Heat Transfer Printing
Heat Transfer Printing can be for many different printing techniques. You can use heat transfer printing for sublimation. You can also use heat transfer printing for AFM and vinyl. Heat transfer printing really applies to anything that you will be using heat to transfer an image to a textile.
Heat Transfer Printing
Like with sublimation you use heat to transfer inks that are printed onto heat transfer paper to transfer the ink from the paper to the shirts or pants or socks or whatever it is you choose to sublimate. When using heat transfer printing for sublimation, the heat actually causes the inks to transform from a solid into a gaseous vapor that infuses into the textiles. That is how heat transfer printing is used for sublimation.
Now when you use the heat transfer printing process for AFM or vinyl it is different because the vinyl and AFM are not inks they are actually like big stickers. For AFM an image is printed onto a big white piece of sticker and then cut out. Once you have the image all peeled and ready to go you then want to do the heat printing by placing the logo onto the textile of your choice and applying the heat which in turn makes the image stick to the textile. It is pretty much the same process for vinyl except you can only do one color with vinyl. You would cut your image out of a piece of vinyl that already has a color to it and then peel away the excess that you do not need for your image and then start the heat transfer process.
In addition to this type of print, heat printing also includes foil stamping and embossing which involve the creation of custom dies and specialty textile foils. You have likely seen this type of print when you receive your credit card bill at your favorite restaurant. The leather portfolios with the restaurant logo on the front in gold or silver are done via the foil stamping and/or embossing process. While debossing is similar, it technically does not involve a print, and is more so a heat stamp.
Some may argue that sublimation printing would also fit in this category of fabric decoration, and it may, I would argue however that sublimation is in itself a process.
If you would like to know more or would like to have some heat transfer printing done call (908) 806-8337 or email us here at AMBRO Manufacturing and we can help you create something awesome.
Heat Transfer Printing