GB2036643A

GB2036643A - Transfer printing

Info

Publication number: GB2036643A
Application number: GB7938114A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1978-11-03
Filing date: 1979-11-02
Publication date: 1980-07-02
Also published as: FR2441500B3; FR2441500A1

Abstract

Transfer printing materials have printed shapes in sublimated inks with adhesive thereover. On a foil of paper or plastics sheet 1 stock shapes 3 are printed the rightway around eg in normal script in sublimated ink with adhesive on the surface 2. These in use are selectively spaced over a carrier paper of foil or plastics sheet, also provided, and transferred thereto in mirror- reversed form by rubbing side 4 with a blunt object. Transferred array of shapes on the carrier is juxtaposed with a final support material and the ink sublimed thereto by pressing with a smoothing iron or passage through the gap of heated rolls, not shown. The carrier may include a coating of a micro-encapsulated material for rendering a textile receptive to the sublimable ink. In a modification laterally symmetrical or non-reversible shapes such as some letters F numerals etcetera having an adhesive, generally contact for instance silicon rubber on their upper surface are transferred directly to translucent material eg. fabric plastics or paper and the material coloured by heating to diffuse the sublimable dye through the adhesive. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of applying inked shapes foil therefor and matter so printed.

The invention relates to a method for applying ornaments, figures, letters, symbols or the like shape from sublimated inks individually or in small quantities on materials, preferably textile materials, polyester foils, melamine coated or the like printable surfaces. The invention relates furthermore to a foil printed with the said shapes or a paper printed in such a mannerfor carrying out the method.

In the printing of piece goods with so called sublimated inks having finely dissipated pigmentation it has been proposed to print laterally symmetrical shapes or non reversible symmetric shapes such as letters P, numbers 5 or the like laterally inverted on sheets of paper with the said ink and to allow the thus printed paper webs to offset piece goods whose material is printed by passage through the lip of heating rollers whereby then the shapes are printed on the material, by analogy similar to iettering viewed through the rear window of an automobile on a following vehicle, FEIHC ERIF with the letters CEFR mirror-reversed. This known method is suitable however only when elatively lengthy yardages of piece goods are printed and if from the piece goods no small articles such as articles of clothing or the like are made.

It has already been proposed to print the shapes or ornaments with sublimated inks mirror reversed on a paper if necessary with the use of a stencil and to transfer the printed shapes onto a textile fabric by means of a hot surface, for example, a heating pressure roller or by means of a flat-iron.

The application method capable of having carried out also on a small scale is however comparatively tedious and irksome as not only first of all accurate stencils must be prepared but also the ink must be mixed in a suitable state in order to be applied to the paper either with or without stencil.

The present invention now tackles its problem substantially to simplify and also to make the above mentioned method inexpensive whereby the method can be carried out simply and practically not only in small scale production but also by hobbyists with model garnered in the domestic environment.

For the solution of the problem posed a method for applying, individually or on a small scale, ornaments, figures, letters, numbers, symbols or like shapes from sublimated inks on material for example, textile fabrics, polyester foils, melamine coated surfaces or the like printable with such inks by the transfer method is proposed which is characterised wherein an upper surface of plastic foil is printed preferably by the screen printing method with shapes by means of sublimated inks and provided on the upper surface with an adhesive and transferred in mirror reversed form by placing the foil on a carrier and pressure rubbing in the desired composition whereupon the carrier provided with the shapes is placed on the material printable with the sublimated ink and the shapes are applied or ironed onto the material by means of a heated surface for example, a flat-iron pressed on the back of the paper orthefoil and smoothed.

With the method according to the invention the substantial advantage is achieved that with the application individually or on small scale of the said shapes from sublimated inks on materials printable with such inks it is not necessary manually to apply reversed shapes onto the paper - a relatively different operation - but that the application can be effected simply by pressure rubbing whereby any desired arrangements and combinations of letters, numerals and ornaments are possible which can then be transferred as a complete pattern from the paper onto the material in the manner illustrated.

