Thermal transfer printing features

While digital on-demand printing is gradually beginning to move toward the market, the same thermal transfer technology with the same personalized characteristics as on-demand printing is also popular because it can print color graphics to paper products, etc. according to individual needs. On textiles, ceramics, plastics, metals, labels, and other substrates, the method is simple, low-cost, and personalized, leading to a new trend of transfer printing.

First, the characteristics of transfer printing

Transfer printing is to print and transfer the material on the carrier first, and then transfer the image on the transfer material to the substrate by using a pad printing head, thermal transfer printer, transfer printing paper or transfer printing film. Transfer printing can be printed on a substrate surface that is inconvenient for printing on a printing press, such as various forms, molded objects, or soft materials. Before printing, images and characters are engraved on the intermediate transfer carrier, and then the carrier is transferred to the substrate by special technical means such as warming, moistening, pressure, etc. to form a print. According to transfer printing technology classification can be divided into cold transfer printing, thermal transfer printing and pressure transfer printing.

1, cold transfer printing

Can be divided into dry transfer printing and wet transfer printing.

Dry transfer printing: The carrier generally uses a plastic film. The release layer is pre-coated on the film, and then the graphic is printed on the coating, and then a layer of adhesive is printed using a sticker for printing ink. When the printing is transferred to the substrate, the carrier film can be removed.

Wet transfer printing: The carrier is generally made of paper or film, pre-coated with a water-soluble release layer, printed with printed adhesive, and the backing glue is water-soluble. When the transfer is wet with water, it is applied on the substrate and the carrier can be removed.

2, thermal transfer printing

Mainly sublimation thermal transfer printing, deinking thermal transfer printing, flock thermal transfer printing, thermal transfer printing.

Sublimation thermal transfer printing: use paper as carrier, printing with sublimation ink, transfer printing heating graphic can be transferred to the substrate. The ink used is made of sublimation dyes, which are mostly used in transfer printing of synthetic fabrics.

Deinking thermal transfer printing: use paper or film as carrier, printing with plastic ink, because the ink contains hot melt adhesive, generally not printed adhesive. Heat pressurization during transfer printing, the ink layer is heated and the binder melts to bond with the substrate. When the carrier is removed, the graphic ink layer can be separated from the carrier and transferred to the substrate.

Flocking thermal transfer printing: using paper as carrier, first apply a layer of hot-melt adhesive on paper, then flock on the glue surface, and then use hot-melt ink on the surface of the suede. ) Print graphics.

Thermal transfer printing: simply the process of transferring ink from ribbon media to paper or film using heat and pressure, primarily for label printing. When the label passes through the print head and the mandrel of the printer, the ink is transferred to the label by heat and pressure.

3, pressure transfer printing

For pressure-sensitive transfer printing, the printing carrier is generally a film, a release layer is applied in advance and the graphic is printed, and the backside is printed with a special pressure-sensitive adhesive for printing ink. During transfer printing, the image can be transferred to the substrate by applying pressure on the glossy surface of the film.