What is transfer Printing?

Transfer printing is mainly used when applying an image to a curved or uneven surface. It is most commonly used for printing on ceramics such as pottery mugs and heavy fabrics with a textured surface.
The image is prepared on a special paper which is placed on the object in its unglazed state. After its initial firing to transfer the image to the object; the object is then glazed and fired again to make the image permanent. Seeing as there are a great number of steps to be taken, transfer printing is the most expensive and time consuming of most of the print methods.