Heat Transfer Printing also has another name Thermal Printing. Heat Transfer Printing is the technique to transfer a picture to stick on a T – Shirt for instance, only when heat is applied. Thermal Transfer Printing is based on a pre – printed image on a certain paper and heat application. Heat Transfer Printing is the best way to replace the normal printing but we cannot expect too much from this. The main advantage of this Heat Transfer Printing is that it is very economical.
Heat Transfer Printing requires the following mentioned below –
- Wax based ink
- Special Paper
- Material to print
- Thermal Printing Press
When we apply this process, the ink used to make an image must be a wax-based ink. The reason behind this is that wax gets melted and the image gets imprinted on the surface or any material. The paper we use must be non – sticky and non – combustible even when heat is applied. We need to make an image on the paper by using a wax based ink to be pressed on it. This can also be applied by another process known as layering.
When a certain image is considered, let us imagine it consists of five different colors and so we need to have five layers. Each layer must consist of different colors, so five layers get five colors and the entire image gets printed.
In the Heat Transfer Printing Process, after the completion of printing an image on paper, we need to take it to a thermal printing press.
The following steps must be done to complete the heat transfer printing –
- The surface of the thermal printing press must be cleaned and turned on.
- A material like T – Shirt on which we need to make a print must be placed. The position and the angle where the imprint to be done must be checked thoroughly.
- Once the position and the angle were set, the thermal printing press must be pressed and released for five seconds. This is to make sure that no particles or residue is left behind or created near the thermal printing press surface.
- Now the paper consisting of an image printed with wax based ink must be taken and placed on the material to the opposite side, where the wax based ink faces the material or cloth.
- The alignment must be checked and the thermal printing press must be operated for around 20 seconds. The time span for the operation of thermal printing press depends on the type of wax based ink used, type of material or cloth used and the temperature of the thermal printing press.
- Once the operation is complete, we need to take out the paper from the material slowly and carefully observing the image printing. If incomplete, we need to operate the thermal printing press again.
- The plastic paper may be used after the completion of the process and this must be operated the same way as the paper with the image was operated. This is to ensure the printing never comes out or never washes away even when a certain pressure is used.
Advantages of Heat Transfer Printing –
- The product obtained from the heat transfer printing is water resistant and water repellant.
- It is also heat resistant and not reactive with chemicals.
- Moreover, the price of the machinery is low and also the price of the output product is also low.
