An Introduction to Heat Transfer Printing
Heat transfer printing is the process of combining heat with transfer media to create personalized T-shirts, underwear and other products. The transfer media come in the form of vinyl (a colored rubber material) and transfer papers (a kind of wax and pigment coated paper). Heat transfer vinyl comes in various colors and patterns, from solid colors to even reflective and glitter materials. It is most commonly used to print customized names and numbers on jerseys. And transfer papers have no limitations on colors and designs. Individual artwork or images can be printed onto the medium with an inkjet printer to create shirts according to your design. To finish off, vinyl or transfer papers are in a cutter or plotter machine to cut the design's shape and the design is transferred onto a T-shirt by a heat press machine.
Interesting Facts About Transfer Printing
Transfer printing was introduced by John Sadler and Guy Green in the 1750s. The technique was first developed to decorate ceramics, mainly pottery, which was well accepted and quickly spread to other parts of Europe.
Back then, the process involved a metal plate engraved with decorative elements. The plate would be covered in ink and pressed or rolled over the ceramic. The process was slow and tedious compared to modern-day transfer printing, but it was still quicker than hand painting on ceramic.
In the late 1940s, heat transfer printing (a technique more commonly used today) was invented by a corporation called SATO, based in the US.
Advantages of Heat Transfer Printing
· Allow for different customization for every piece (e.g. name customization)
· Shorter lead time for smaller quantity orders
· Cost-efficient for small quantity orders
· Produce high-quality and complex graphics with unlimited options
Disadvantages of Heat Transfer Printing
· Time-consuming and expensive for large quantity orders
· Prone to fading after prolonged usage and washing
· Ruin images by directly ironing on prints
Step-by-step Instructions
1) Print your artwork onto the transfer medium
Place the transfer paper onto the inkjet printer and print through the software of the cutter or plotter machine. Be sure to adjust your graphics to the size of the print desired.
2) Load the printed transfer medium into the cutter or plotter
After the medium is printed, carefully load it into the plotter for the machine to detect and cut the shape of the graphic.
3) Remove excess parts of the transfer medium
Once cutting is complete, remember to remove the excess or unwanted parts by a weeder tool. Double check on your artwork to ensure that no unwanted parts are left on the medium, and the print should look like what you want on the T-shirt.
4) Print onto the garment
Take note of the heat press machine before printing:
· Temperature of heat press. It is better to be controlled at 155-180℃. The optimum temperature depends on the transfer medium used and the types of shirts and fabrics.
· Pressure of heat press. Medium pressure with contact will be sufficient to transfer prints onto the garment.
· Duration of heat press. Extended duration might cause burn marks on your garment. Please follow the instructions stated on your medium and ensure beautiful and flawless printing.
Step 1: Position apparel onto the platen of heat press. Ensure that shirt is placed straight onto the platen before printing, otherwise a crooked placement will affect the position of the print! Pre-press the garment with no prints with light pressure for approximately 2-3 seconds to remove any wrinkles which might get in the way of the print.
Step 2: Place your printed and nicely cut the transfer medium (vinyl or transfer paper) onto T-shirt. Make sure the graphic is centralized and at the right position and angle before pressing.
Step 3: Double check on print and once it is good to finish, lower the top layer of heat press to start heating. And peel the top layer of the transfer medium. Be careful while doing so because the surface of the transfer medium is hot. Your design is now printed and ready to wear.
Interesting Facts About Transfer Printing
Transfer printing was introduced by John Sadler and Guy Green in the 1750s. The technique was first developed to decorate ceramics, mainly pottery, which was well accepted and quickly spread to other parts of Europe.
Back then, the process involved a metal plate engraved with decorative elements. The plate would be covered in ink and pressed or rolled over the ceramic. The process was slow and tedious compared to modern-day transfer printing, but it was still quicker than hand painting on ceramic.
In the late 1940s, heat transfer printing (a technique more commonly used today) was invented by a corporation called SATO, based in the US.
Advantages of Heat Transfer Printing
· Allow for different customization for every piece (e.g. name customization)
· Shorter lead time for smaller quantity orders
· Cost-efficient for small quantity orders
· Produce high-quality and complex graphics with unlimited options
Disadvantages of Heat Transfer Printing
· Time-consuming and expensive for large quantity orders
· Prone to fading after prolonged usage and washing
· Ruin images by directly ironing on prints
Step-by-step Instructions
1) Print your artwork onto the transfer medium
Place the transfer paper onto the inkjet printer and print through the software of the cutter or plotter machine. Be sure to adjust your graphics to the size of the print desired.
2) Load the printed transfer medium into the cutter or plotter
After the medium is printed, carefully load it into the plotter for the machine to detect and cut the shape of the graphic.
3) Remove excess parts of the transfer medium
Once cutting is complete, remember to remove the excess or unwanted parts by a weeder tool. Double check on your artwork to ensure that no unwanted parts are left on the medium, and the print should look like what you want on the T-shirt.
4) Print onto the garment
Take note of the heat press machine before printing:
· Temperature of heat press. It is better to be controlled at 155-180℃. The optimum temperature depends on the transfer medium used and the types of shirts and fabrics.
· Pressure of heat press. Medium pressure with contact will be sufficient to transfer prints onto the garment.
· Duration of heat press. Extended duration might cause burn marks on your garment. Please follow the instructions stated on your medium and ensure beautiful and flawless printing.
Step 1: Position apparel onto the platen of heat press. Ensure that shirt is placed straight onto the platen before printing, otherwise a crooked placement will affect the position of the print! Pre-press the garment with no prints with light pressure for approximately 2-3 seconds to remove any wrinkles which might get in the way of the print.
Step 2: Place your printed and nicely cut the transfer medium (vinyl or transfer paper) onto T-shirt. Make sure the graphic is centralized and at the right position and angle before pressing.
Step 3: Double check on print and once it is good to finish, lower the top layer of heat press to start heating. And peel the top layer of the transfer medium. Be careful while doing so because the surface of the transfer medium is hot. Your design is now printed and ready to wear.
