Patent ID: 9409312
Filing Date: 2016-08-09
CPC Classification: B28B

Claim Text:
1. A method for durably engraving an earthenware item, said method comprising: (a) processing a digital image to produce an output image, wherein said output image comprises a plurality of pixels each having a gray level; (b) etching a burnable material to create peaks, valleys and indents corresponding to said output image to form a mold, wherein said burnable material is a pressed paper fiberboard adapted to be bonded to a substrate and a surface roughness of said pressed paper fiberboard corresponds to a grit number ranging from about 120 to about 150; (c) casting a flexible template against said mold to obtain a mirror image of said output image in said flexible template; (d) casting a surface of the earthenware item in an unsintered state against said flexible template to record said output image by peaks and valleys in said surface of the earthenware item; (e) bisque firing the earthenware item in the unsintered state to render said output image permanent; and (f) applying a stain to said surface of the earthenware item in the sintered state and removing excess stain from said surface of the earthenware item.