The principles, advantages and disadvantages of heat transfer printing film

Thermal transfer printing film uses the principle of thermal sublimation to transfer digital images to specially processed media. Thermal transfer printing technology is used to produce digital imaging products without plate making, printing, or development. You can create any text or pattern you like on a variety of porcelain, metal, glass, wood, and fabrics.

Because thermal transfer does not require plate making or printing, is easy to operate, and is quick and fast, it is suitable for on-site production and has a wide range of applications. It also has low production cost, huge profits, small investment, and quick results. It is deeply loved by people and therefore has broad application prospects. Market prospects and extremely high promotion value. Advantages and Disadvantages of Thermal Transfer Technology Today, as fashionable handicrafts are becoming more and more popular among people, various transfer printing technologies for making handicrafts have also been developed, and have attracted many entrepreneurs and fashion lovers to use them. Among them, the most well-known transfer technologies at present are water transfer and thermal transfer. What is thermal transfer technology? What are its characteristics and uses? What are its transfer operations and market demand? Below we Continue the discussion.

1. Introduction to thermal transfer technology

Transfer printing refers to a printing method that transfers the graphics and text on the intermediate carrier film to the substrate using corresponding pressure. Depending on the pressure used, transfer printing can be divided into water transfer printing, heat transfer printing, air transfer printing, Screen transfer, low temperature transfer, etc. Among them, thermal transfer printing is to use thermal transfer ink (i.e. sublimation ink) to print any images such as portraits and landscapes on color inkjet paper (or special sublimation inkjet printing paper), or print ordinary ink on adhesive film thermal transfer printing paper. The transfer paper is heated to a certain temperature within a few minutes by thermal transfer heating equipment, and the pattern and color on the paper are transferred to porcelain, glass, metal, plastic, cotton fabrics and other materials with realistic colors. Craftsmanship.

It can be seen that using thermal transfer technology, even if it is a multi-color pattern, since the thermal transfer operation is only one process, customers can shorten the work of printing patterns and reduce material (finished product) losses due to printing errors. In other words, using thermal transfer film printing, multi-color patterns can be printed at one time without color registration. Even with some simple equipment, realistic patterns can be printed. This greatly improves its scope of application and the efficiency of transfer printing. Operated.

2. Production tools and implementation process

Thermal transfer printing technology can be widely used on objects made of porcelain, glass, metal, plastic, cotton fabrics and other materials. However, because thermal transfer printing is limited by the heating area and the shape of the object, objects of different areas and shapes often require Use specific production tools. Among them, the common thermal transfer production tools currently include flatbed machines (heat press machines), baking pan machines, cup baking machines, etc. However, after all, their production methods are based on the principle of thermal transfer. Therefore, the production steps and processes are similar, but the thermal transfer tools used are different. The following uses a flatbed printer to transfer images to clothes as an example to illustrate the steps and processes of thermal transfer production.

Step 1: Print the image through a color inkjet printer. Step 2: Put the printed pattern aside first, and start transferring it after about 15 to 20 minutes. When transferring, when placing the printed image on the clothes, the pattern should be facing down, then adjust the time according to the transfer requirements of the thermal transfer equipment (usually 20 seconds), and close the heating plate of the equipment. Step 3: To prevent the clothes from turning yellow due to high temperature, you can put a piece of interlining on the clothes and then perform heat transfer printing. After the thermal transfer equipment alarms, lift the heating sheet, quickly uncover the pattern paper, take out the clothes, and turn off the power of the equipment. Step 4: Finally, wait for the clothes to cool down, fold them and bag them, then the entire heat transfer production will be completed and the finished product will be produced.

3. Analysis of thermal transfer market demand

 Compared with the current fashionable and mainstream water transfer printing, what are the advantages and disadvantages of thermal transfer printing technology? Specifically, the production of water transfer printing is more flexible and convenient, and is not limited by the area and shape of the object. It usually does not require special tools and equipment (just a piece of water transfer paper is enough), so its scope of application is wider. It is widely used and the production cost is lower than thermal transfer printing. It is very suitable for home users, small workshops and fashion jewelry stores.