making occasion plates

The greatest thing about this little job is the huge amount of pleasure it brings to so many people. It makes you feel good for having made someone else feel good. For the recipient, you can imagine the pleasure that a personalised gift will bring. You can't just nip down the road and throw a few quid on the counter for one of these. They have to be thought about and directed to that person.

Before you embark on this project however, there are certain things of which you must be aware.

First of all, Names. Make sure you have the correct name spelling. Some names nowadays give little indication of how they are spelled. Make sure that the name is printed in the correct order, some nations around the world say their names back to front and often a difficult name to say will have a nic-name or shortened alternative. Check all this out.

Second, Dates. check out dates for different nationalities. Formats change from country to country. If for example, you were given 2:4:09 as a date, in one country you have 2nd April 2009. In another you would have 4th February 2009, and also do the same with times, 7:45. AM or PM? Both abreviated dates and the 24 hour clock look dreadful when applied to this style of giftware. I try to avoid it if possible. Just as an after thought, also pounds and ounces or lbs and ozs will look nicer than kilos or k. I think because of the age of the pottery industry, modern abbreviations look out of place.

The better the quality of your photograph, the less work you will have to do on it. The art package can do lots of magical things, but cannot do anything for a picture which is out of focus. Bad creases will spoil your work and so will discoloration. Check for brightness levels/darkness levels etc and that the subject is placed where a circle can be cut. See my do's and don'ts.

You will need any standard format home pc, scanner and laser printer. If you have not got a laser printer, then worry not, there is one in almost ever library in the land, and therefore you have one available to you.

If you have a photo on your hard drive, then fine. Otherwise lift that box of photos down off the wardrobe, mind your bad back, and start digging.

You will need an art package such as Adobe Elements or Coral Paint Shop Pro. (Elements being an easier to use package than Coral in my opinion). If you have not got a suitable package, then download Adobe Elements free for a month from their website. There is plenty of help available for the package and if you get totally stuck, you can ask me!!

You will need a sheet of A4 Ceramic Waterslide transparent transfer paper, or if you go to www.merlintransfers.com. you can buy a sample pack of 5 sheets. You want "WT Water Release". Follow the storage instructions, and make sure your paper stays dry and clean. Your transfer paper is the keystone to the job.

Second but last you need a plate. Remember you paper is A4, so therefore do not get a plate which is too big. Around 12 inch is you max, but I like to make plates around the 8 inch mark. Any reputable multi store or gift shop will sell you a gilted plate. Make sure it's bone china and that it is marked as such on the back. The best and top of the range will be the Stoke on Trent UK bone china plates. Two gold rings , one on the rim and one on the shoulder. It is important that you're plate does not dip in the middle. Some times when the potter removes the plate from the press he will be a bit too quick. If the plate sticks at this stage, it will then sag whilst being fired. It is now unsuitable for our use.

Last and most important of all, you need Flair, a little Style!! You ain't going nowhere without a little Flair.

Question. Who knows what a "Sagger makers bottom knocker "is?

When you are happy with the content of your photo, and when you are ready to take the next step, by using the carousel tool pull a circle over the area that you wish to cut out. Allow the circle to be a couple of mils over. Mark you carousel with the pen tool, and send to the printer. I always send a dummy copy on cheap paper first. This will allow you to make a dummy cut and check that it fits your plate. If the dummy print is curling up the shoulder of the plate, then it is too big.The transfer must stay on the flat part of the plate. Of course, if you have a plotter cutter (Craft Robo) or other, then you can use that.

When ready, go for the biggy. Take a deep breath and go for it. When you get your circle and you have dry tested it, you have done the hard work. Now make sure that your plate is spotlessly clean but leave wet. Soak your transfer in a saucer of warm water, do not hold the transfer under a running tap or it will ruckle and create problems. When the transfer splits from the parent paper, lift it and the parent paper onto your plate. Gently slide the transfer into position and dicard the parent layer.

Gently and even more gently work the excess water from the center of the plate until there are no bubbles or wet areas under the transfer. press out any wrinkles around the edge of you're work. You have plenty of time to do this.

Allow to dry at room temperature for a couple of hours and then place in a cold oven. Fire on thetransfer at gas mark 4 around 300 degrees for around 30 minutes. Allow oven to cool before removing your plate. resist the urge to touch the picture as you may leave a finger print while it is still warm.

Make some one happy

Make them a plate....