We saw a familiar shirt with an exclusivedesign or with their own photo printed directly on the fabric? Do you want to do something unusual for yourself, but do not know how such a sticker is made? For this purpose, special thermal transfer paper is used. With your own hands at home, you can easily make an exclusive unique T-shirt, jersey, bag and other thing.
Materials and technology
If you have never worked in design ormaking souvenirs, but only seen in the shop windows of T-shirts, T-shirts, pillows, mugs, plates and other products that are proposed to be made in an exclusive design, for example, with a photo of the future owner, read a brief description of the technology of making such things.
For any image transfer to an objectintermediate material is used. In this case - thermal transfer paper. With your own hands at home, you can easily put any image on the fabric (white, dark, color, natural or synthetic).
Чтобы желаемое изображение оказалось на этом intermediate material, of course, you must first create or find a ready, and then print. To perform the layout, the template (the picture itself) use various graphic editors — computer programs for creating and editing images. If you already know how to use Adobe Photoshop or a similar graphics package, we can assume that you created the image.
The next stage is printing.It is performed on a conventional inkjet or laser printer just on special sheets. Then, using the iron, the image is transferred to the prepared fabric. At home, you can apply the image only on flat things lying on a flat surface. Make a mug, of course, will not work. Special thermopressors with a cylindrical surface are used for them. In fact, the work is simple.
With your own hands
DIY thermal paper transfer paper - it’s notthe manufacture of the sheets themselves, namely the execution of the sticker, the decoration of the product at home. The range of paper is very large. It differs both by the type of fabric for which it is intended and by the manufacturer. There are even options that allow you to create glowing in the dark images. So thinking about how to get this paper yourself, it makes no sense. Technologies have long been developed and successfully introduced into production.
Thermal transfer at home
So, to decorate a t-shirt, jersey or other object yourself, you need to work in the following sequence:
- Buy the appropriate object for decoration (T-shirt).
- Purchase suitable paper (for a dark, light-colored fabric and an existing type of printer, etc.).
- Read the instructions on the packaging, what should be the image: straight or mirror.
- Create a layout in a graphic editor familiar to you (even standard Paint is suitable for simple layouts). Given the previous point, prepare a picture for printing (mirror if necessary).
- Load paper in the printer according to the instructions (right side).
- Print the image. Let him lie down a bit if he worked on an inkjet printer. Cut along the contour, receding about 5 mm from the edge of the picture.
- Turn on the iron on the mode without steaming and lay out the product intended for decoration (T-shirt) on a flat surface. The thing, of course, must be clean and ironed.
- Translate the image by ironing the paper laid on the fabric with a printout in accordance with the instructions. For different types of paper there are certain features.
- Stroking in any case occurs through an additional sheet, so after performing the previous step, it is worth waiting a little, and not to separate this layer immediately.
As you can see, the technology is quite simple and straightforward. Even a beginner can master it at home.
Types of paper
Как уже было сказано, для получения изображения Thermal transfer paper is used on the surface of the fabric. With your own hands at home, you can create a collage of photos and text, for example, and print on an existing printer. It is better to use a laser, since the picture turns out to be durable and withstands more washings.
Inkjet version is also suitable. If the image is photorealistic with fine details, use a photo printer. It gives good quality and higher color reproduction.
Thermal Transfer Paper for Inkjet Printers
If you decide to make souvenirswith exclusive images at home, you should definitely understand the types of paper. Most already have a printer. Most often for individual use get color inkjet printers or photo printers for printing photos. If you already have this equipment at home, then you will need thermal transfer paper for inkjet printers to make T-shirts and other things.
If you are going to do a lot of productspurchase packages with the appropriate number of sheets. In this case, usually the unit price will cost you less. If you just decided to try yourself as a designer and make original souvenirs for yourself or your friends for some holiday, buy a pack with a maximum of 10 sheets. If you find a company that offers sales per sheet, take the right amount, for example, a couple, by the way, it’s better with a margin (all of a sudden the first time you print out is wrong). Be sure to ask for instructions on the paper and pre-specify for which fabric, light, dark, natural or synthetic, it is intended.
Work with light fabrics
If the thing you are going to decorate,white color, any thermal transfer paper for inkjet printers will do. With your hands on this kind of fabric you can easily make any image. The type of sheets, which is designed specifically for light-colored fabrics, is cheaper, but in this case the image will have to be mirrored.
Thermal Transfer Paper for Dark Fabrics
If your shirt is dark (blue, green) orin general, black, then the sheets need to buy the appropriate type. It is necessary for the best and highest quality results. If you print an image on a sheet of white fabric, then after transferring it will acquire the shade of your T-shirt and the photo will not look natural.
Suitable, for example, thermal transfer paper fordark a4 dye sublimation fabric, however, it requires special dye sublimation ink, which adheres only to synthetic fabric, and for natural ones, a special substrate is also needed.
Cheaper to do more budget option -sheets for inkjet printers for dark fabrics. In this case, the image will have a kind of white backing, the color will not change and no additional cost will be required. It is advisable to leave a white border around the picture. This will give things a finished and beautiful look.
Now you know what a thermal transfer is.paper. With your own hands, you can easily make any image for a T-shirt or other object made of cloth right at home. Create exclusive items for yourself, friends and relatives.
