Direct to film printing process and apparatus

Abstract

A printing system for garments comprises a direct to film printer to print images on film for transfer to garments a conveying platform having a loading position for receiving garments and respective films being located thereon, and heat presses to apply pressure and heat to garments to transfer images from film to garment, wherein the conveying platform places garments with films onto a currently available one of the heat presses, thereby to provide an inline system combining film printing and transfer to a garment.

Description

[0001] DIRECT TO FILM PRINTING PROCESS AND APPARATUS

[0002] RELATED APPLICATION / S

[0003] This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 614,599, filed on December 24, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0004] FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a direct to film printing process and apparatus for garment printing and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a digital printing process that prints on film and then transfers the image from the film to the garment.

[0006] Direct to Film or DTF is a printing technique that involves printing the design directly onto a film and then transferring the design to a garment made of textile, typically cotton, polyester, or their blends. Film is a thin layer of generally flexible and often transparent substrate. An advantage of DTF is that the material and color of the garment do not affect the process, as the DTF process may be effective on almost any surface regardless of the colors used in the image. Thus DTF may work as well on white garments as on any other color. In general, DTF works with almost any kind of textile whereas DTG (direct to garment) printing may require modifications for the particular type of textile; Such modifications may include preprinting treatments, or curing process. No such pretreatment or curing is needed with DTF and it is possible to provide an image using inks that allow for stretching with the garment.

[0007] Printer Direct to Film or Printer DTF accordingly provides a printing system which is simple, convenient and consistent over a wide range of surfaces and colors. In addition, DTF printers are reliable and cost-effective machines to own and operate, and more and more companies, as well as small businesses and even private individuals, adopt such technology.

[0008] Direct to Film or DTF transfers the printed image onto fabric or other substrates using a heat-press mechanism.

[0009] DTF modified printers typically come with multiple colored ink tanks, including white ink that acts as a background layer between the surface and the other ink colors, and thus is printed last on the printed surface before transferring it to the final substrate. These tanks allow the printers the convenience to operate using CMYKW settings. The DTF printer inks are specifically designed for use with the DTF process and these substrates. The main advantage of DTF printing over other methods such as DTG, is in the ability to print on almost any surface, and by using the right inks and adhesive, on almost any textile fabric or substrates. Another big advantage is the overall simplicity and low cost of the required equipment, particularly when compared to high-end DTG systems.

[0010] A disadvantage of the DTF printing is the multi-step process, or workflow, that requires the active intervention of operators, meaning that there is a ‘man-in-the-loop’ between the stages, which greatly affects the cost and the productivity of the process.

[0011] Another disadvantage of the DTF process is the use of specific powder and a melting oven to create a layer of glue over the white layer, that eventually acts as the contact adhesive layer between the printed image and the substrate. This step adds many complications and costs to the film preparation process since it requires a high temperature oven and since the fine powder particles can easily become airborne, and may be hazardous to humans.

[0012] Most of the existing systems uses powder-based glue to attach the image to the garment. In a few cases, such as in the COBRAFLEX Powderless DTF, stickiness is achieved by a specific fluid applied on top of, and in addition to, the color and white inks.

[0013] The basic steps of DTF printing are as illustrated schematically in Fig. 1. An image is edited and migrated to a printing format using RIP software. A RIP, or raster imaging processor, is a program that allows a digital printer to communicate with a computer. First and foremost, the RIP turns vector-type files into a bitmap, or raster, format that the printer can understand and print from.

[0014] Using printer 10, an image is printed on a film 14, for example with CMYK and White stretchable inks, with the white layer printed last

[0015] To create the adhesive layer, powder is usually applied evenly on the printed image and melted to act as an adhesive between the inks and the substrate. It is noted that until heat is applied the powder remains as a powder and will not act properly as an adhesive to the image to be transferred. The inks and powder are shown in 12. Applying the powder is considered a complicated, unsustainable and expensive stage and sometimes even dangerous to the operation teams working around the system.

[0016] The outcome of these steps is a printed film sheet 14, with adhesive, ready to be transferred to the shirt.

[0017] The media may be placed on a typically open heat-press machine 18. The printed film is then placed on the media in the designated location, typically after it has been cut from the larger sheet 14, which may bear designs for multiple garments. The printed image is then transferred onto the desired surface after closing the heat-press machine 18 for 15-60 sec at temperatures of 140-200C. After cooling to the desired temperature, the film may be removed from the surface to leave behind image 16 on the garment.

[0018] Optionally, the heat-press may operate again directly on the printed image for 5- 15 sec to improve the hand-feel and wash and rub fastness of the finished result. It is noted that such a step generally uses a lower temperature than the transfer.

[0019] The end result of the heat press stage is the printed image transferred onto the garment as shown at 16.

[0020] However, the heat-press related stages, in the process above, including loading the shirts, pre-pressing (if applicable), placing the films on the shirt, pressing, and unloading the shirts, become the main bottleneck in the process, as they are currently done manually (and involve a man in the loop) and cannot be performed within the same timeframe as the rest of the process. The result is to introduce a delay in the overall process.

