Thermal transfer

Small print runs are an ideal field for the use of thermal transfer. This technique can be used for printing even from 1 piece! Inscriptions, logos, uncomplicated graphics are perfect for this printing method. Sometimes flex foil printing is mistakenly referred to as “napressing”. You can use such a term as long as your home iron-on looks like this:

If your iron is a little smaller, we suggest calling a spade a spade and using professional terminology 🙂 Thermo-transfer is a printing method that involves pressing a special flex or flock film onto fabric with a pre-prepared design cut on a cutting plotter. The right quality of the film (the fresher, the better), high pressure, high temperature (about 170 degrees Celsius in the case of printing on cotton) and sufficiently long indentation time (several seconds) guarantee very high resistance to washing.

What is the difference between flex and flock?

Flex is a film with a smooth surface. Flock is a thicker film that has a texture that resembles “moss.” There are different manufacturers and different types of film for thermal transfer. In addition to colors, one of the key differences for the final result is the thickness of the film used. After many years of testing and collecting feedback, we recommend our customers to print using the thinnest foils. Sample template of available colors:

For the vast majority of prints, such a range of colors is sufficient. The use of foil makes it impossible to make tonal transitions between colors (gradients). In most printed designs there are no tonal transitions, so this is not a significant limitation.

Unit print runs

One of the biggest advantages of thermal transfer is that printing can be done even from 1 piece, since there is no preparation cost. A vector file with the design is sent to the cutting plotter, where the film is cut according to the design.

How are printed T-shirts made?

Below you will see the production process on a video, which we recorded back in the first headquarters of our company: Thermotransfer is used to make prints on sweatshirts, workwear, sportswear and generally on most fabrics, both natural and synthetic, thanks to the different types of film used.

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Advantages and disadvantages of thermal transfer

overprint even from 1 piece
no preparation costs
high durability of the overprint
large number of colors of foil, also effect foils, flock effect for flocking

no tonal transitions between colors
minimum size of details in the overprint: 2-3 millimeters

If your project has tonal transitions or you plan to print more than 20 pieces, we suggest digital printing.

IMPORTANT: Remember that there is no such thing as “the best printing method”. Every printing technique has its strengths and weaknesses. Much (in fact, most) also depends on the skill of the printer, as well as the materials and equipment used. Also important are such “non-technical” aspects as the customer’s taste and individual expectations of the final result. The role of a professional company is to propose the most appropriate solutions for your specific needs.