Three Reasons To Consider An Adhesive Supplier For Transfer Print | Bostik US

Find out how specialized hot melt powder adhesives from an adhesive supplier can enhance your transfer print product performance over standard hot melt adhesives provided with your equipment. Learn about the importance of performance capabilities such as washability, soft-hand feel and anti-dye migration, plus how working with an adhesive supplier can help you take designs to the next performance level and improve production efficiency.

As a transfer print manufacturer, you may be working with an equipment manufacturer that also provides hot melt powder adhesives for your direct-to-film printing. These transfer print adhesives offer easy processing and can bond to various textiles when heat pressed. This means they can work well across equipment and substrate types, which may be why you’re inclined to use them.

However, while these hot melt powder adhesives are formulated to work with various fabrics, they may not provide the same bond strength across materials. Additionally, they can lack optimized performance capabilities such as washability, soft-hand feel, anti-dye migration and more. This may be because equipment suppliers who also sell transfer print adhesives are more focused on providing you with quality equipment first and adhesives second. Therefore, these adhesives are standardized in bulk, which can affect your ability to address specific or evolving performance needs, and, in turn, impact your revenue generation abilities.

Learn about important capabilities your adhesives should possess and how working with an adhesive supplier can help you find solutions that meet the right criteria.

#1: Washability

With direct-to-film printing, your end-use product will likely go through the washing machine. However, because hot melt powder adhesives provided with your equipment serve as a bulk, standardized option, their capabilities may not be formulated to withstand repeated washing cycles.

If not, then the graphics can lose their aesthetic appearance. This is because the adhesive provides the overall strength and flexibility to the graphical prints. Therefore, the adhesives need to be optimized to provide bond integrity and elasticity through exposure to water, chemical detergents and agitation frequently and repeatedly so that the graphic still remains. The adhesives also need to maintain flexibility and elasticity to reduce the likelihood that the design will peel or crack during the washing process.

Enhanced Formulations for Washability

An adhesive supplier can offer transfer print powder adhesives with enhanced formulations that are specific for washability. For example, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) hot melt powder adhesives are optimized with elasticity and bond strength, which allow them to maintain integrity even under washing conditions and help ensure the graphic design remains vibrant and intact.

#2: Soft-Hand Feel

The hot melt powder adhesives that come with your equipment also may not be able to offer the soft-hand feel that brand owners increasingly desire. This is because the adhesive may not integrate well with fabric fibers, leaving behind a stiff, or rough, “plastic” feel on the fabric. This can feel unbreathable and be less desirable for high-quality apparel.

Enhanced Formulations for Soft-Hand Feel

By working with an adhesive supplier, you can receive specially-formulated powder adhesives that are optimized for fabric fibers to address specific transfer print applications. For example, TPU or copolyester powder adhesives are made with fine grain particles that melt smoothly, resulting in a soft, natural feel to the fabric and helping with breathability and softness. The particles allow for a more uniform melting process, which contributes to a smoother application and a softer feel on the fabric. This optimized capability allows the final product to be comfortable and aesthetically pleasing.

#3 Anti-Dye Migration

The hot melt powder adhesives that come with your transfer print equipment may not prevent dye migration, which occurs when colors bleed into each other during the curing or washing process and affects the design’s clarity and vibrancy. This is because standard hot melt powder adhesives can lack the specific chemical properties needed to create a barrier against dye migration; they may not be formulated with anti-dye migration properties, which are essential for preventing the movement of dyes during the heat application process.

In particular, dark-colored fabrics are more prone to dye migration. The dyes used in dark-colored fabrics are often more volatile and can sublimate at high temperatures. This sublimation allows the dyes to move more easily into the adhesive layer, causing color shifts and affecting the design’s clarity. Therefore, without sufficient barrier properties to prevent dye migration, the adhesive may likely be unable to effectively block the dyes from moving into the print layer.

Enhanced Formulations for Anti-Dye Migration

An adhesive supplier can formulate transfer print powder adhesives to create a barrier that reduces dye migration likelihood so that designs can remain sharp and clear with well-defined edges. For example, copolyester powder adhesives can be specifically formulated to prevent color bleeding by creating a physical barrier to isolate the dyes and block their movement so that they cannot penetrate the adhesive and reach the print layer. This helps ensure the final product retains its aesthetic appeal and longevity.

An adhesive supplier can also develop powder adhesives with high-purity raw materials that effectively block dye. This is particularly important for dark-colored fabrics, where dye migration can cause significant color shifts and affect the design’s vibrance. High-purity raw materials provide a consistent and stable chemical structure that resists dye penetration. This helps maintain the integrity of the design and prevent color shifts, so the final product with dark colors can be visually appealing.

Additional Reasons To Work With An Adhesive Supplier

Optimized Formulation For Hot Peel Applications

Hot peel applications require the adhesive to bond quickly and peel off while still hot, without damaging the design. This application is often desired since it does not require cooling time, which contributes to fast processing for finished print designs. However, standard equipment powder adhesives may not have the necessary properties, such as short setup times, to perform well while the transfers are still hot. This can lead to incomplete transfers or damage to the design, resulting in excess waste and quality problems.

An adhesives supplier can formulate hot melt powder adhesives to be optimized to have a fast setup time so the designs can remain intact during the peeling process. For example, TPU powder adhesives are thermoplastic, which means they can melt and set rapidly and help ensure the design remains intact and the transfer process is efficient. This also helps reduce error likelihood and the need for material replacements.

Transfer Print Construction

An adhesive supplier understands that you have numerous components to consider in your transfer print applications, such as film, release coatings, inks and adhesives. When you have the ability to share your main priorities with an adhesive supplier, they can help you choose a solution that addresses other components so that everything works together for an effective, long-lasting and vibrant print. Further, if you expand your product offerings and realize you need different performance capabilities, an adhesive supplier can easily help you adjust efficiently and effectively.

Processing Efficiencies

As mentioned above, an adhesive supplier can offer you hot melt powder adhesive formulations that offer more uniform particle sizes to help ensure softness and visually-pleasing graphics. Additionally, an adhesive with consistent particle sizes can reduce the overall “caking” effect that occurs when adhesive builds on equipment, which often occurs with inconsistent particle sizes. With less caking, there can be less cleanup and associated downtime, allowing you to run a more seamless production.

Why Choose Bostik As Your Adhesive Supplier

As the adhesives solution segment of Arkema, Bostik’s Fixatti hot melt powder chemistries allow you to work with industry experts in finding the right adhesive solution with your desired performance capabilities. We offer an Oeko-Tex® certified product portfolio, helping you save time choosing solutions that meet textile industry standards.

Additionally, when you choose Bostik as your adhesive supplier, you’ll also receive:

Technical support: Our experts utilize technical labs, pilot plants and analytical equipment to test solutions with your substrates; this allows you to focus on streamlined day-to-day operations. They also can provide you with customized formulations to meet more stringent application needs.
Troubleshooting: Our technical sales and service team are here to assist you with any bonding and production concerns to quickly resolve problems and avoid any future issues.

Ready to expand your adhesive performance capabilities for transfer print products? Contact a Bostik expert to learn how working with an adhesive supplier can help you find the right solutions with expertise guidance.

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What to Consider with Hot Melts for Heat Transfer Textile Printing

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