Background ‘Decal transfer’ is the most commonly used process for industrial decoration of inert goods such as pottery, dishes, ceramic tiles, glasses and auto panels. However, this process is very polluting, as the varnishes and glazes used are highly toxic, dangerous for the environment, or very flammable. Objectives The project’s main objective was to completely remove the use of toxic and dangerous chemicals from the industrial decal transfer process. The innovative production technique was to use safe dyes and water-based media such as acrylates, natural resins and ethylene oxide. Due to the fact that these substances perform in an inferior fashion to the harmful substances, new physical treatments would need to be integrated into the manufacturing process. Results The project reached the conclusion that it was possible to use water based glazes in the serigraphy applied to the ceramic industry. Good results were achieved but only at a laboratory scale; a pre-industrial demonstration has not been achieved. The project encountered significant problems from the start, largely as a result of financial difficulties. However, despite this, the beneficiary managed to involve some leading firms from the ceramics sector that gave their services free of charge. With their support the beneficiary tested many different components and mixtures. The production of VOC-free decals has been empirically demonstrated at the laboratory scale, proving that decals can indeed be made with water-based colouring, i.e., with non-toxic pigments. The next stage would be an industrialisation of the process at to demonstrate the process’ feasibility at a pilot plant scale. This is the main objective that the project did not manage to achieve. Subsequently, long-duration tests would be needed as well in order to demonstrate the endurance of the water-based glazes. In the long run and after demonstration at an adequate scale, the new process could deliver significant environmental and social benefits, including better working conditions for those in the production process, reduction of pollutants in the atmosphere, reduction of dangerous waste disposal - both liquid and solid, and a substantial reduction of the cost of waste disposal.