Patent ID: 6519608
Filing Date: 2003-02-11
Classification: B44D,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of applying a design to a ceramic article comprising:a) loading a plurality of image designs onto a design database; b) loading a plurality of object designs into an object database, the object design including information representative of the contours of an associated ceramic article; c) loading a color palette into a color database; d) selecting one of the image designs; e) selecting one of the object designs; f) sizing the selected image design for application to the selected object design; g) selecting at least one color from the color database; h) applying selected color(s) to the selected image design; i) mapping the selected image design onto the selected object design; j) forming a vectorized image of the mapped image design, the vectorized image corresponding to a translation of the mapped image design, modified in response to the contours of the ceramic article represented by the selected object design; k) forming a plurality of image stencils, each image stencil corresponding to a commonly colored portion(s) of the vectorized image; l) sequentially applying each of the image stencils onto an article corresponding to the selected object; m) sequentially painting areas of the ceramic article defined by the image stencils in accordance with the selected color(s); and n) firing the painted ceramic article.