A decal (/ˈdiːkæl/, /dɨˈkæl/, or /ˈdɛkəl/) or transfer is a plastic, cloth, paper or ceramic substrate that has printed on it a pattern or image that can be moved to another surface upon contact, usually with the aid of heat or water.The word is short for decalcomania, which is the English version of the French word décalcomanie.The technique was invented by Simon François Ravenet, an engraver from France who later moved to England and perfected the process he called "décalquer" (which means to copy by tracing); it became widespread during the decal craze of the late 19th century.