The white ink heat transfer printing process is currently deeply loved by manufacturers in the industry. After purchasing a white ink heat transfer printer, many manufacturers are distressed by not knowing how to choose consumables. Indeed, there are a wide variety of consumables for white ink heat transfer printers on the market, especially TPU hot melt powder. So, would you choose TPU hot melt powder?
First, let’s understand what TPU hot melt powder is.
TPU hot melt powder may seem ordinary, but in fact, it is a type of glue. Glue is an intermediate that connects two materials. There are many kinds, mostly appearing in liquid form. While hot melt powder appears in powder form.
In fact, TPU hot melt powder is not only applied in the white ink heat transfer printing process but also has a wide range of applications.
TPU hot melt powder is applied in printing on various textiles, leather, paper, wood and other materials and in the preparation of various printing pastes. The printing paste made with it has characteristics such as water resistance, high fastness, fast drying speed, not easy to clog the mesh, and not affecting the ink color. It belongs to a new environmentally friendly material.
(Hot melt powder applied to clothing)
So, what is the role of TPU hot melt powder in the white ink heat transfer printing process? How is it applied in this process?
After the white ink heat transfer printer prints the colored part of the pattern, a layer of white ink will be attached on top. Subsequently, through the powder spreading and shaking functions of the white ink heat transfer powder shaking machine, TPU hot melt powder is evenly spread on this layer of white ink. Since white ink is in a liquid state and moist, it will automatically stick to TPU hot melt powder. Areas without ink will not stick to powder. Then, it enters an arch bridge or crawler transmission to dry the pattern ink and fix the TPU hot melt powder on the white ink at the same time. In this way, a finished product of white ink heat transfer printing pattern is completed.
After that, the pattern is fixed on clothes and other fabrics by a heat press machine. Lay the clothes flat, place the finished white ink heat transfer product in the correct position, and use appropriate temperature, pressure, and time to melt the TPU hot melt powder and stick the pattern and clothes together to fix the pattern on the clothes. In this way, the custom-made clothes processed by the white ink heat transfer printing process are completed.
And there are many types of TPU hot melt powder.
First, it is divided into coarse powder, medium powder, and fine powder. Coarse powder has larger particles, higher thickness, and a harder feel. It is suitable for coarse-grained cotton and linen or denim, such as cotton and linen tote bags, denim clothing, school bags, etc. Medium powder has smaller particles, a soft feel, is resistant to washing, and is suitable for general cotton and polyester fabrics, and medium and low stretch fabrics such as T-shirts, hoodies, sportswear, and eco-friendly bags. Compared to medium powder, fine powder has even smaller particles. It is suitable for T-shirts, hoodies, and sportswear, and can also be used to print very small washing labels and care labels.
Second, there are also differences in mesh numbers. The larger the mesh number of TPU hot melt powder, the more it can be used on finer fabrics. Currently, TPU hot melt powders with 60, 80, 90, and 120 mesh numbers are more commonly used on the market.
So, is the fine powder with the largest mesh number the best? Manufacturers must always remember when choosing consumables that not everything expensive is good. The most suitable one is the best. Choosing the appropriate consumables according to their own fabrics can maximize the use of consumables. Otherwise, it will waste consumable costs.
In addition, according to TPU hot melt powder, there are also differences between high-temperature powder and low-temperature powder. Generally, TPU hot melt powder requires high-temperature pressing to melt and fix on clothing. While TPU hot melt low-temperature powder can be used for low-temperature pressing, which is more convenient. TPU hot melt high-temperature powder is resistant to high-temperature washing. Of course, general TPU hot melt powder will not fall off during normal daily water washing.
Finally, TPU hot melt powder also has color differences. The most common is white hot melt powder. Basically, most manufacturers will use white hot melt powder. In addition, there is black hot melt powder, which is more commonly used on black fabrics.
Therefore, when choosing TPU hot melt powder, first understand its role, and then choose the appropriate TPU hot melt powder according to the type of your fabric.