Printing layers of ceramic ink in substantially exact registration by differential ink medium thermal expulsion

A method of partially imaging a substrate with a plurality of layers within a print pattern which subdivides the substrate into a plurality of discrete printed areas and/or a plurality of discrete unprinted areas, said layers being in substantially exact registration, said method comprising the steps of:

• (i) applying a plurality of layers of ink to the substrate, wherein one of said layers of ink comprises a mask ink layer located within said print pattern and which defines said print pattern, said mask ink layer comprising pigment and glass frit, and another of said layers of ink comprises pigment and glass frit, wherein said another of said layers of ink comprises a lower proportion of glass frit than the proportion of glass frit in said mask layer,
• (ii) subjecting said substrate and said plurality of layers of ink to a heat fusing process, wherein during said heat fusing process, said pigment and said glass frit in said mask layer and said another layer form a durable image material adhered to said substrate within said print pattern and do not form a durable image material outside said print pattern, and
• (iii) removing parts of said another of said layers outside said print pattern, wherein said parts are burnt off and/or vapourised during said heat fusing process and/or are substantially removed by a subsequent finishing process.