The invention relates furthermore to a foil printed with the shapes for carrying out the method. A transparent or translucent usually plastics preferably polystyrol or polyethylene foil by the screen printing method laterally symmetrical shapes or non reversible symmetrical shapes such as some letters C, numbers 5 etc. are printed in normal script with the sublimated ink and provided on their upper face with an adhesive such that the non mirror reversible shapes are perceptible from the back in mirror writing. With the aforementioned method the transfer of the shapes is effected twice, namely, one from the foil onto the paper whereby the impression is laterally inverted and then from the paper by means of the heated surface in the second transfer.

In variation of this method there is a possibility of dispensing not only with the intermediate transfer by means of the sheet of paper but using the thermo transfer method also for any desired supports preferably metal foils provided with an accepterfor sublimated inks.

The features of this method consists in that the shapes from sublimated inks printed on a foil and provided on the upper surface with a contact adhesive preferably a silicon rubber adhesive are transferred directly without intermediate carrier by pressure rubbing directly onto a support preferably a metal foil provided with an acceptor coating for the sublimated inks whereupon then a suitably heated face is applied to the shapes transferred onto the support such that the sublimated ink diffuses through the adhesive and into the acceptor coating located on the support.This method has the substantial advantage that the shapes are transferred onto the support by pressure rubbing directly from the foil without intermediate carriers and then onto the shapes thus transferred a thermal process is applied whereby it has surprizingly been proved that the sublimated inks diffuse through the adhesive into the acceptor coating whereby then the adhesive residues remaining behind can simply be wiped off from the surface of the support, accomplished for example by means of a solvent.

For the carrying out of the method materials and substances are proposed which consist first of all of a transparent foil in the form of a sheet of polystyrol or paper whereon e.g. by screen printing the shapes, for instance, letters, symbols, numbers, figures or the like of sublimated ink are printed. The shapes are then provided on the upper surface with an adhesive so that upon pressure rubbing from the preferably transparent oil onto the support they adhere temporarily on this support in consequence of the contact adhesive.

The support may consist, for example, of a metal plate or a thin metal foil having on its upper surface an acceptor coating for taking the sublimated inks after the thermal application. As acceptor coating for the sublimated inks generally acrylate, polyester, polyamide resin lacquer or dispersions or mixtures of the said substances are used and then, for example, by spraying on, painting on, raking on, injection or by foil coating can be applied to support.

If a thin metal foil is used the back not provided with an acceptor coating may be provided with a coating of a heat resistent contact adhesive having, if required, a removable protective strip. The support may however also consist of any other desired substances such as suitable plastic foils or the like.

The support may furthermore be in the form of bands, strips, wound in rolls or made up into bundles.

The application of heat may be carried out by means of a heated surface, for example, a flat-iron, a thermo-press or the like.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 shows a printed foil or a printed paper for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a paper or a heat resistant foil on which are applied mirror-reversed shapes including non-reversible and symmetrical lettering.

Figure 3 shows the transferring of the printed shapes on a paper or a foil according to Figure 2 on a Kindergarten tea towel.

In Figure 4 a foil is illustrated on which the shapes, that is, the ornaments, figures, letters, numbers, symbols or the like of sublimated inks are printed.

Figure 5 shows in perspective representation a metal band made of a metal foil wound on a roll as a support for the application of the shapes from a foil according to Figure 4.

As follows from the Figures first of all several letters 3 in normal script are printed on a transparent or translucent polyethelene foil 1 from one side in the direction of the arrow 2 which then appears mirror reversed observed from above in the direction of the arrow 4.

Instead of the letters any desired ornaments, figures, numbers, symbols, patterns or the like may be printed which are designated generally as shapes. With symmetrical mirrored shaped the impression does not play any role. With nonreversible symmetrical shapes such as, for example, some letters D or numbers 2 the impression is effected in the manner shown in Figure 1.

On the upper face of the letter 3 in known manner an adhesive suitable for the transferring of the letters is applied, for example, a silicon rubber adhesive.

