Transfer Paper

Transfer paper is a special type of paper or film used for screen printing. Its surface is coated with a special coating or ink, which can transfer patterns from the paper to the target substrate (such as textiles, plastics, metals, etc.). Transfer paper serves as an intermediate carrier in screen printing, especially suitable for substrates with complex shapes or materials that cannot be directly silk-screened.

Material characteristics:
Coatings and inks: The surface of the transfer paper is coated with thermal transfer ink or sublimation ink, which can be transferred from the paper to the surface of the substrate under specific conditions (such as high temperature or solvent action).
Durability: The patterns after transfer have excellent wash resistance, abrasion resistance and light fastness. For instance, the patterns transferred on dark transfer paper can withstand 50 standard water wash tests and have a tensile strength of up to 12N/cm².
Adaptability: Transfer paper is suitable for various materials, including cotton, polyester, nylon, plastic, leather, etc.

Application scenarios:
Textile printing: It is often used in the customized production of T-shirts, cultural shirts, sportswear, etc. For instance, dark transfer paper can break through the technical bottleneck of masking the base color of dark fabrics.
Plastic and leather: Suitable for pattern transfer on products such as mobile phone cases, wallets, and shoe uppers.
Ceramics and metals: They can be used for surface decoration of products such as mugs and MEDALS.

Process flow:
Pattern printing: Use screen printing technology to print patterns on transfer paper.
Transfer preparation: Align the transfer paper with the target substrate.
Hot pressing or cold pressing: Through hot pressing equipment (with a temperature typically ranging from 160 to 200℃) or solvent activation, the pattern is transferred from the transfer paper to the surface of the substrate.
Cooling and tearing: After cooling, remove the transfer paper to complete the pattern transfer.

Advantages:
No plate-making is required, shortening the production cycle.
Support the fine reproduction of full-color gradient patterns.
It is suitable for small-batch production.
The application of transfer paper in screen printing has greatly expanded the flexibility and application scope of printing, especially excelling in personalized customization and complex material printing.