Prepare a printing film. Ensure the print side faces upward.
The film surface has a coating. This coating absorbs and holds ink, ensuring a clear image. It also forms a flexible layer that won't tear when stretched.
Print the color image first, then print the white overlay image.
Thanks to the film from Step 1, you achieve a sharp image in Step 2. Simultaneously, the white ink covers the surface of the colored image. White is crucial in this technique. It serves as the background for images on black/dark T-shirts, making colors pop. The white ink is also flexible enough to withstand stretching. Furthermore, the “wet/undried” white ink functions as a carrier for the next step: loading “heat-activated powder.”
Spray the hot melt powder onto the surface of the wet white ink.
The hot melt powder is the most innovative part of this technique. Previously, we used hot melt powder within the white screen-printed layer. Its function is as an “adhesive,” bonding the image layer to the textile. When heated, this powder melts into a liquid and becomes sticky. However, at normal ambient temperatures, it remains a solid powder.
Bake the hot melt powder to melt it, typically at 80-150°C for 3-25 minutes.
After Step 4, you obtain a pristine image with a white background layer followed by an adhesive layer. Crucially, this adhesive layer remains non-tacky at ambient temperatures. You can roll it up for shipping to customers and store it as is.