Crossword Genius

Transfer tied up (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

decal

'transfer' is the definition.
(design transferred onto a surface)

'tied up' is the wordplay.
'tied' becomes 'laced' (synonyms).
'up' shows that the letters should be reversed in order (in down clue: letters go upwards).
'laced' back-to-front is 'DECAL'.

(Another definition for decal that I've seen is " Transfer - laced (anag)".)

I've seen this clue in The Guardian.
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