A hot stamping apparatus and a hot stamping method are for collectively decorating a plurality of decoration objects using a decorative sheet. In a hot stamping apparatus, an upper chamber and a lower chamber are partitioned by a partition sheet and pressing bodies, so that decorative sheet pieces can be used instead of a decorative sheet having a large area. Then, by using the decorative sheet pieces, local thermal deformation can be prevented. A usage amount of the decorative sheet can be reduced, and three-dimensional decoration can be implemented as needed on a portion requiring decoration.

A sparkling fabric includes: a fabric substrate; and a tri-layer adhered to the fabric substrate. The tri-layer includes: an adhesive layer that adheres the tri-layer to the fabric substrate; an exposed design layer; and a metal plating layer between the exposed design layer and the adhesive layer. The tri-layer is distributed as a plurality of separable and identifiable tri-layer pieces across the fabric substrate such that the distribution of tri-layer pieces has a density on the order of 15-25 pieces per centimeter squared (pcs/cm2) and a size of a piece is less than 1 millimeter (mm).

Hot foil stamping machine stamping a foil onto a substrate, which improves stamping quality under changing conditions, includes a control unit for controlling the temperature of the stamping interface surface to a predefined desired temperature. The control unit receives at least an actual temperature of the heating plate from the at least one temperature sensor and provides a manipulated variable to the at least one heating device. Further, the stamping machine includes a state observer for estimating an actual temperature of the stamping interface surface of the at least one stamping plate based on a physics-based analytical model of the heat transfer between the heating plate and the stamping plate. The control unit also includes a feedback controller for calculating the manipulated variable for a heating device based on the predefined desired temperature and the estimated actual temperature of the stamping interface surface provided by the state observer.

A press can include an upper platen, a lower platen, a support arm, and an adjuster. The support arm can be adapted to move the upper platen substantially parallel to the lower paten between an open position and a closed position. The adjuster can have a cam adapted to engage a surface of the support arm and to rotate between a first rotational position and a second rotational position relative to the support arm. Rotation of the cam from the first rotational position to the second rotational position can move the upper platen toward the lower platen.

An optical device is formed by hot stamping a demetallized hologram to an optically variable foil or to a coating of optically variable ink. In another embodiment a hologram is hot stamped to a banknote or document printed with a color-shifting ink.

A composite component includes a plastic substrate and a transfer foil adhered thereto. The plastic substrate and the foil are proud and define a peripheral edge with a tight outer radius. A thin first coating layer, such as a base coat or primer layer, is applied over the plastic substrate and foil and adheres the both the plastic substrate and foil. A thicker second coating layer, such as a clear coat, is applied over the first coating layer and adheres to the first coating layer. The first coating layer has a lower viscosity than the second coating layer. The second coating layer is more ductile than the first coating layer. The first coating layer acts a primer layer for applying the second coating layer. The second coating layer therefore protects the substrate and transfer foil and can withstand thermal shock and water immersion.

A carrier foil (1) for transferring a coating (2) onto a substrate (4) covered with a melamine resin film (3) is described, wherein the carrier foil (1) comprises a foil (12) with an upper foil surface (11) and a lower foil surface (13), wherein the lower foil (13) facing the substrate (4) has a roughness Rz of 0.1 μm up to 100 μm and the upper foil surface (11) has a roughness Rz of 0.1 μm up to 100 μm. A transfer foil and corresponding methods and laminates are also described.

Image transfer articles including a substrate comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, a melt transfer layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface removably located on the top surface of the substrate, and an image receiving layer having an image receiving surface configured to receive indicia or an image and positionable against a receptor element during a transfer process, wherein the image receiving layer comprises at least one wax coated silica. The image receiving layer may further include at least one binder such as an ethylene acrylic acid binder. The imaging layer may also include wax-based water repellant, and together the wax coated silica and wax-based water repellant may comprise about 30% to about 40% of the image receiving layer on a dry weight basis.

The invention relates to a transfer paper for transferring images onto substrates, comprising a carrier having a wax coating; a layer (A) arranged thereon, containing a wax emulsion, a binding agent, an inorganic crystalline substance, and a pigment; a layer (B) arranged on layer (A), containing an organic polymer, an inorganic crystalline substance, a fixing agent, a copolymer and a pigment; and a layer (C) arranged on layer (B), containing an organic polymer, a binding agent, an inorganic crystalline substance, a wax emulsion, a copolymer and a pigment. The invention also relates to a method for transferring images onto substrates using the transfer paper.

A hot-stamping foil has a carrier that is a base film or a coated base film, and a laminated optical decoration formed on the carrier in a removable manner. The laminated optical decoration includes a laminated optical structure, an anchor layer formed on the laminated optical structure at a side opposite against the carrier, the anchor layer being a mixture of an acid-modified polyolefin and a vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, and an adhesive layer which is formed on the anchor layer at a side opposite against the laminated optical structure. The adhesive layer has an adhesive domain containing an acid-modified polyolefin as a major component, and a non-adhesive domain containing a blocking preventing agent as a major component. The blocking preventing agent is one or both of a resin filler and an inorganic filler. A glass transition point of the blocking preventing agent is greater than 60° C.