the surface is too dirty or oily, the adhesion will be hindered.

  If applying onto candles, make sure the room is cool and try to avoid handling the candles excessively as it may cause the wax to secrete oil.

• Watersliding : You can waterslide (reposition) the decal until the water has been removed by squeegee.

  Pressing the water out starts the adhesion process. Excessive repositioning after using a squeegee will weaken the adhesive.

• More Water : If the room is extremely warm or arid, the decal may dry too early. This is especially noticeable with large decals.

  We recommend making sure the room isn't too hot, and that surface has ample water applied before placing the decal.

• Unsuitable Surface : Make sure your surface is compatible. Waterslide Decal Paper is designed for smooth, non-porous surfaces.

  Adhesion may fail when applying to (hydrophobic) repellent coated surfaces.

• Squeegee : Make sure to scrape out the water and air bubbles to activate the adhesion. We have a special squeegee with large surface area.

For kitchenware it is advised you use Film-Free or High Adhe.

Otherwise, if you are still experiencing problems, please get in touch.

This is very uncommon. If you encounter this problem, please try these steps and get in touch with us.

• Use Warm Water : Waterslide Decal Paper backing separates faster in lukewarm water. This is ideal when working with large decals.

• Acclimate : If the pages have sat in an extremely arid environment, or in the sun for a long period, the water absorption may have been hindered.

  We recommend leaving the sheets in a steamed up bathroom overnight to acclimate. Space them evenly and avoid direct contact with water. If you don't live in an arid environment, you can first try leaving them unpackaged for 1-2 days.

If the above has not helped then your product is expired or you were sold a counterfeit product. Please contact us so we can investigate.

Waterslide Decal Paper is designed for smooth, non-porous surfaces. Such as Glass, Ceramic Kitchenware, etc. However in some situations you may still encounter bubbles under your decal.

• Dirt and Scratches : If the surface you are applying to has scratches, or dirt, it may trap air under the decal.

• Unsuitable Surface : Adhesion may fail when applying to special (hydrophobic) repellent coated surfaces.

  We recommend Rub-On Transfer for porous and uneven surfaces.

• Squeegee : It is important to thoroughly squeegee out any moisture and bubbles under the decal. Use our wide surface area squeegee or similar.

• Creases : If you accidently creased the decal during or before application, this imperfection may create an air pocket and weakness to the decal.

• High-Gloss: If you are applying onto a high-gloss surface, the decal may look slightly cloudy side by side. You can polish your decal or spray it with a clear coat. However, it would be best to use Film-Free Waterslide Decal Paper which will transfer the image without any leftover film.

If your Waterslide Decal is folding or wrinkling, please follow the tips below.

Wrinkling when sliding around:

Waterslide Decals can be repositioned simply by sliding around on the surface, until you press down.

• Handling : Always pull on the decal from the edge. We recommend to do any rotations on the backing before removing the backing. Rotating on the surface can create wrinkles if done incorrectly.

• Removing Backing : Place the wet decal, then slide the decal off of the backing, and secure it by making sure it is touching the surface. If you accidently fold your decal, it is because you didn't do it in this order. If you are using Film-Free, you may find the backing slides away easier if you press down while sliding.

• Film-Free : If you are doing a Film-Free transfer, please remember that the decal sets faster due to glue. This means there is a smaller window for readjusting the decal. We recommend applying water on the decal if you need it to unstiffen. We also suggest to start with small decals (hand size max) before attempting very large Film-Free transfers.

• Squeegee : If your squeegee grips or sticks to your decal, you are using the wrong squeegee. The squeegee should still slide perfectly fine as the decal dries. If in doubt, you can use a tissue to finish squeegeeing.

Wrinkling when submerged in water:

This happens if the decal was in the water too long.

• Temperature : If your decal wrinkles, then the temperature is incorrect. Make sure the water is either room temperature of lukewarm.

• Exposure to water: Please remove the decal from water as soon as you see it has separated from the backing. It is best to apply within 5 minutes after exposing to water

• Acclimate : If the pages have sat in an extremely arid environment, or in the sun for a long period, the water absorbance may have hindered.

  We recommend leaving the sheets in a steamed up bathroom overnight to acclimate. Space them evenly and avoid direct contact with water.

If you believe you received a counterfeit product or need further assistance, please get in touch.

To ensure there is sufficient glue for the entire transfer, we understand that it's easier to use extra glue to ensure a good transfer. So to simplify the cleaning process after drying, we have provided some tips below:

• Margin : To make cleaning the glue around the decal easier, it's good to cut slightly away from the image. This makes any stubborn glue settle around the cutout, further away from your beautiful transfer.

• Wipe excess : Try to wipe as much excess glue as possible using a tissue. This simplifies cleaning later.

• Cleaning : We recommend using a gentle solvent cleaner such as Isopropyl Alcohol (Rubbing Alcohol), or Lens Cleaner. The image is still weak when removing the excess glue so don't scratch the image, but you can rest assured that these cleaners won't damage the transfer.

• Acetone : For any stubborn glue, or to remove the image you can use acetone. If you don't have acetone, many nail varnish removers have acetone. They may not be as strong but are still effective.

Film-Free provides a dishwasher-safe and scratch resistant transfer.

