Combining digital print technologies with 18th Century underglaze ceramic printing to retain an industrial heritage process


Burleigh Pottery needed to find a solution to an urgent problem.  Though beautiful, hand-engraving for the creation and maintenance of plates and rollers for ceramic transfer-ware was unfortunately a vanishing craft. Skilled hand-engravers were no longer available and fragile rollers and patterns needed frequent re-engraving.

Led by Professor Stephen Hoskins with David Huson, initial AHRC-funded research proved the concept of using digital technology to create rollers and flat plates was possible using new methods. The Knowledge Transfer Partnership then tackled the issue of retaining the art of the engraver by adapting and embedding the process into Burleigh’s design and production workflow, with a combination of digital and traditional skills.

The breakthrough was a technique to digitally enhance images from old plates and rollers; generating a digital file of a perfect engraving that could then be converted back into a physical object.  The success of this research-collaboration has enabled Burleigh to consolidate its commercial future, protect existing jobs, increase employment opportunities, improve export performance and retain the unique manufacturing skills base.

The collaboration was highly commended by the Times Higher Awards 2018.

 

 

 

Project Output: Beyond Blue Symposium at the Victoria and Albert Museum, January 2014

Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 23 Jan 2014
IMAGES: www.pinterest.com/cfprresearch/beyond-blue / PROJECT BLOGcfprtissue.blogspot.co.uk
ALL FILMING AND EDITING COURTESY ADAM PROCTOR, FORTSUNLIGHT

This symposium brought together leading academic researchers, industry experts and artists to discuss underglaze ceramic printing and its future. Below are a selection of presentations and videos of the day.

Stephen Hoskins, David Huson and Linsay Proctor: Combining digital print technologies with 18th Century underglaze ceramic printing to retain an industrial heritage process 

Charlotte Hodes: Working with Spode

Katie Bunnell and Jessie Higginson: Exploring Digital Technologies in Craft Practices

Stephen Hoskins: Aeroplanes on Jugs 

BEYOND BLUE RESEARCH SUMMARY from CFPR UWE Bristol on Vimeo.

BEYOND BLUE HIGHLIGHTS from CFPR UWE Bristol on Vimeo.

PAUL SCOTT – the Spode Archive from CFPR UWE Bristol on Vimeo.

BEYOND BLUE Q&A from CFPR UWE Bristol on Vimeo.

To top