A printing method according to the invention comprises forming a printing pattern of ink on a surface of an intermediate transfer member, transferring the printing pattern by causing the printing target surface to abut on the surface of the intermediate transfer member while supporting the printing target material by making a backup member abut on the printing target surface, increasing viscosity of the ink to predetermined viscosity by irradiating the printing pattern transferred to the printing target surface with first light, and curing the ink by irradiating the printing pattern with second light. The first light is applied to a region, out of the printing target surface, in a state that after departing from the intermediate transfer member and before abutting on the backup member. The second light is applied while the printing target material is separated from the intermediate transfer member.

Described herein is a process for heat transfer printing, the process comprising: electrostatically printing a transparent release composition onto a transfer material to form a release layer disposed on the transfer material; electrostatically printing an electrostatic ink composition on the release layer to form an image layer disposed on the release layer; contacting a thermoplastic film with the image layer; contacting the thermoplastic film with a target substrate under conditions such that the thermoplastic film adheres to the target substrate and the release layer is softened; and separating the target substrate and the transfer material such that the thermoplastic film, image layer and release layer are transferred to the target substrate. A heat transferrable printed image is also

A multiple layered print structure and apparatus to apply a design or image to fabric or cloth is disclosed. The structure may include one or more print layers printed on a substrate and an adhesive layer deposited on the print layer(s). The one or more print layer(s) and adhesive or resin layer may be deposited on the substrate in a pre-set pattern to form the shape profile for the design or image. The print layer(s) include inks or dyes for printing the print features and/or background color(s) of the image or design. The ink may be combined with a binder material to form the print layer(s). In some embodiments, the process includes the step of printing the multiple layered print structure using a combination of digital printing processes simplify the process for printing a design or image on fabric or cloth.

Apparatuses and methods for applying a transfer material onto one or more surfaces of an article are disclosed, including apparatuses and methods of transfer printing on and/or decorating three-dimensional articles, as well as the articles printed and/or decorated thereby. The apparatuses and methods may include providing a deposition device, such as a printing device; providing a transfer component; depositing a material onto a portion of the transfer component with the deposition device; modifying the portion of the transfer component with the transfer material thereon to conform the transfer component to at least a portion of one or more surfaces of the three-dimensional article; and transferring the transfer material onto the one or more surfaces of the article.

An image transfer sheet includes a release paper, a glue layer, the glue layer having a lower surface removably glued to an upper surface of the release paper, a transfer film having a release property with respect to the image layer and an easy adhesion property with respect to the glue layer, and an image layer partially between the transfer film and the glue layer, a lower surface of the transfer film being in contact with the image layer at a portion where the image layer is present and in contact with the glue layer at a portion where the image layer is not present.

The present invention provide a multi-layered heat transfer sheet comprising a plurality of distinct pieces forming one or more consecutive patterns that form shapes or objects having discontinuous peripheries, as well as a method for producing and/or making said item. The method for forming the heat transfer decorations includes ablating one or more layers of a heat transfer sheet using a defocused laser to define at least one plurality of discrete pieces that together define a heat transfer decoration. A single pass of the defocused laser may ablate the one or more layers of the heat transfer sheet so as to define the discrete pieces.

The present invention relates to a method for decorating a drinking or eating vessel, the method comprising: a. providing: i. a drinking or eating vessel, wherein the vessel comprises an inner surface that defines a volume for receiving a liquid or a solid food and an outer surface comprising a polymeric coating; and ii. a transfer sheet, wherein the transfer sheet comprises a printed decoration; and iii. a supporting means comprising a recess for receiving the vessel; and b. arranging the vessel within the recess of the supporting means thereby defining a lower portion of the outer surface of the vessel occluded from contact with the transfer sheet and an upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel for contacting the transfer sheet; and contacting the upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel and the supporting means with the transfer sheet under at least a partial vacuum, wherein the printed decoration is transferred from the transfer sheet to the upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel, and wherein the supporting means reduces stretching of the transfer sheet from the upper portion of the outer surface of the vessel to the lower portion of the outer surface of the vessel. Also described are associated uses, an apparatus, and drinking or eating vessels obtainable by the methods of the invention.

A layline labeling process includes providing a layline material including a carrier film and a plurality of ink regions applied to the carrier film; applying a laser to laser-treat the ink side of the layline material to remove a first portion of ink to form a pattern of labeling; applying the laser treated layline material to a product with the ink side against the product; curing the product; and removing the carrier film after curing, wherein a second portion of ink of the ink regions of the laser treated layline material not removed by the laser treatment remains bonded to an outer layer of the product. Because of the laser treatment to form the pattern of labeling where the ink has been removed from the carrier film, the labeling is visible by the contrast of the outer layer of the product where the ink was burned away, against the remaining ink that has bonded to such outer product layer during curing.

The present disclosure provides, in some examples, a method, a system, and a computer program for vectorizing a QR code with an image in an online store or platform, digitizing the QR code with associated image, printing the QR code with the image on a sublimation/heat transfer paper, placing the paper onto a fabric, loading a cutter machine with the fabric, cutting the fabric into a patch with design details of QR code, and placing the patch onto a garment.

A printing process is disclosed which comprises directing droplets of an ink onto an intermediate transfer member to form an ink image, the ink including an organic polymeric resin and a coloring agent in an aqueous carrier, and the transfer member having a hydrophobic outer surface so that each ink droplet in the ink image spreads on impinging upon the intermediate transfer member to form an ink film. The ink is dried while the ink image is being transported by the intermediate transfer member by evaporating the aqueous carrier from the ink image to leave a residue film of resin and coloring agent. The residue film is then transferred to a substrate. The chemical compositions of the ink and of the surface of the intermediate transfer member are selected such that attractive intermolecular forces between molecules in the outer skin of each droplet and on the surface of the intermediate transfer member counteract the tendency of the ink film produced by each droplet to bead under the action of the surface tension of the aqueous carrier, without causing each droplet to spread by wetting the surface of the intermediate transfer member.