The shapes may now be transferred onto a paper sheet 5 (Figure 2) in sucha manner that the foil 1 is placed on the paper sheet 5 at the desired place, for example, the desired letters or any other desired shape is transferred by pressure rubbing by means of a hard object onto the paper 5 and firmly adhered by means of the adhesive to the paper 5. Thereby any desired scripts or written characters may be transferred having the special advantage that before the transferring into the suitable material already the arrangement, the spacing, the distance etc, that is, the whole formation of the shape to be transferred can be taken into consideration. The letters 3 are then in mirror reversed writing on the upper side where indicated by the arrow 6 on the sheet of paper 5.

For the transferring of the shapes located now on the sheet 5 the sheet is turned around and is placed with the side 6 on which the letters 3 are located on a textile material 7 and so aligned that the letters 3 are now on the underside of the sheet 5 and legible in normal writing at the desired place, for example, of the textile material 7.

The transferring of the letters 3 onto the material 7 can now be effected in a simple manner by means of a flat-iron 8 in that this, adjusted first to the suitable temperature is guided under pressure over the area of the letters 3 (Figure 3). Thereby the letters consisting of the sublimated inks are transferred to the material 7 and firmly adhere there so that the material can be brought for further use whereby it is possible without further trouble to treat the material with usual and known washing procedures against which the sublimated inks are resistant.

Instead of textile material all materials such as, for example, polyester foils, melamine coated surfaces or the like can be printed with the method according to the invention whereby then they can be processed in a similar manner.

Should it be difficult in the transferring of non reversible symmetrical shapes from the foil 1 onto the sheet of paper to read the corresponding writing then the sheet of paper 5, if it is made transparent or translucent, such as, for example, parchment paper may also be placed on the foil 1 whereby then the letters appear in normal writing. In this case it would also not be necessary to form the foil 1 transparent or translucent.

The method according to the invention can be carried out with all possible printable sublimated inks whereby also any desired patterns and shapes may be combined with different printed foils 1 on the sheet of paper 5.

It is furthermore possible with small quantity production to use instead of flat-iron 8 also a heating press where material web and printed paper are guided simultaneously through the roller gap.

By sublimated inks in the sense of the invention are understood thermo transfer inks which are transferred by means of heat or thermal transfer methods from the carrier, for example, paper on to the base, for example a textile material. With such transfer printing methods the image is also transferred from a carrier paper by heat action, for example, onto textiles. The types of ink thus contain sublimable colouring matter which pass over by the action of heat onto the textiles to be decorated.

With the thermo transfer inks it concerns physically drying types of ink in which by evaporation of the solvent the film of printing ink is formed.

The transfer of the ink from the carrier paper, for example, onto the textile material can be effected with any flat-iron when it reaches temperatures of approximately 200"C. For small quantity manufacture of course heated calanders may be employed with whose aid the transfer of the motif from the printed carrier paper onto the textiles may be effected.

For the transfer of the sublimated inks by means of thermo transfer methods textiles made of synthetic fibres such as, for example, triacetate, polyamide and polyacrylnitrile as well as natural fabric are suitable when the portion of synethic fibres amounts to at least 60%.

As a carrier is suitable in principle any quality of paper. It should however be a question of a smooth paper spread over as far as possible on both sides in order to avoid unevennesses in the paper upon transferring.

In order to use the method according to the invention also on natural fabric, according to a further development of the invention, it is proposed to provide in and or on or behind the coating of sublimated ink, as the case may be, a micro incapsuled finish. In this case it is a matter of a treatment medium for the treatment of cotton material in order to make it suitable for the transfer and absorbing of the sublimated ink. Hereby preferably a melamine resin solution may be used.

It is furthermore also possible to distribute the adhesive applied to the shapes uniformly over the whole surface of the foil.

As follows from Figure 4, in the example shown, the transparent foil 1 consists, for example, of a suitable plastic such as polystyrol. Onto this foil letters 3 of sublimated ink are printed from the back.

These letters may also be ornaments, figures, numbers or symbols. These letters are provided on their free surface provided with a contact adhesive preferably a silicon rubber.

