We all love to personalize the things we own, either we are talking about T-shirts, our favorite mug or our car. Coming straight from the fabric, all objects are universal and have no individuality. One way of adding personality to an object or equipment is using hydrographic film to print certain images on its surface. This is a very fast process that could be done less than 15 minutes.

Come to think about it, our society is very image conscious, perhaps in the most advanced state it has ever been. So, in the midst of globalization and consumer goods produced on a universal scale, we feel the need to add more character to the things that we possess, and what has most impact than an image? Personalizing the items we have at home, or the products which we develop in our own businesses, is very easily done nowadays, with the development of modern printing processes, such as water transfer printing. This technique has already been used for years in the automotive business, and we can see that in the interiors of cars most obviously. This process is simple and can be finished rapidly, in some cases in maximum 15 minutes, if the objects that need printing are not very large.

In the past few years, many industries have oriented towards water transfer printing, simply because this method is easier and with better results than more traditional printing techniques. The actual process is quite simple, and it takes using a hydrographic film onto which a pattern is created. This film is soluble in water and has great adhesive properties, which allow the ink to stick to the objects which need printing. Before the process can begin, the objects have to be prepared for the printing, because the ink won’t adhere if there is grease on the surface or if there are some particles which haven’t been cleaned out thoroughly. Wood, plastic, metal, ceramics: each material has to be cleaned properly and with efficient techniques and products.

The first stage of the process involves dipping the hydrographic film in a recipient containing water, which is previously heated until it reaches 31 degrees C. Due to its solubility, the hydrographic film will dissolve partly, and the ink will come up to the surface of the water. Next, the object is slowly submerged in the water and the ink sticks to the surface of the object. After full submersion, the object is taken out and left to dry. After a routine checkup and some airbrush, if the need appears, the object goes through the final stage, where finishing touches are added. These consist in adding either glossy or matte coats for protection and aesthetics. Depending on the dimensions of the object, the whole water transfer printing process could be over in a quarter of an hour. Thus, personalizing items is very simple, economical and at the same time environmentally safe, if using the water transfer printing technique.

Water transfer printing http://www.hgarts.com uses hydrographic film http://www.hgarts.com to create unique, personalized objects. Try it yourself!