Water slide decals (or water transfer decals) 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 which rely on

dextrose Glucose is a sugar with the molecular formula , which is often abbreviated as Glc. It is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. It is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water an ...

residue from the decal paper to bond the decal to a surface. A water-based adhesive layer can be added to the decal to create a stronger bond or may be placed between layers of

lacquer Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be c ...

to create a durable decal transfer. The paper also has a layer of glucose film added prior to the dextrose layer which gives it adhesive properties; the dextrose layer gives the decal the ability to slide off the paper and onto the substrate (

lubricity Lubricity is the measure of the reduction in friction and/or wear by a lubricant. The study of lubrication and wear mechanisms is called tribology. Measurement of lubricity The lubricity of a substance is not a material property, and cannot be m ...

). Water slide decals are thinner than many other decorative techniques (such as

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

stickers) and as they are printed, they can be produced to a very high level of detail. As such, they are popular in craft areas such as

scale modeling A scale model is a physical model that is geometrically similar to an object (known as the ''prototype''). Scale models are generally smaller than large prototypes such as vehicles, buildings, or people; but may be larger than small protot ...

, as well as for labeling DIY electronics devices, such as

guitar pedal An effects unit, effects processor, or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing. Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with el ...

s. Previously, water slide decals were professionally printed and only available in supplied designs, but with the advent of printable decal paper for colour

inkjet Inkjet printing is a type of printer (computing), computer printing that recreates a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper or plastic substrates. Inkjet printers were the most commonly used type of printer in 2008, and range f ...

and

laser printer Laser printing is an electrostatic digital printing process. It produces high-quality text and graphics (and moderate-quality photographs) by repeatedly passing a laser beam back and forth over a Electric charge, negatively charged cylinder call ...

s, custom decals can now be produced by the hobbyist or small business.

References

Scale modeling Adhesives {{material-stub