Digital Ceramic Printing

In early October I worked on the first of three stained glass window designs for the Chapel of St Nicholas, discussed HERE.  Critical to this process was the quality of output from Washington Art Glass, the only company in the UK to produce digital ceramic printing on glass – a product appropriate for outdoor use that can withstand environmental conditions and is UV-stable.

I have just received a 210mm square sample of one of the tracery windows from the Warneford Hospital Chapel.  My supplied image was a high quality, sharp original, so I was saddened by the printed output that looks washed out and in places very blurred.  I cannot understand how parts of the printed image are blurred, so have requested an explanation from Washington Art Glass.  As things stand, if the sample is an accurate portrayal of the print quality (as it should be), then I do not believe that this is a viable solution for installation within a chapel.

Dominic Price (2019) Warneford Hospital Chapel – tracery flowers [Artist unknown]

Digital ceramic print on glass

The manufacturers have fed back that the ceramic inks are natural based pigments resulting in softer hues.  The print process cannot manage hues outside its range (such as vibrant red), irrespective of image editing.  They were alarmed by blurring that has happened somewhat randomly in the end product and have reassured me that this is not normal.  I am not totally reassured!