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ABC's of T-Shirt Transfer Paper
As with a nice, healthy muscle stretch, time, temperature and tension (or pressure) are the keys to applying a good heat transfer. The following article will attempt to "stretch" your notions of heat transfer papers, especially for digital applications, and help make some sense of this growing world in the apparel decorating universe.
"Transfer" is a particularly loaded word in the imprintables industry. But the cracking and peeling "iron on" transfers of yesterday are no more. And, digital equipment has further enhanced their advantages.
What Do We Mean By "Digital?"
Here, we will define digital technology as any equipment that does not require printing plates, as traditional offset presses do. The information goes from a computer to a print-generating machine. The well-known advantage to this is the ability to produce any number of copies - from one to 100 or more - without the expense and time invested in separating colors, preparing plates, etc. Digital printers include color laser printers (CLP), color laser copiers (CLC), thermal ribbon printers, ink jet printers and the large commercial digital printing presses.
CLP technology is in a rapid stage of development. Printers have become less expensive and quality and reliability have improved. They are simpler and more compact. Many CLPs run at higher temperatures than CLCs. Most of the newer models do not use a fuser oil to prevent sticking of the paper in the fuser roll. Instead, the toners are compounded with release additives. The CLP technology push has created a need for special heat transfer papers to cope with higher temperature and chemistry changes associated with the printers. Many papers that work well with CLCs will jam and stick to the fuser rolls in most CLPs. For this reason, look for papers which have been tested for your CLP.
Dry resin printers such as the Alps and Citizen printers employ thermal ribbon technology. Color dots are transferred to the paper from colored wax or resin coated ribbons. A key to success in thermal ribbon printing is obtaining good adhesion of the wax or resin to the transfer paper. Papers containing release agents do not print well and, again, it is important to select papers which have been tested with your printer.
Special papers have also been developed to work with digital offset printers such as the Hewlett-Packard Indigo printer. Here, adhesion of the liquid toners is a key to success. These papers have undergone a battery of tests that examine their performance in a variety of conditions, including humidity, speed, transfer temperatures and other variables. This helps ensure several benefits. First, the papers will run smoothly and will be easy to apply. The overall graphic reproduction will be trouble free. The image will be high quality, exceptionally bright and washable, and available at an affordable price.
Why Heat Transfers?
Today's heat transfers are tough to beat for their speed and cost savings. Heat transfers are ideal for filling small orders. Screen printers who have had to decline short-run jobs because they were not economically feasible can use heat transfers to fill this niche. This potential short-run solution is great for orders of as few as one, since no color separations or screen preparations are needed. Also, the heat transfer process eliminates the mess of handling liquid ink and does not present any environmental problems.
Other important aspects of heat transfer papers are the thickness, composition and durability of the transfer polymer layer. Those that have a softer, more flexible layer are great for lightweight fabrics such as T-shirts. Those with heavier, stiffer transfer polymer layers are more suited to use with heavier fabrics such as sweatshirts or transfers to leather.
Remember, not all digital heat transfer papers are the same. As technology has developed, heat transfers have had to keep up. Researchers at the leading manufacturers of heat transfer papers design their products with these changes in mind.
The Next Generation of Heat Transfer Papers
A revolutionary heat transfer process now eliminates the most annoying aspect of heat transfers: the dreaded polymer window. It is probably the one thing apparel decorators and customers would like to change about this apparel decorating option. The latest transfer papers combine the benefits of screen printing and prevent unnecessary polymers from being transferred with the desired image.
This offers several benefits. First, it enhances aesthetic quality of the finished product. Second, it allows decorators to apply heat transfers to 100 percent synthetic materials such as athletic apparel. Previously, they could be done only on cotton or cotton blends. Without the polymer window left by other heat transfer papers, the imaged area does not stick to skin. Athletic apparel is comfortable and breathable.
By using the latest heat transfer paper, apparel decorators can also greatly reduce the costs and labor associated with imaging. Not only is there no need to trim around images, but also the paper requires only a few easy steps to use. The digital print quality is remarkable. And the imprinted products have excellent wash and wear durability with great "hand," softness and feel.
Conclusion
From your fingertips to the printer, dazzling images have moved from techno-dreams to reality. Premium heat transfer paper satisfies the goals of both end users and apparel decorators. It creates products that look good and wear well for the end customer, and is also versatile and cost-effective for apparel decorators to use. With today's heat transfer paper, you can produce images on a wide range of surfaces. Use premium digital heat transfer paper to help stretch your apparel decorating business. You will be glad you did.
click here to BUY T-SHIRT TRANSFER PAPER
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