1.1.1 transfer technology
transfer technology is in the intermediate carrier (can be paper or plastic film) on the pre-printed patterns and text and curing intact, and then through the corresponding pressure and the role of heat or water will be the carrier on the pattern and text transferred to the substrate of a printing method, which is developed after the direct printing of a surface decorative processing methods. Compared with direct printing, it goes through two processes: the first is the direct printing of the intermediate carrier, the need for printing plates, printing ink and other materials; the second is the transfer process of the substrate in the process without the use of inks, paints, adhesives and other materials, only a transfer paper or transfer film, in the heat and pressure or water, you can transfer the transfer paper or film on the transfer of the pattern and text transfer to the substrate surface needs to be decorated. The design and text on the transfer paper or film can be transferred to the surface of the substrate to be decorated under heat and pressure or water. Transfer technology belongs to indirect printing, so there are many different shapes of substrates and materials that can be transferred. There are two main types of transfer technology, thermal transfer technology and water transfer technology. Thermal transfer is mainly used for flat shaped substrates, while water transfer can be used for three-dimensional shaped substrates. Light-curing transfer processing to light-curing ink to print transfer film or transfer paper, and then through thermal transfer or water transfer transfer transfer film or transfer paper on the pattern and text transfer to the substrate to achieve the substrate surface coating. After drying, the water transfer shaped substrate is often sprayed with UV varnish for varnishing. The use of light-curing transfer processing technology printed simulation of marble, simulation of jade, simulation of wood grain, laser pattern, the effect of natural and realistic, strong sense of texture, is a low-cost inorganic decorative panels for high-grade decoration, is the best choice to replace the natural stone, wood decoration.

Transfer technology is mainly thermal transfer technology and water transfer technology, the traditional thermal transfer technology using thermal transfer equipment is more expensive, can only be printed on a flat surface, the shape of the object is fixed, and after printing is easy to give the object to bring “side effects”, such as thermal transfer T-shirt formed by the pattern of the film layer is not airtight, wearing a sense of comfort is greatly reduced; and even in the thermal transfer, due to poor temperature control and damage to the object to be printed. Water transfer is very good to avoid these shortcomings, it does not need special equipment, almost any pattern can be transferred to any shape of solid objects at room temperature, in addition to ceramics, fabrics, iron, wood, plastic, crystal, flowers, fruits, nails, skin can become a water transfer of the substrate, applicable to a wider range of areas, low investment, low risk, the process is more simple. Water transfer technology has a clear image, colorful, waterproof wear-resistant and other characteristics, by more and more small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.

1.1.2 Thermal transfer technology
thermal transfer is divided into thermal sublimation transfer and thermal pressure transfer. Thermal sublimation transfer, also known as vapor-phase thermal transfer, is the use of dye-based ink with sublimation properties, offset printing, screen printing, gravure printing and other printing methods will be images, text and other graphics need to be printed in the form of mirror image reversal printed on the transfer paper, and then printed on the transfer paper with the graphics on the substrate, the transfer paper through the way of sublimation of ink on the transfer paper by heating (generally about 200 ℃) and pressurized, directly by the solid state Transformation of the ink on the transfer paper, directly from the solid state into a gaseous state, thereby transferring the graphics to the substrate. The transfer paper used for the transfer is called sublimation transfer paper, and the sublimation transfer ink is mainly composed of sublimation dyes and connecting materials. Thermal transfer uses screen printing or gravure printing to print graphics on thermal transfer paper or plastic film, which is then heated and pressurized to transfer the graphics to the substrate. With the popularization of laser printers and inkjet printers, people use laser printers or computer-generated graphics printed directly on the transfer paper; or inkjet printers will be printed on ordinary printing paper, and then copied to the transfer paper with an electrostatic photocopier, and finally, the graphics on the transfer paper through the heating of the pressurized way of transferring to the substrate, which is now widely referred to by the people of the Digital This is now widely known as digital thermal transfer technology. Digital thermal transfer technology has a wide range of applications and is a personalized market with very broad prospects for development. Digital thermal transfer technology is developed and extended on the basis of traditional thermal transfer technology, the two coexist and complement each other, and independent of each other, with different market positioning and consumer groups.

1.1.3 Water transfer technology
water transfer technology is a novel packaging and decorative printing technology, which inherits the advantages of traditional printing technology, but also to play the strengths of the transfer technology, can be in the plane object, three-dimensional curved objects on the cloak for a variety of complex shapes of prints, can overcome any dead ends, to solve the complex modeling of the surface of the products of the overall printing problem, and can change the surface of the texture of the material. As the water transfer technology can transfer the whole three-dimensional pattern printed on the plane, and commonly used in curved objects decoration, so often referred to as curved surface cloaking technology or three-dimensional cloaking transfer technology, the technology has been increasingly favored by the processing industry and consumers.

Water transfer printing materials used in the substrate surface processing can be transferred to the overall graphics of the printing film, the substrate can be plastic film, can also be water transfer paper. The emergence of this printing film as a graphic carrier is a major advance in printing technology, because there are many products are difficult to print directly, and with this carrier, people can be printed through the mature printing technology will be printed first in the easy to print on the carrier, and then transfer the graphic to the substrate. Such as a certain height, more bulky, odd-shaped items or items with a small area can be used in the water transfer process. Water transfer process alone, it is applicable to a wide range of products, almost no can not be transferred, used for water transfer transfer material has a water-coated transfer film and water labeling transfer paper.

