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Transfer printing is a method of moving an image from one location to another. Early forms used metal or ceramic plates, while modern methods use special paper and heat to transfer ink onto almost anything. Screen printing is a similar process used on paper or fabric.
Transfer printing is a method of moving a predefined image from one location to another. This process was originally used to move images from metal or ceramic plates to pottery, while newer forms use special paper and transfer onto almost anything. The basic process involves applying ink to a special surface; that surface is pressed against the printable object, which transfers the ink. Heat is then applied to the newly inked area and the image becomes permanent. This process is similar to screen printing.
Early forms of transfer printing were used to create the look of hand painted pottery while requiring less work. The problem with this is the shape of the ceramic surface. Curves on a specific piece were difficult to machine, but making a system that could conform to any shape was even more difficult.
In the mid-1700s, a process using metal or ceramic plates became popular in England. First, a piece of pottery was created and fired to make it hard. Next, a pre-made plate, or roller, containing a decorative image would have ink applied to its surface. The plate was then pressed or rolled across the surface of the pottery, transferring the ink. After the ink was transferred, the pottery was glazed and fired again to adhere the ink to the pottery surface.
For the most part, transfer printing hasn’t changed for a long time. Processes and techniques evolved very little until the end of the 20th century. Until then, transfer printing was cheaper than hand-painted items, but not by much. The specialized equipment, prefabricated slabs and additional production steps greatly impacted any additional profits.
Modern operations have a much more convenient method of transferring images. Industrial printers can put ink on special paper which is then pressed against the object. The object is then heated with flash, permanently transferring the ink. The speed and localization of this process allows it to work on a wide variety of materials, including those that would be damaged by the fuzzy heat used in earlier forms of transfer printing.
A similar process, called screen printing, is used to transfer images onto paper or fabric. In this process, a fine screen is first covered with ink. Then the screen is pressed against a surface, transferring the ink onto the work object. The freshly inked object is usually left to air dry. Although low heat is sometimes applied to the object to speed drying, it is much less than that used in transfer printing. While the basics of the process are the same as with transfer printing, the two technologies are usually kept separate since screen printing requires no additional heat.
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