Heat transfer decorating is a form of product decoration that uses heat, time (dwell), and pressure to apply a pre-printed graphic to a part or product. For years, silk screen transfers dominated the industry. That was until digital heat transfers hit the scene.
What are Digital Heat Transfers?
A digital heat transfer is exactly what it sounds like. The image is digitally printed onto the transfer. More specifically, the image is digitally printed onto the underside of a polyester film and coated with the appropriate adhesive for the product substrate: plastic, glass, ceramics, etc. The film is then cut into various widths, depending on the transfer's dimensions.
Digital heat transfers offer numerous benefits over traditional printing methods, such as silk screen, offset, or gravure printing. These benefits include:
- Digital printing methods can hit over 10,000,000 colors.
- Digital heat transfers are printed at 1200 dpi and 266 lines per inch.
- Digital heat transfers are dry and require no cure time following application.
- With digital heat transfers, short run decoration is not only possible, but cost effective.
- Because they are printed digitally, each image in a run can be different, incorporating variable data.
- The digital heat transfer process is much more efficient than traditional printing methods.
- A transfer, since it is flexible, is one of a few methods of decorating shaped products.
- Digital heat transfers are incredibly durable.
- And More!
As one of the most popular methods for decorating plastics — and the only digital solution for decorating glass — digital heat transfers consistently outperform in-mold labeling, pressure sensitive labeling, and silk screening.
Digital Heat Transfers from CDigital
Digital heat transfers from CDigital are bringing the advantages of digital transfer technology to an increasing percentage of the product decorating industry. Our print technology is by far the most cost effective multicolor print solution on the market today.
CDigital is the industry leader in digital heat transfers. Contact us for more information.
410-646-7800
