Fusible Glass Decals: Storage and Application

Fusible glass decals are decorative pieces of glass that have creative designs and patterns. These come in backgrounds of white, black, gold, silver and multicolor. They can be used with any COE glass.

COE glass is a type of glass that has known degrees of expansion when heated and contracting when cooled.

Storage of Glass Decals

• Decals must always be stored standing on the edge.
• Stacking them on top of each other will damage them.
• They should never be pressed within the pages of books either.
• Decals must be stored at room temperature.
• Temperatures above 80 degrees Fahrenheit are not good for the decals.
• Humidity above 60% damages the decals too.

Application of Glass Decals

Fusible glass decals can be used at home with the right precautions and the right practices. Don’t worry about messing up. You can’t go wrong if you follow these steps.

Working with Glass fusing decals are quite easy to use and come in a lot of varieties. Here are the steps you can follow to ensure that you have a fulfilling experience.

1. Clean the glass – Cleaning the glass is an absolute necessity. This basic step can cause trouble if not done properly. Ensure that you remove all dirt, dust, oil and grime. Clean the surface carefully with micro fiber rags and alcohol. This combination works best for cleaning glass. Touch the glass only from the edges and never on the top. It will leave fingerprints on the carefully cleaned glass. Ensure that your hands are clean when you’re handling the glass.
2. Cut the glass – Cut 1/6 inch more than the actual size of the decal. Cut a little more than the actual size because sometimes when the decal is placed on the glass. It will blend into the glass color. This little extra bit will be your reference for the correct placement of the decal.
3. Soak the decals – The next step is to remove the wax paper barrier before soaking. Ensure that you remove the paper after you’ve finished the cutting. Use only distilled water at room temperature to soak your decal. Normal water contains minerals that you need to avoid in your glass decal. The ideal time to soak your decal is twenty to twenty seconds.
4. Wet the surface of the glass – You can use a small mist bottle to wet the surface of the glass, or simply just wet the surface. This will allow you to adjust the position of the decal. Don’t worry about wetting the surface too much. It should be just enough to make the glass slippery.
5. Apply the decal – Keep a pair of tweezers handy for this step. Hold the edge of the decal and remove the paper backing a little. Next position the decal in place and slowly remove the paper backing as you stick the decal on the glass surface. Be very careful at this step and ensure that there are no air bubbles. The decal has to stick completely to the glass surface. Keep blotting the excess water as you slowly remove the paper backing. Continue to blot gently until all the air and water bubbles have smoothed out. Use a rolling motion while blotting. Continue to blot in a rolling motion till the entire surface of the glass has the decal affixed on top. This ensures that the design is fixed firmly on the glass and won’t move during the firing process. You can use an old credit card to blot out the bubbles.

1. Allow the decal to dry completely – Although this step seems very obvious, missing it could spoil the look of the decal. Even the slightest moisture can prevent the decal from sticking to the glass and form air bubbles. This could result in only a partial transfer as compared to a full transfer.

Although glass decals look really nice, they can take some amount of time and practice to perfect. But don’t lose heart if you want to take up making glass decals as a hobby. It is very rewarding and soothing. Every glass decal is a work of art.