Water transfer is an environmentally friendly, efficient printing technology, which uses water pressure and activator to make the water transfer carrier film on the peeling layer dissolved transfer. Water transfer printing technology has the advantages of wide applicability, low investment in equipment, simple and easy-to-learn technology, beautiful product appearance, and remarkable economic and social benefits, etc. It has gained great development in recent years, especially in the decorative printing of curved surfaces and concave-convex surfaces, which achieves the effect that cannot be achieved by other printing methods.

According to the realization of the characteristics of water transfer printing, water transfer printing can be generally divided into water-coated transfer printing and water labeling transfer printing.

(1)
The so-called water-coated transfer refers to the decoration of the entire surface of the object, covering the original face of the workpiece and enabling the printing of patterns on the entire surface of the object (three-dimensional). The film used for water-laminated transfer is similar to that used for heat transfer film. Water-laminated transfer film is printed on the surface of water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol film using a traditional printing process using a gravure printing machine. The substrate of hydrophobic transfer film has a very high expansion rate and adheres easily and tightly to the surface of the object, which is the main reason why it is suitable for transferring on the entire surface of the object. However, the shortcomings of its high expansion and contraction are also obvious, that is, in the printing and transfer process, the graphics on the surface of the film is easy to deform; secondly, if the transfer process is not handled well, the film may be ruptured. In order to overcome this shortcoming, people are often water-coated transfer film on the graphic design does not have a specific modeling, deformation does not affect the viewing of the repeated patterns. Water transfer film printed on gravure printing machine can obtain high elongation, printing costs can be greatly reduced, while the gravure printing machine has a precise tension automatic control system, a time can be printed out 4 to 8 colors, overprint accuracy is high. Gravure water-sheathed transfer film uses water transfer ink, which is more water-resistant than traditional inks and dries volatile.

Gravure transfer is more suitable for complete transfers over the entire surface of a product. It utilizes the excellent tension of the water lamination film, which can be easily wrapped around the surface of the product to form a graphic layer, giving the product surface a very different appearance as if it had been spray-painted. Water lamination can be used to apply color graphics to any shape of workpiece, providing manufacturers with a solution to the problem of printing three-dimensional products. Curved surface lamination can also be added to the surface of the product with different textures, such as leather, wood, emerald and marble, etc. During the printing process, the surface of the product does not need to be in contact with the printing film, so it can avoid damaging the surface of the product and its integrity. Theoretically, as long as the surface of the object can be sprayed paint can be water transfer printing, but in view of the suitability of some materials for printing, at present the main application of plastics, metal, glass, ceramics, wood and ABS, PP, PET, PVC, PA and other materials on the surface of the imitation of wood grain, imitation of marble decorations, man-made wood surface imitation of natural wood grain decorations, color steel decorations, and so on. Specifically, at present, the main widely used in automobiles, electronic products, decorative products, daily necessities, indoor building materials and other industries. Although there are many advantages of water phi transfer printing, but there are also some shortcomings, need to continue to improve. For example, the flexible graphic carrier completely in contact with the substrate will inevitably stretch deformation, so that the actual transfer to the surface of the object is more difficult to achieve a realistic degree of graphic.

 

(2) Water Marker Transfer
The characteristics and application scope of water marker transfer are largely similar to that of general water transfer. It is the transfer paper on the complete transfer of graphics to the surface of the substrate process, and thermal transfer process is somewhat similar, but the transfer pressure does not rely on thermal pressure and rely on water pressure. Watermark transfer mainly applies to the text and the transfer of photographic patterns. Water mark transfer is a recent popular water transfer technology, it can be printed on the surface of the substrate for a small area of graphic information transfer, and pad printing process is similar to the printing effect, but the investment cost is lower, the operation process is also relatively simple, is very popular among users.

Water labeling transfer can be divided into soluble positive transfer water labeling transfer, glass, ceramics, enamel high-temperature baking volatile positive transfer water labeling transfer, peelable film positive transfer water labeling transfer, reverse water labeling transfer 4 types. The principle is basically the same, are the use of screen or offset printing, the pattern of text printed on the water transfer substrate paper, cover film molding; transfer, will be printed on the graphic soak, the graphics can be separated from the substrate paper; after the separation of the graphic affixed to the need for decorative items on the drying; the use of baking or painting methods, the pattern is fixed in the items, that is, to complete the entire water transfer process.

Used for water marking transfer substrate is special paper, it is soluble in water, from the structural point of view, and water phi transfer film is not very different, but the production process is very different, the water marking transfer paper is on the surface of the substrate with screen printing or offset printing to produce a transfer of the graphic. Watermark transfer can be screen printing and offset printing, etc. to complete, applicable to screen printing water transfer ink is a special water-resistant ink, screen printing to produce water transfer paper, color set is more difficult, but the ink layer is very thick. Offset printing water transfer ink can be used in general instead of offset printing ink, of course, can choose to specialize in water transfer offset printing ink is better. The use of offset printing method of printing water transfer paper graphics to achieve a high level of resolution.

Low-temperature water transfer printing flower paper is in recent years to adapt to the low energy consumption, environmental protection and aesthetic requirements and the development of water transfer printing flower paper products. Usually, this kind of flower paper is printed by solvent volatile ink, so the printing environment is relatively harsh, and the production efficiency is also low. In order to change this situation, we have started to use UV curing ink, which is environmentally friendly and has a higher printing efficiency, to print water transfer paper.

 

Water transfer printing process:

water transfer paper (printing substrate) → UV hot stamping base oil printing hot stamping pattern (200 ~ 350 mesh screen) → UV curing 1 ~ 3s → hot stamping → Printing UV isolation gold oil (200 ~ 350 mesh screen) → UV curing 1 ~ 3s → Printing can be peeled off the film (40 ~ 60 mesh screen) → drying at room temperature (more than 24h to close the paper) → completed