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| thevagrant |
 Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2003 10:52 am |
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Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 19
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| hey i am new to this forum and was wondering if anyone knows the process the bigger companies use to put transfers on thier decks it seems so much easier than screen printing them, do they use a computer printer and how is it sealed to the deck? thanks in advance. |
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| Drunk Engine |
| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2003 6:02 am |
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Joined: 11 Jul 2002
Posts: 765
Location: New Jersey!!
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| It's a cheap method and you can find plenty of resources on it on google.com, the heat transfer methods vary from what I have seen some uses a custom heat press, others use conveyor driven forced hot air methods, this one is form mass production. It sucks to see it go this way but most bigger companies are going to China to have their boards made as labor is dirt cheap, obviously these companies don't care about skateboarding any longer and only see pure profit now. The saddest part is that the riders have no clue and the consumer has no clue as this is something they don't want to brag about. |
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| Project |
| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2003 2:10 pm |
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Joined: 11 Apr 2003
Posts: 41
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Heat transfers are a hell of a lot easier than screen printing. My company uses the transfers. Right here ill explain a really ghetto method for getting starting doing boards between the bolts with your friends. To do the full board, just send me a email at [email protected] and ill see if i can hook you up with some 8x33 heat transfer paper
What you need
Spray Paint, get a glossy kind
Spray on Urathanem also known as varnish, you can get this at hobby supply stores
Some 8x11 heat transfer paper yopu can get it at http://www.alphasupply.com use Jetwear for any color onto a white backround Remember this same paper can be used for tshirts, so you can start a skatewear line to support your boards easily, its the same process, without the varnish.
A iron
Some very fine, not course sand paper
A source of blank decks
What you do
Spray some varnish onto your boards, do this in a well ventilated area or you will have a headache for a month. Once the varnish is dry, lightly sand it with sandpaper. THis is to give the spray paint a surface to stick on, without damaging the boards finish.
Whip out your spray paint, spray a nice and even backround color. Make sure the backround is a light color, if it isnt htne you need a different type of transfer paper, called Darkwear. Wait for the paint to dry.
Stick the heat paper into your INkjet printer, laser printers will melt the paper. Tell the printer that you are printing on just a normal peice of paper. Print your design. print in either 360 or 720 dpi. NO HIGHER THAN 720, your board will bleed. Wait for the color to dry, it takes 15 minutes to a hour. The color may seem dull but it will intensify when transfered.
remember, because of the reversal thing, you are going to have to put the heat transfer on upside down and backwards, so it will show up right side up and fowards.
Turn you iron to its hottest. Do not add water to it. Iron the paper, with moderate preasure, covering the WHOLE PAPER for a minute to a minute 20, just make sure that the paper is thoroughly ironed, time matters less than that. Wait till the paper is cool to the touch, then peel it off.
After this is done and dryed, spray a moderate coat of varenish on the board to protect the graphics and make the board slide well, REMEMBER NOT TO MUCH VARNISH OR IT WILL TURN WHITE. |
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| sinart |
| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2003 1:15 pm |
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Joined: 26 Feb 2003
Posts: 207
Location: LA
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| do you have any pictures of your process? i'd like to see the results before trying it myself... |
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| Project |
| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2003 10:21 pm |
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Joined: 11 Apr 2003
Posts: 41
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As soon as i can, ill put some up. First someone has to tell me how to put pictures up on these message boards
[ This Message was edited by: Project on 2003-04-16 23:22 ] |
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| thevagrant |
| Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2003 11:59 pm |
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Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 19
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| hey man thanks for your insight, but i have a few questions..1.are you printing on regular transfer paper or using dye sublimation methods to do this.2. if it's a regular transfer isn't it just going to be like a sheet of paper on the bottom of your deck and won't it scrape off real sloppy like and peel away.3.are you using spary paint for your basecoat. thanks again looking forward to your answers |
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| Project |
| Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2003 10:26 pm |
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Joined: 11 Apr 2003
Posts: 41
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| ill admit that dye sublimation works better, but we use the plain paper. it costs a hell of a lot more to use sublimation. You take the used paper, after ironing off the bottom, then the spray on urathane coat keeps the paint from flocking away. we do use spray paint, if you have someone experienced doing it, it looks completely professional. |
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| sinart |
| Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2003 9:24 am |
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Joined: 26 Feb 2003
Posts: 207
Location: LA
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| so, i tried this this weekend to limited success. i think the ironing part of it is where i messed up. some of the graphic came out perfect (around the edges) but in the middle, the clear shiny coat on the top was kinda half on and half peeling off (parts of it came off with the backing when i peeled it off). do you know if this is from too much heat, or too little? where there is no ink on the design, are you supposed to have the clear rubbery layer left on the board, or is it supposed to just leave the ink in the wood (like a tatoo)? if you've run into any of these problems, please let me know...and let me know how to fix em... |
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| Project |
| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2003 1:08 pm |
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Joined: 11 Apr 2003
Posts: 41
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| As to why the graphics are coming out around the edge but not in the middle. I think that is because you are over-ironing the middle, try to do the same amount all the way around. Try it again using the same amount of ironing in the middle that you used on the side. By the way, qwhat heat transfer paper are you using. |
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| thevagrant |
| Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2003 7:18 pm |
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Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Posts: 19
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| ok this sounds like a deffenite possibiltiy but how are these big companies doing it. do they have a customized clamshell transfer press.I know they aren't doing it with a household iron. |
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