Hanli Thermal Transfer Printing: What is thermal transfer paper?

Hanli Thermal Transfer Printing Sublimation printing is based on the principle that dyes in the ink sublimate when heated. During the heat‑transfer process, the dye vaporizes and penetrates the fabric fibers, completing the transfer. This type of transfer printing is resistant to sunlight and rain, does not fade, and delivers vibrant colors with distinct layers and a strong three‑dimensional effect. Because the sublimation‑transferred dye bonds deeply within the fabric fibers, the finished garment retains its original hand and texture; even after printing, the fabric remains soft and supple.

Hanli Thermal Transfer Printing With the continuous advancement of computer technology, dye-sublimation digital printing has emerged as a high-tech process that integrates mechanical engineering with computer and electronic information technologies. It has introduced entirely new concepts to the textile printing and dyeing industry, and its cutting-edge production principles and methods have opened up significant opportunities for growth. Digital printing can be used not only to print small swatches but also to produce full-width fabric prints, offering unparalleled flexibility. It is suitable for a wide range of substrates, including textiles, wood, metal, and ceramics, and finds applications in products such as sun umbrellas, webbing, advertising banners, apparel, colorful flags, handbags, luggage, footwear and headwear, home décor items, and various crafts.

Among the four major steps in custom apparel production, heat‑transfer printing with Hanli film is one of the most widely used processes. However, some manufacturers’ process descriptions portray heat transfer as having replaced traditional hot stamping, and a few even equate the two. Are heat transfer and hot stamping the same concept? And what are the key differences between them?

Hanli Thermal Transfer Printing The transfer process can be divided into sublimation and thermal‑pressing stages. Sublimation involves printing dyes with sublimation properties onto transfer substrates such as transfer paper, using methods like offset printing, screen printing, or gravure printing. (At this stage, the image is in a mirror‑reversed state.) The printed dye is then transferred from the substrate to the gaseous carrier through heating.

And heat‑press technology is essentially hot‑stamping technology. Hanli Thermal Transfer Printing The production process for membrane hot stamping typically involves first printing the design onto a transfer substrate, followed by high-temperature embossing with printing equipment to transfer the image onto the target surface.

In short, Hanli Thermal Transfer Printing Membrane heat transfer is a subfield of heat transfer, and it encompasses heat transfer processes.