If your Film-Free transfer is fragile, this is likely because you need a stronger curing method. Check below for advice.

• Curing : Depending on how you dried (cured) the Film-Free transfer, it will vary in durability. Oven Curing will always provide the most superior durability. Our Film-Free Papers are also compatible with mug presses. However, natural curing and blow dryer curing methods will always be less durable, and we would advise to apply some sort of protective coating.

• Glue : If only a certain part of the decal is fragile, it could be due to lack of W1+/W2 Glue in that area. Film-Free in the right conditions can transfer without glue, but that glue is necessary to provide durability and wash-resistance to the Laser Toner.

• Coating : This isn't necessary, but is worth considering if you wish to maximise the durability of the transferred image, and the product itself.

  Especially, for demanding environments such as constant wash cycles in a restaurant. We recommend choosing an appropriate finish, such as W1 Top Coat, Epoxy Resin, Clear Acrylic Sealant, Mod Podge, Clear Polyurethane Spray, Ceramic Glaze. This will protect your decal and allows you to make the finish glossier or more mattified.

• Acetone : Acetone is used to remove the Film-Free Transfer. As such, it is advised to avoid contact with products that contain acetone, as they may weaken the image. These include; Nail Varnish Removers, Paint Thinners and Solvents, certain Degreasers, and Automative Cleaners.

It is likely that hair is growing and puncturing through the Temporary Tattoo layers, or the layers weren't fully pressed together.

• Rub the layers together : When applying the adhesive sheet to the printed tattoo paper, make sure to rub the layers down to create a full seal. You can use the hard edge of a squeegee or a ruler. The image will get clearer as you rub.

• Use a Laser Printer : Tattoos made using a Laser Printer don’t have this problem since the image is fused to the surface and water resistant. Inkjet on the other hand is inherently a liquid, meaning the pockets of ink will eventually dissolve once water finds it’s way into the decal.

If your tattoo peels or falls off, these are the likely causes.

• Dirt / Oil : It is recommended to apply onto clean skin. Any skin oil, moisturisers and other products under the tattoo will weaken the adhesive.

• Hairs : Shaving is advised when applying tattoos, otherwise you may encounter discomfort. This includes shaving "invisible hairs".

  Hair can guide water under the tattoo and reduce longevity.

• Areas to avoid : It is important to remember that skin is very stretchy. Avoid applying onto joints (such as knees and elbows). Repetitively stretching the tattoo will weaken the adhesive.

If done correctly, your tattoo can last up to 10 days. Results may vary as people sweat and produce oil differently.

To remove the tattoo, rub in a circular motion with baby oil (or any other natural oil), with a tissue or cloth soaked in warm water.

It will always be easiest to remove after a warm shower.

This is very easy to do with the following tips.

Separating protective layer from Adhesive sheet:

• Fold the corner : the layers will easily separate when you fold the very tip of the corner. This will help you peel back the protective layer.

  

If you are using Premium Tattoo Paper, it is already semi-matte, however if necessary, all Tattoo Papers are compatible with the following.

Options:

• Baby Powder : Easy to find, and great for controlling how mattified the result is.

• Matte Cream : Such as Matte Sunscreen or Liquid Talc.

• Cosmetics : Such as Matte Foundation or Primer. May also be a great way to blend the tattoo with your skin color.

Try to avoid oily products, as these can weaken the Tattoo adhesive.

If your metallic decal looks jagged, has too much or too little metallic, please follow these steps.

This includes if your metallic image didn't transfer from the blue sheet to the white backing.

Prevent jagged lines:

• Higher DPI : Make sure your printer settings are set to 600 DPI or higher. Higher DPI (Dots Per Inch) will be higher resolution. Too low DPI will result in jagged lines or pixelation.

• Image Resolution : In the image editing software, make sure the image size has the resolution set to the desired DPI you'd like to print.

Image won't transfer from blue sheet to white backing:

• Laminator model : Make sure you laminator has a 250mic setting or has adjustable speed and temperature. Otherwise it won't meet the optimal temperature. Recommended models; Swordfish Amoured, GBC Academy Plus, GBC Fusion Plus, SINCHI, Commercial Laminators.

Image isn't fully metallic:

• Dirt / Hair : Always make sure there are no dirt or hairs between the image and metallic foil.

• Adjust : You may need to slow down the laminating speed, or increase the temperature slightly. You can laminate multiple times but there's a risk of overlaminating, which will bind metallic to the clear areas. All laminator results vary, so it's good to experiment.

If you still require assistance, please get in touch.

You can use any laminating foil, but we recommend testing a sample incase it doesn't work well with your selected Decal Paper.

Our Metallic Foils have a dual layer structure for easy removal of excess metallic, and are specially designed to work with our products.

This is very easy to do with the following tips.

Separating protective layer from Adhesive sheet:

• Fold the corner : the layers will easily separate when you fold the very tip of the corner. This will help you peel back the protective layer.

  

Removing the white backing after application:

• Scratch the decal : While being careful to not damage the object, scratching the white backing with a hard tool will force the layers to separate. This may be necessary to do when applying onto soft materials such as leather, cloth etc, and then pressing down any loose decal into the contours of the surface.

Organize content into multiple columns to share useful information to your customers about your products, values...