Thermal transfer technology refer to a printing method in which the images with ink coating are transferred onto the surface of printing materials by high heat and pressure. During this process, the transfer papers with pigment or dye are the medium. The printing materials include textiles, ceramics and metal products. The main advantages of thermal transfer technology is color effect and rich layer.
Classification of heat transfer technology
Heat transfer is generally divided into hot pressing transfer and sublimation transfer. Firstly, heat pressing transfer is firstly to print the specific images on the transfer paper or plastic film though screen printing and gravure printing. And then transfer the images into the surface of textiles or leather under high heat and pressure. Nowadays, the common used technology of thermal transfer consists of high-temperature heat transfer, low-temperature heat transfer, flocking heat transfer and infiltration heat transfer machine tube.
Features of thermals transfer technology
Because of the technology of heating, the effect of thermal transfer technology is more durable and its color will not fade away compare with water transfer technology. In addition, thermal transfer technology is anti-corrosion, impact resistance, anti-aging, anti-high temperature, anti-fire and unchangeable color. Therefore, thermal transfer technology is more suitable for electrical appliances, daily necessities and building materials decoration which have strict requirements on transfer technology. What’s more, it also can apply to small production due to its features of its effect. As a result, thermal transfer still enjoy its irreplacable status in this field.
Factors that affect the process of thermal transfer

1. Thermal printing head
The main fame of thermal printing head is composed of surface protective film,bottom protective film and heating elements. The heating elements is a conductive silk screen and the heat are generated by the voltage pulse. By the diffusion of heating, the images transfer are realized by partially embossed and melted method.
The speed of thermal transfer depends on the time needed. Therefore, thermal transfer head and transfer paper should have better t shirt heat press machineso that the heat can quickly pass through the protective layer, transfer paper substrate and gap finally transfer to the surface of printing materials to ensure enough transfer time.　
2. Ink The compositions of transfer ink are pigment or dye,wax and oil of which wax is the main component of thermal transfer ink.
In the process of printing, different viscosity of ink have direct relationship with the heating temperature. It has proved that when the heating temperature is 60 to 100 °C, the viscosity of the melted ink is preferably about 0.6 Pa·s. In general, the ink closer to the state, the better the transfer performance. In recent years, with the technical improvements, the preservation of the printing temperature from the original 45 ℃to 60 ℃, which greatly increased the use of thermal transfer. In addition, the use of transparent pigments or transparent dyes is very good to give color hue effect.
3. Transfer paper
Transfer paper is generally divided into paper substrate, polyester substrate and celluloid substrate. heat press machine kit And different substrates have different nature.