Dry transfers (also called rub-ons or rubdowns) are
decal
A decal (, , ) or transfer is a plastic, cloth, paper, or ceramic substrate that has printed on it a pattern or image that can be moved to another surface upon contact, usually with the aid of heat or water.
The word is short for ''decalc ...
s that can be applied without the use of water or other
solvent
A solvent (s) (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for ...
. The decal itself is on a backing material such as paper or plastic sheeting much like a
transparency. The dry transfer is placed in the desired location with the backing side up. The decal is then applied by
burnishing the backing with a
stylus
A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision ...
or similar object such as a
ballpoint pen
A ballpoint pen, also known as a biro (British English), ball pen (Hong Kong, Indian and Philippine English), or dot pen (Nepali) is a pen that dispenses ink (usually in paste form) over a metal ball at its point, i.e. over a "ball point". ...
. The contact side of the decal includes a
pressure-sensitive adhesive; the combination of heat and pressure causes the decal to stick more strongly to the new surface than to the backing. When the backing is removed, the decal remains. This allows for ink only where needed even if the pattern is delicate, because the backing supports the decal while it is being applied.
Dry transfers are used in manual
technical drawing
Technical drawing, drafting or drawing, is the act and discipline of composing drawings that visually communicate how something functions or is constructed.
Technical drawing is essential for communicating ideas in industry and engineering ...
when standard graphic elements such as title blocks, forms, patterned lines, shading, piping or electronic schematic symbols need to be repetitively used. Use of a dry transfer reduces drawing time and standardizes appearance.
[ David L. Goetsch, ''Technical Drawing'' (Cengage Learning, 2005) page 72 ] Dry transfer lettering such as
Letraset
Letraset was a company known mainly for manufacturing sheets of typefaces and other artwork elements using the dry transfer method. Letraset has been acquired by the Colart group and become part of its subsidiary Winsor & Newton.
Corporate his ...
brand is used where hand-drawn lettering is laborious to apply. From the 1960s to the 1980s,
dry transfers featuring action scenes were a popular children's pastime.
See also
*
Appliqué
Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on garments. The technique ...
*
Presto Magix
Presto Magix (pronounced ''Presto Magic'') was a brand of ''Action Transfers'' activity sets popular during the 1970s and 1980s. The sets were published by the American Publishing Corporation of Watertown, Massachusetts. They were originally made ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dry Transfer
Printing terminology