Impressions - September 2020 - 25

HEAT PRINTING

A heat press can be used to
create custom shirts in seconds.

businesses are being built around the power of this decorating process.
Today, heat printing as a decorating category includes not only
screen-printed transfers and die-cut letters and numbers, but also hightech heat transfer vinyl (HTV); digital transfers; dimensional and 3-D
emblems; and the latest heat-transfer hybrid: digitally screen-printed
transfers.

Advanced, Yet Simple
If you read the patent descriptions for many of the leading heattransfer products on the market, you probably would be shocked by
the technical nature of the language.
Here's an example: "The method comprises providing a heatsensitive polymer substrate having a heat-sensitive opaque polymer
film and a heat-activated adhesive disposed thereon, and providing
a second carrier film having a second polymer film and a second
adhesive wherein the second adhesive has a peel strength which decreases with increasing temperature."
It sounds complicated, doesn't it? In reality, heat printing is as
simple as positioning the transfer on a garment and applying it
with a heat press. There's no complicated learning curve or overly
expensive equipment to buy.

colors and quantities. After delivery, you heat-apply the transfer and
finish the job.
Most screen-printed heat transfers are made using plastisol inks;
they are screen printed on paper in reverse and an adhesive layer is cured over the design. When heat is applied to a T-shirt, the
adhesive is pushed into the garment.
Today, thanks to improved ink and adhesive formulations, plastisol
transfers are softer and more durable than those earlier versions. They
are widely used by apparel decorators around the world.

In Pursuit of Softness
In the mid-1970s, screen printers developed what was known as the
"hot-split" transfer in search of a lighter, softer feel on a printed shirt.
True to their name, hot-split transfers are peeled hot immediately
after application. Half of the ink is then lifted away from the print,
leaving the other half on the garment, resulting in a softer hand.
Unlike regular transfers, hot splits are printed without an adhesive layer. They still are a popular transfer choice from most customtransfer manufacturers.
Another step in screen-printed transfers' evolution includes the
use of water-based inks, which allow them to have an even softer feel
since the inks are absorbed deeper into the garment's fibers.

It Starts with a Heat Press
As they did in the 1970s, most people start heat printing when
they see how fast and easy the process can be. Professional, custom
screen-printed transfers are readily available from online suppliers. You can upload your own artwork or design online, and choose

Heat printing has evolved from
being a "screen printer's shortcut"
into its own decorating category.
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Impressions - September 2020

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