Q: What does "open stock" mean?
"Open Stock" means decals that are already printed from which you buy as many or as few as needed. Instar is North America's largest provider of Open Stock transfers for ceramics, glass, tile and crafts (cold mount) applications. Instar currently represents many different manufacturers, including the five largest European decal houses. Instar offers trade pricing, volume discounts, quick turnaround, and a large in-house inventory.

Q: What can ceramic decals be used on?
Fired applications include collector plates, glass lamp shades, ceramic and glass lamp bases, giftware, jewelry, ceramic tile, kitchen utility ware, and ceramic mugs.

Non-fired applications include candles, soap, wood, plastic, metal, vinyl, acrylic and polished stone.

Health Warning Notice:
Pigment may contain heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. Ensure compliance with applicable FDA and State regulations when used on ware that will come into direct contact with food. Wash hands after application of decal. To comply with the Lip and Rim Standard, please test the finished product or have at least 20 mm between the top of the rim and the decal. Keep out of the reach of children unless properly supervised. This product conforms to ASTM standard D-4236.

Q: How do you apply decals?
Place the decals in a shallow pan (such as a developing tray) of warm water and soak for about 30-60 seconds, or until the color layer can be released from the backing paper. The decal can now be applied to the ware in various ways. The two most popular methods are described below.

Method #1: (Larger Decals): Apply the decal over the object face-up, and slip out the backing paper from underneath. Adjust the position of the decal on the ware and remove the water using a rubber squeegee or a damp sponge. This is accomplished by patting down from the center toward the outer edges until all excess water has been removed and wrinkles and air bubbles have been smoothed out.

Method #2: Remove 10 to 12 decal sheets from the developing tray and place them face-up on a glass slab. Slide decals off the paper with a finger and apply each individually to the ware. The technique for straightening the decal and removing water is the same as the one described in Method #1.

When all of the decals from the top sheet have been removed from the backing paper, discard the backing paper and begin using decals from the next sheet.

Avoid soaking the decal too long, otherwise it may release itself from the backing paper and float in the water, making it difficult to handle. Excessive wetting may also cause the adhesive backing of the decal colors to dissolve.

Q: What is the Arts & Crafts/Small Business Division?
Instar's Arts & Crafts/Small Business Division was started in 1992 in response to smaller manufacturers' requests for lower minimum orders and ordering flexibility. There is no minimum order, and the customers may order as few as one decal.

The Arts & Crafts/Small Business Division accepts VISA, MasterCard, Discover Card, and American Express. Persons who wish to receive trade discounts must provide at least 3 of the following: Tax # (Resale License Number), Federal I.D. #, business card, business letterhead, envelope with business return address, voided business check, Duns I.D. #.