Heat transfer machines use hot heat and ink to print designs on various items, including T-shirts and mugs. The two most common types are platen and rotary drum machines, with designs composed of ink on backing paper. Heat transfer machines are cheaper and more environmentally friendly than other printing methods.
From baseball caps to T-shirts, backpacks to drinking cups, nearly every item in today’s society has some sort of design. The difference between the drawings is the mechanism by which they are rendered. An inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and long-lasting way to do this is to use a heat transfer machine, sometimes called a heat press transfer machine. Because it’s a cheaper technology, heat transfer machines have become increasingly popular for printing designs onto T-shirts and other items.
A heat transfer machine uses the same inks that your average inkjet printer uses, plus a blast of very hot heat, up to 600°F (about 315.56°C). Sometimes special inks or dyes are used, especially if the product to be printed will be exposed to extreme circumstances, such as a dishwasher safe mug or outdoor banner. A heat transfer machine can come in many forms to print on many products, but the two most common heat transfer machines are the platen type and the rotary drum variety. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but both have the same requirements: ink or dye, heat, and a little time.
The plate type of heat transfer machine is usually large enough to print a design onto a shirt, although they are available in even larger sizes. It opens like a book and the object to be printed is inserted into the thermal transfer printing machine. The items printed by these plate heat transfer machines are usually quite flat: T-shirts, bags and other clothing items, as well as wood and ceramic tiles. The drawing is selected and placed on the object to be printed. The machine operator then shuts down the machine and holds it still until it heats up enough for the design to be permanent.
A rotating drum heat transfer machine passes the design and item to be printed between two giant rollers which apply the necessary heat and pressure. Due to the way this machine is structured, an operator of this type of heat transfer machine experiences less stress, although with the addition of pneumatic technology to some plate types, operators no longer have to lift heavy objects or worry about the effort that comes with using both machines. Basic platen models, some small enough to fit on home tabletops, are less expensive than larger machines that have more features and are used for large-scale print projects.
Designs for a heat transfer machine are usually composed of ink placed on a piece of backing paper. Depending on the printed surface, the design may only be topical in nature and require additional sealant if the surface is non-porous. If the printed surface is porous, such as fiber-based items, the dye will penetrate the fibers and the process is called sublimation transfer. Designs can be purchased in bulk from a supplier, or created and printed using a graphics program and computer, or, in some cases, can even be made using a color copier and special paper.
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