Having the bone china fired is only half of it. Now comes the moment to distinguish the bare fired clay from the end piece.

No one is alike, and no taste is the same. The same goes for tableware designs. Trained artists with an an extensive knowledge of patterns and color first design the decoration.

There are 3 phases where the decoration can be applied.

1. Before the ware is glazed
2. Under-glaze decoration
3. On-glaze decoration (after the glazing)

The last is the most common as more color can be applied

History of painting methods.

A long time ago, before 1790, all the decoration on china was hand-painted.
Only very exquisite piece of the very highest quality china are still decorated this way. It is a very labour intensive job which only real experts with a long experience can perform.

Freehand painting is one of the most skilled jobs in the pottery industry and it takes years of training to become expert.

3 Ways to Color the china

1. Ground laying

The ware is coated with a thin film of oil and powdered color is dusted over it. When fired, a very rich and rich solid background color is obtained.

2. Printing

This is transfer decoration using a single color. A copper plate or cylinder is engraved and color mixed with oil is spread over it. A transfer is taken on specially prepared tissue paper which is rubbed down onto the ware. The tissue paper is soaked off with water and the pattern is left. Prints are sometimes enriched by filing in the pattern with ceramic colors. In the industry this is known as ‘print and tint’.

3. Lithographs

Lithographs are transfers. They are printed on a paper base and covered in a plastic layer. When soaked in water, the plastic and the colors can be slid off and onto the ware. They are then carefully squeezed down to remove any bubbles of air that are trapped underneath. This is by far the most common way of decorating bone china.

Source: tableware tips