Branding Guide
Transfer Printing
A versatile branding method where artwork is first prepared as a transfer and then applied to the product using heat and pressure.
What is transfer printing?
Transfer Printing applies artwork to a product indirectly. Rather than printing the design straight onto the product, the artwork is first prepared on a transfer medium and then transferred onto the branding surface.
Depending on the specific process, heat and pressure are used to apply and secure the design to the product.
Different transfer processes are available depending on the product, material and type of artwork required.
How transfer printing works
The exact process varies according to the type of transfer and product, but the artwork is generally prepared separately before being applied to the final branding surface.
- 1
Artwork prepared
The design is prepared according to the requirements of the transfer process.
- 2
Transfer created
The artwork is produced on the appropriate transfer medium.
- 3
Transfer positioned
The prepared design is accurately positioned on the product.
- 4
Applied to the product
Heat and pressure are used where required to transfer and secure the branding.
Best for
- Textile products — Transfer methods can be particularly useful for suitable bags, apparel and other textile merchandise.
- Detailed logos & graphics — Depending on the specific transfer process, it can reproduce more detail than some direct spot-colour printing methods.
- Larger branding areas — Transfer Printing can be useful where the product supports a larger branding area.
- Selected hard surfaces — Specialist variations such as Ceramic Transfer can be used on compatible products where specifically supported.
Benefits
- Versatile — Transfer techniques can be used across a range of suitable products and surfaces.
- Good detail — Capable of reproducing detailed logos and graphics depending on the particular transfer process.
- Suitable for larger designs — Often useful for branding areas where a larger graphic is required.
- Specialist options available — Different transfer processes allow the method to be used on selected textiles and other compatible product surfaces.
Things to consider
- Different transfer processes — Transfer Printing includes several techniques, so colour capability, finish and artwork requirements can vary.
- Product compatibility varies — The available transfer process depends on the product material and branding area.
- Artwork requirements differ — Some transfer methods are better suited to solid-colour artwork, while others can accommodate greater detail.
- Full-colour artwork — Where complex full-colour reproduction is required, Digital Transfer may be a more appropriate option if available for the selected product.
- Check the product options — Available branding methods, positions and maximum branding areas are shown on each product page.
Transfer printing variations
Transfer Printing is available in several forms depending on the product, surface and artwork requirements.
Standard Transfer Printing
A transfer-based process used on suitable product surfaces.
Screen Transfer
Uses screen-printing principles to create the transfer before it is applied to the product. Particularly useful for suitable textile products and solid-colour artwork.
Ceramic Transfer
A specialist transfer process used on compatible ceramic products.
Preparing artwork for transfer printing
Clean, high-quality artwork is important for achieving a good transfer result.
Vector artwork is generally preferred for logos, text and solid-colour graphics.
The number of colours and artwork requirements can vary depending on whether the product uses standard transfer, screen transfer, ceramic transfer or another supported transfer process.
- Colour capabilities vary between transfer processes and products, so please refer to the branding options available for your selected product.
Not sure which transfer method suits your artwork?
Send us your artwork and we'll help determine the most appropriate branding option for your chosen product.
Where can my artwork go?
Available Transfer Printing positions and maximum branding areas vary by product and transfer process.
Explore products available with Transfer Printing
Browse promotional products in the Ecosource range that support Transfer Printing.