In Figure 5 a thin foil 8 in the form of a metal bank is wound to form a roll 9. On one face there is an acceptor coating 10 for the letters 3 to be transferred by pressure rubbing from the foil 1 (Figure 1). For this the foil 1 is placed in suitable arrangement and displacement on the metal foil 8 and respectively the desired letter is transferred by pressure rubbing until the whole setting is transferred onto the surface. The letters, ornaments, symbols or the like thereby adhere first of all only by means of the contact adhesive. Then a hot surface, for example, a flat-iron or a heating press is placed on the foil 8 thus prepared whereby the ink diffuses in the surface of the acceptor coating 10 and the adhesive residues on the surface can be wiped off.

In order to be able to bring the foil 8then to adhere on any desired places there is provided on the back a heat resistant adhesive 11 which is covered by a removable protective foil 12. The support 8 may of course also consist of any other desired materials. It is however also possible to employ thicker metal plates in order to produce rigid plates as supports whereby however at least one surface must be provided with the acceptor coating 10.

The adhesive applied to the shapes may consist of any desired adhesive which only has the object of fixing the shapes until the sublimated ink has diffused in the acceptor coating. A wax adhesive may also be used for this.

Claims

1. A method for applying ornaments, figures, letters, numbers, symbols or the like shapes from sublimated inks individually or in small quantities on textiles polyesterfoils, melamine coated surfaces or the like printable with such inks by the transfer method, characterised in that an upper surface of plastics foil is printed, preferably by the screen printing method by means of sublimated inks with shapes provided with an adhesive and transferred in mirror reversed form by placing the foil on a carrier and pressure rubbing in the desired composition whereupon the carrier provided with the shapes is placed on the material printable with the sublimated ink and the shapes are applied or ironed on the material by means of a heated surface, for example a flat iron pressed on the back of the paper or the foil and smoothed.

2. A foil printed with shapes for carrying out the method according to claim 1 wherein on a transparent or translucent foil preferably of polystyrol or polyethylene by screen printing method laterally symmetrical shapes or non reversible symmetric shapes such as some letters B, numbers 9 etcetera, are printed in normal script with sublimated ink and provided on their upper surface with an adhesive for transfer so that the non mirror reversible shapes are perceptible from the back of the foil in the mirror script.

3. A foil according to claim 2 wherein the adhesive is applied over the whole upper surface of the foil printed with the shapes.

4. A foil according to claims 2 or 3, whereon in, and or on or behind the coating made of a suitable sublimated ink an, as the case may be, micro encapsuled finish is furnished preferably a melamine thermosettable solution for the treatment of a natural fabric in order to make it suitable for taking the sublimated ink.

5. A method for the application of shapes printed on a foil with sublimated inks on a support, preferably a metal foil which is provided with an acceptor coating for the sublimated inks wherein the shapes from sublimated inks printed on a foil and provided on the upper face with an adhesive, preferably a silicon rubber adhesive, are transferred by pressure rubbing directly onto a support, preferably a metal foil directly without intermediate carrier provided with an acceptor coating for the sublimated inks whereupon then a suitably heated surface is applied to the shapes transferred to the support such that the sublimated ink diffuses into the acceptor coating located on the support.

6. A material for carrying out the method according to claim 5, wherein the shapes printed on a transparent foil made of polystyrol or paper is sublimated ink are printed for example, by screen printing and provided on the upper surface with a contact adhesive.

7. A material for carrying out the method accord ing to claim 5, wherein the support for inking the shapes consists of a metal plate or a thin metal foil furnished on at least one upper face with an acceptor coating for the sublimated inks and on the other side with a heat resistant contact adhesive covered if necessarywith a removable protective foil.

8. A material according to Claim 7, wherein the metal foil is in the form of bands, strips or the like elongate form, for example would on a mandrel.

9. A method for applying shapes substantially as herein before described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A foil according to claim2 and for the purpose substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A method for applying shapes substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

12. A material according to claim 6 and substantially as described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

13. A material according to claim 6 and substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

14. Matter printed by a method or with a foil as claimed in any claims 1 to 4,9 & 10.

15. Matter printed by a method or with material as claimed in any of claims 5 to 8, 11 and 12.

16. Matter printed with material according to claim 13.