Water Transfer Printing of Stainless Steel Drink Bottles

stainless steel water transfer printing process

For vacuum sealed stainless steel drink bottle manufacturing and decorating, water transfer is a very good technology choice and supplement. The water bottle using water transfer printing technology is very popular among consumers.

Water Transfer Printing is a type of printing in which a transfer paper/transfer film with a color pattern is transferred using water as a dissolving medium. As people’s requirements for product packaging and decoration increase, Water Transfer Printing is becoming more and more widely used. The principle of indirect printing and the perfect printing effect solve the problem of surface decoration of many products (such as water bottles, tumblers, travel mugs, coffee cups, coffee pots, food jars and beer growlers), and are mainly used for the transfer of surface images of various shapes with complicated shapes.

How Are S’well Wood Marble Pattern Water Bottle Made?

S’well wood / teakwood water bottles, marble collection thermos bottles looks very beautiful. Many drinking bottle fans write to us and ask how S’well and Chilly’s bottles are manufactured with such charming custom patterns. The answer is that, water transfer printing technology.

Want to find a reliable water bottle manufacturer factory to start your own water bottle business? You are at the right place. KingStar is the leading insulated stainless steel drink bottle cup manufacturer in China with strong R&D support. We are one-stop service thermos cup manufacturer and exporter. You are welcome to write to us for free samples or any questions at sales@waterbottle.tech

Two Types of Water Transfer Printing

There are two types of Water Transfer Printing technology, one is watermark transfer technology. Watermark transfer technology mainly completes the transfer of text and photo patterns.

The other is Hydro Dipping Transfer Technology. Hydro Dipping Transfer Technology tends to perform a complete transfer on the entire surface of the product. Hydro Dipping Transfer Technology uses a water-based film that is easily dissolved in water to carry graphics. Due to the excellent tension of the water-coated film, it is easy to wrap around the surface of the product to form a graphic layer, and the surface of the product has a completely different appearance as a paint. Covering any shape of the water bottles, the manufacturer solves the problem of three-dimensional product printing. Surface coating can also add different lines on the surface of the product, such as skin texture, wood grain, jadeite and marble pattern, etc., and also avoid the virtual position commonly seen in general layout printing. In the printing process, because a primer is required to increase the adhesion or add a base color, the surface of the product does not need to be in contact with the printing film to avoid damage to the surface and integrity of the product.

Water Transfer Printing is a special chemically treated film that is printed on the surface of the water after being printed with the desired color pattern. It is sprayed with an activator that dissolves the film completely without damaging the grain on the film. The effect of the pressure is to uniformly transfer the color pattern on the surface of the product, and after cleaning and drying, a transparent protective coating is applied, and the product has a completely different visual effect.

Watermark Transfer Technology Process

Concise description: making watermark transfer paper → pattern paper soaking → pattern transfer → drying → finished product

Production of water transfer printing paper. The computer is processed according to the required pattern, and the negative printing plate is output, and then the color printing is performed on the water transfer printing paper (the special processed paper is not required to be processed), and the cover is printed on the printed bottom paper. Oil. Another method is to use a color laser printer to directly print the pattern onto the water transfer backing paper and then perform Water Transfer Printing.
Soaking the pattern paper. Put the printed pattern paper into the water, soak it in the water after soaking for 30s, pay attention to the soaking time not too long, otherwise it will dissolve the glue on the paper surface.
Pattern transfer. Firstly, the surface of the object to be attached is treated, and then the soaked pattern paper is transferred onto it, and the excess moisture is scraped off and dried.
Metal, ceramic and glass type items are placed in the oven, 140 baked for 20 min; plastic items are baked at 70 ° C for 60 min; candles, helmets or tempered glass are not baked.
Finished product. Spray a layer of transparent varnish or matt oil or rubber oil on the surface of the baked goods. After 12 hours of drying, the pattern surface and the decoration will be permanently combined. If you do not do this Works can be done, but the fastness is not good.

Teakwood pattern water bottle

Hydro Dipping Transfer Technology Process

Concise description: Water-coated paper production → drying after being sprayed with primer; film paper into water → spray activator on film → object touch film transfer → water washing → drying → sprayed oil belt after dry packaging

The water drape transfer film is produced by using a gravure printing machine on the surface of a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film by a conventional printing process.
Pre-transfer treatment of the transferred material: the surface of the transferred object is wiped clean, and then the primer of the corresponding color and composition is selected according to the difference of the material to be transferred or the pattern of the transfer film. On it, drying.
Membrane paper in water: The transfer film is placed in water for 50s-140s, and then sprayed on the surface uniformly to dissolve the film without destroying the activator of the ink on the film.
Transfer: After the object to be transferred is inclined at a certain angle, the water is poured into the water, and the speed is uniform. After all the parts to be transferred are filled with water, the water is stirred to avoid the remaining film being reattached and the transfer material is taken out.
Drying after washing: The water pressure is not too large, avoiding the damage of the pattern just transferred, and then drying the transfer.
Varnish: Spray a layer of varnish on the surface of the transfer to protect the surface of the object and make the surface of the object shiny.
Finished product: After the varnish is naturally dried, the finished product is packaged.

Application Scope

Drinkware: thermos, travel mug, water bottle, tumbler, food jar, coffee cup, wine mug, ramblers, pints, beer growlers, coolers, etc.;
Auto supplies: instrument panel, control panel, paper towel tray, tea cup holder, tape holder, rear view frame, operating handle, car lock, etc.;
Electronic products: telephone, pager, video recorder, audio, remote control, mouse, clock, keyboard, camera, hair dryer, etc.;
Household items: sofas, coffee tables, cabinets, chandeliers, ashtrays, vases, display containers, etc.;
Daily use products: luggage decoration, tableware handle, glasses case, pen, pen holder, desk calendar, art photo frame, racket, hair accessories, makeup pen, cosmetic case, etc.
Indoor building materials: doors and windows, floors, wall panels, etc.

As a leading drink bottle and travel mug manufacturer, KingStar pioneered the use of water transfer printing technology in water bottle decorating. After decades of innovation and development, water transfer printing has become a very complete process. If you have any inquiries and questions, please feel free to contact us. To know more details of water transfer printing technology of thermos stainless steel bottles, please visit our factory.

To read complete and detail Manufacturing Process of Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottles, please read another article: https://www.waterbottle.tech/manufacturing-process-of-vacuum-insulated-stainless-steel-bottles/