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Decal
 
 
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A decal or transfer is a plastic
Plastic

Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic chemistry solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products....
, cloth paper
Paper

Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon or packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
 or ceramic substrate
Substrate (printing)

Substrate is a term used in printing to describe the base material onto which will be printed. Base materials include :* films,* foils,* textiles,...
 that has printed on it a pattern
Pattern

A pattern, from the French language patron, is a type of theme of recurring events of or objects, sometimes referred to as elements of a set....
 that can be moved to another surface
Surface

In mathematics, specifically in topology, a surface is a two-dimensional topological manifold. The most familiar examples are those that arise as the boundaries of solid objects in ordinary three-dimensional Euclidean space E3....
 upon contact
Contact

Contact means to touch physically or to communicate with.Contact may also refer to one of the things below....
, usually with the aid of heat
Heat

In physics and thermodynamics, heat is any transfer of energy from one body or thermodynamic system to another due to a difference in temperature....
 or water
Water

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or States of matter, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam....
. The word is short for "decalcomania
Decalcomania

Decalcomania, from the French d?calcomanie, is a decorative technique by which engravings and prints may be transferred to pottery or other materials....
." The word Decalcomania is derived from the French word "decalquer," and was coined by Simon François Ravenet about 1750. The "mania" was added during the Decal craze of the late 1800s.

Different variations of decals include: "waterslide" or "water-dip" and vinyl "peel-and-stick".






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A decal or transfer is a plastic
Plastic

Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic chemistry solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products....
, cloth paper
Paper

Paper is thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon or packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
 or ceramic substrate
Substrate (printing)

Substrate is a term used in printing to describe the base material onto which will be printed. Base materials include :* films,* foils,* textiles,...
 that has printed on it a pattern
Pattern

A pattern, from the French language patron, is a type of theme of recurring events of or objects, sometimes referred to as elements of a set....
 that can be moved to another surface
Surface

In mathematics, specifically in topology, a surface is a two-dimensional topological manifold. The most familiar examples are those that arise as the boundaries of solid objects in ordinary three-dimensional Euclidean space E3....
 upon contact
Contact

Contact means to touch physically or to communicate with.Contact may also refer to one of the things below....
, usually with the aid of heat
Heat

In physics and thermodynamics, heat is any transfer of energy from one body or thermodynamic system to another due to a difference in temperature....
 or water
Water

Water is a common chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of life. In typical usage, water refers only to its liquid form or States of matter, but the substance also has a solid state, ice, and a gaseous state, water vapor or steam....
. The word is short for "decalcomania
Decalcomania

Decalcomania, from the French d?calcomanie, is a decorative technique by which engravings and prints may be transferred to pottery or other materials....
." The word Decalcomania is derived from the French word "decalquer," and was coined by Simon François Ravenet about 1750. The "mania" was added during the Decal craze of the late 1800s.

Different variations of decals include: "waterslide" or "water-dip" and vinyl "peel-and-stick". A waterslide decal is a type of decal that must first be dipped in water prior to its application. Upon contact with water, the glue is loosened and the decal can be removed from its backing. A vinyl "peel-and-stick" decal is a petroleum based decal that transfers upon peeling off the decal from its base.

Decals are commonly used on hot rod
Hot rod

Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. Nobody knows for sure the origin of the term "hot rod." One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a Roadster that was modified for speed....
 automobiles and plastic model
Plastic model

Plastic models, often called scale models, are models manufactured as kits which are assembled by hobbyists, and intended for static display....
s. They are also used on guitars as a way of personalizing them.

Government agencies of all types also use decals on vehicles for identification. These decals are referred to as fleet markings and are required by law on all fire and law enforcement vehicles in the US. Most fleet markings are created from reflective vinyl with an adhesive backing that is applied in a peel-and-stick manner. Vinyl comes in large rolls that are fed through a plotter (cutter) or large-format printer/cutter. The designs are created in specialized computer software and sent to the machines via cable link for production. Once the design is cut into the vinyl, the excess vinyl on the sheet is removed in a process called "weeding". Finally, a paper pre-mask is applied to the top of the vinyl design to allow easy application of multiple letters and shapes at one time.

See also

  • Bumper sticker
    Bumper sticker

    A bumper sticker is an adhesive label or sticker with a message, intended to be attached to the Bumper of an automobile and to be read by the occupants of other vehicles - although they are often stuck onto other objects....
  • lithography
    Lithography

    Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface. By contrast, in intaglio a plate is engraving, etching or mezzotint to make cavities to contain the printing ink, and in woodblock printing and letterpress ink is applied to the raised surfaces of letters or images....
  • Guitar Decal
    Guitar decal

    Guitar decals, also referred to as guitar graphics, and guitar stickers, are decals designed to adhere to the body of an electric, acoustic or bass guitar....


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