Methods, apparatus and system for decorating plastic articles having an uneven surface or hollow structure are disclosed. An assembly comprising a transfer pad and a flexible heat transfer die comprising a thermal interface material (TIM) replace the hard rubber die in a hot-stamping process to fuse indicia into the surface. The assembly modifies ordinary pad printing into a hot-stamping process that transfers indicia onto uneven surfaces. A pad printing machine or other robotics is used to move the assembly from a position of heating to a position of compressing the ink transfer to the surface of the article.

A method is described herein for attaching an adhesive label to a plastic object such that upon removal of the adhesive label substantially no adhesive residue is left-behind on the plastic object. In an example, the method can include applying a textured pattern to a portion of a plastic object to provide a textured surface on the plastic object. The textured pattern can be applied post molding of the plastic object. The method can include attaching to the textured surface an adhesive label.

Methods, apparatus and system for decorating plastic articles having an uneven surface or hollow structure are disclosed. An assembly comprising a transfer pad and a flexible heat transfer die comprising a thermal interface material (TIM) replace the hard rubber die in a hot-stamping process to fuse indicia into the surface. The assembly modifies ordinary pad printing into a hot-stamping process that transfers indicia onto uneven surfaces. A pad printing machine or other robotics is used to move the assembly from a position of heating to a position of compressing the ink transfer to the surface of the article.

An image forming apparatus includes: an image former that prints a foil stamping image on a recording material in accordance with a job for printing the foil stamping image, the foil stamping image being a target to which foil is transferred in foil stamp printing; and a hardware processor that trims an image on a page identical to at least one page included in the job such that the image on the identical page does not overlap an image adjustment mark that is printed for adjusting an image to be overprinted, and causes the image former to print, together with the job, the identical page having the trimmed image.

An image forming device comprises: a receiving part that receives image data containing first image data relating to a black and white image and second image data relating to a foil image; a carrying path along which a recording medium is carried in a predetermined direction; an inkjet printing part, arranged on the carrying path, injects an ink based on the first image data to the recording medium, and forms the black and white image or the color image on the recording medium; a toner image printing part, arranged on the carrying path, forms the toner image for adhesion based on the second image data, and transfers the toner image to the recording medium; and a foil image forming part, arranged on the carrying path, enables the toner image transferred to the recording medium to melt and attaches the foil to the melted toner image to form the foil image.

A manufacturing method for a decorated object is provided. In this manufacturing method, a foil is attached to a medium to obtain the decorated object. The manufacturing method includes: a foil layer forming step of attaching the foil to an adhesive layer formed on the medium, so as to form a foil layer in a manner that the adhesive layer is partly exposed; and an ink layer forming step of applying an ink to the foil layer on which the adhesive layer is partly exposed, so as to form an ink layer in a manner that the ink contacts an exposed part of the adhesive layer.

A method for transferring a decorative section of a stamping foil onto a substrate by means of an embossing die, wherein the stamping foil includes a carrier film and a transfer ply arranged on the carrier film. The method includes: a) Provision of the stamping foil; b) Embossing or pressing of at least one compression section spaced apart from the edge of the decorative section, into the transfer ply; c) Stamping of the decorative section onto the substrate; d) Detachment of the residual stamping film from the substrate embossed with the decorative section.

A process is described comprising the steps of applying a pattern of toner to the surface of a substrate, and adhering a layer of substantially transparent transfer material to the toner to define a matching pattern of transfer material. The process can be used to create raised or textured effects over a colour image.

A transfer film, a method for producing a film-coated article and a film-coated article.

Methods, apparatus and system for decorating plastic articles having an uneven surface or hollow structure are disclosed. An assembly comprising a transfer pad and a flexible heat transfer die comprising a thermal interface material (TIM) replace the hard rubber die in a hot-stamping process to fuse indicia into the surface. The assembly modifies ordinary pad printing into a hot-stamping process that transfers indicia onto uneven surfaces. A pad printing machine or other robotics is used to move the assembly from a position of heating to a position of compressing the ink transfer to the surface of the article.