New Process for Transferring Photographs to Ceramic Tile Leads to 50 Percent Business Increase for Tile Artisans, Inc.

OROVILLE, Calif. -- A photographic image transfer process that allows ceramic tile designs to withstand desert summers or freezing winters has led to a 50 percent increase in business this year for a family-owned company here.

Tile Artisans, Inc., has completed projects ranging from a 45-foot long mural of the Chicago Skyline for the city's Swissotel, to a dome and tiled storefront at the Ontario Mills shopping center in Southern California, to signs at locations ranging from city entrances to office lobbies. Jack-in-the Box uses the tiles for vandal-proof signs in its restaurant restrooms across the United States.

"Our process uses extremely high heat, and it has proven to be far superior to traditional 'sublimation' method of imprinting tiles. We're anticipating doubling our business next year," said owner Dale Marsh.

"The reasons that people want our tiles are almost as varied as their fields of endeavor. In public art, vandalism is a major concern. If there is damage to art, often the entire work has to be replaced. But if someone sprays paint on our tile, it usually can be cleaned with soap and water. If someone chips or destroys a portion of a tile installation, one or two tiles can be replaced. This can translate into huge savings over the years.

"Ceramic tile signs are popular with both public agencies and businesses for exactly the same reasons," Marsh continued. "For example, Ishi Hills Middle School here commissioned an 18- by 20-foot sign. Irwindale uses 5-foot by 2-foot signs with the city logo at locations throughout the community."

"People love the look of ceramic tile, especially in California and the Southwest. It's part of the cultural heritage and the lifestyle. Firing photographic images onto ceramic tile simply takes the tradition one step further," he added.

Marsh is the son of the late Joe Marsh, who had a wholesale tile distribution business serving the Western United States for more than a quarter of a century. Marsh founded Tile Artisans in 1992 after the family sold the wholesale operation.

Tile Artisans began using the high-heat image transfer process about six years ago.

"The statistics on the durability of tiles made by this process are more impressive than anything we have seen in 40 years in the business," said Marsh. "Other methods simply are not as durable. For example, we recently replaced a two-year-old tile mural that already was fading for the Rohnert Park City Library. Our tiles resist sunlight, high temperatures, mild chemicals and acid rain, and they are frost-resistant when they are applied to a porcelain support material."

The tiles are particularly appropriate for public art projects and historical murals. For example, the telephone company in Lodi, where summer temperatures can exceed the century mark, ordered a series of 12 historical murals, based on photos up to 100 years old, for the exterior of its building. A waterfront park in San Diego came to Tile Artisans for a mural commemorating cannery workers and the diverse ethnic community that makes up Barrio Logan, because the tiles resist corrosion from the salty seaside air.

The tiles are particularly useful in bathrooms, spas and swimming pools where durability and resistance to water are critical. Gold's Gym in Redman, Wash., used the tiles to create their corporate logo on the bottom of a spa.

Other uses include tabletops, doors, clocks and garden walkways. More than 60 patterns are available for mosaic floor borders, and the Tile Council of North America has just approved the tiles for general floor use. Organizations ranging from hospitals to performing arts centers have turned to Tile Artisans to customize tiles put into walls honoring donors.

Customers can provide their own artwork or photographs or choose from an extensive selection offered by Tile Artisans.

Tiles, which range in size from three inches to twelve inches square, can be square, rectangular, round or oval with surfaces that are flat, convex or concave. Ceramic tiles are fired at a temperature of up to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit -- more than six times the temperature used in the traditional methods of imprinting tile. They require no special after-coating, and are installed by standard techniques. Stains can be cleaned with water; however, the tiles will not be damaged if someone inadvertently uses ammonia, denatured alcohol or acetone.

In terms of resistance to sunlight, ISO tests classify them as "higher than 8," the maximum reference point in a range of 1 to 8. They are rated as Grade 5, the highest in a range of 1 to 5, in their resistance to stains. The surface hardness is rated as Grade 5, on a scale where talc is Grade 1 and diamonds are Grade 10. If one tile is damaged, it can be easily replaced from the files of photographic images that Tile Artisans maintains for all projects.

Additional information is available on the Web at www.tileartisans.com or by calling 1-800-601-4199 or 530-534-3463.

Note: High-resolution photos are available upon request.