[0021] Indeed, in the current solutions the pressing stage is performed separately from the previous stages, usually, at least for mass production, by using multiple heat press systems with multiple operators, to load, operate the press and unload the shirts, one at a time. In this arrangement the process as a whole is not automated and the press stage is not synchronized with the printing stages. As a result, the complete workflow is slower, more expensive and not effective.

[0022] An example of process capacity and limitations is as follows. Let us say that printing the images on a film using a specific printer, e.g., a 1 meter wide, R2R Sublistar printer, with a maximum speed of 15m2 / hr, may print approximately 250 A4 sheets per hour, that in turn may be transferred to 250 shirts.

[0023] In this example, we assume that powdering, melting, and cutting the rolls into separate sheets may be done in parallel with printing, as there also available solutions in the market for that, and hence does not slow the process. The implication is that there are 250 sheets ready to transfer every hour.

[0024] The loading and unloading onto a heat-press system of each printed sheet and shirt is approximately 10 sec., and the transfer time is approximately 20sec.

[0025] Thus, the overall transfer time for one heat press is approximately 30 sec, or the speed of one heat-press system is approximately 120 shirt per hour .

[0026] Accordingly, to provide maximum capacity, it takes three heat-press systems working in parallel to transfer the images at the rate they are being printed, and thus complete the job with good utilization.

[0027] It is noted that the feed of ready to press sheets, after printing, powdering and cutting, may be a lot faster, since for mass production a faster printer, or more than one printer in parallel, may be used, and in many cases the sheets can be printed in advance and then transferred to the shirts at a later stage. For these cases, the number of required heat-press systems may be even bigger than in the example above, and the heat press becomes even a greater limitation.

[0028] The current solution is based on multiple heat press systems with multiple operators. The operators feed the shirts and the films on the press, close the press, and wait for the required time for its release. Once released the operator peels the film from the shirt and removes the shirt from the system.

[0029] To summarize, the current process is carried out as follows:

[0030] 1. Printing, powdering and melting may be carried out with one printer

[0031] 2. Cutting (if applicable) is usually done manually with a separate system or automatically;

[0032] 3. Heat press and final release are performed manually.

[0033] Accordingly, the current solutions are based on static heat press systems, usually operated by one operator working on one system. In this scenario, the heat press stage becomes the main bottleneck in the manufacturing process and requires relatively expensive manpower for its operation.

[0034] Two high-quantity production heat press systems are the HOSS™ and Sidekick™ made by Hix.

[0035] HOSS™ was created for high-end production type applications and has a right and a left pallet. Two operators are needed to load the shirt and transfer on the right pallet where it cycles automatically. Then a shirt and transfer are loaded on the left pallet, it cycles automatically, and the right pallet returns. The transfer is peeled off and the process is repeated.

[0036] SideKick™ Heat Transfer Machines are manual heat presses based on a twin platen heat transfer machine, where the heat plate can move between two static pallets that are loaded and unloaded by a single operator.

[0037] The SideKick may improve production output by allowing the operator to work continuously with two stations. Both of these systems require the image for transfer to be provided by a separate earlier stage.

[0038] The Turbotran 6 by Digitran performs the final steps of a direct to film printing process by placing the films on the media, applying a heat press, peeling the film and removing the printed media. Although the flow is mostly automatic, it still has the bottleneck of a single (or double in the best case) passive heat press. Since the system is fully synchronized and the system must wait for the slowest station. In addition, the film is liable to move between placement on the garment and reaching the relevant heat press due to the carousel-like movement of the system. The Carosello CA 100 by Transmatics, has 4, 6 or 8 heat presses moving on a carousel and can be independently loaded and controlled. Here the process requires two operators to load and unload the shirts to achieve the pace of the system, and often some of the heat press units cease operation at all for long periods after the heat is applied as there is no one to remove the shirts. Overall the system is not effective due to its size and cost.

[0039] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0040] The present embodiments may provide a continuous inline process that integrates together the processes of printing an image on a film, optionally without powder-based adhesive, and then transferring the image onto a garment without the known bottlenecks.

[0041] A powder-less version of the process may be achieved by using a particular white ink in the final layer of the printed image that can act as both the under-base below the colored image and the adhesive between the image and the substrate. The ink used in current systems cannot be used to glue the ink layers to the substrate since it does not contain binders or internal adhesives that may act as the gluing material. In the present embodiments, a formulation of ink may be used, which is white enough to act as the base-layer and has sufficient binding ability to act as an adhesive but is still jetable through the nozzles of the printheads.

[0042] Synchronization of the film printing and the image transfer may be achieved by having two or more moving heat presses waiting for the garments following placement of the transfers. In embodiments, the presses may themselves circulate on a carousel and carry a garment, and associated film for image transfer, between a loading position and an unloading position. The transfer operation is carried out as the garment circulates with the associated heat press on the carousel. In an alternative embodiment, the carousel picks up the garments and transfers and carries them to an available press.

[0043] Circulation of the presses may provide for a single loading position for all the presses and thus allow for multiple presses that only require a single operator.

[0044] In another embodiment of the invention the heat press stage, which is used for adhering and drying the product, and as explained earlier introduces the main delays in the entire process, is replaced by a hybrid step with a combination of a relatively short duration heat press, followed by a drying stage in a standard inline dryer. Such a hybrid stage reduces, marginalizes, or even eliminates, the bottlenecks normally caused by the heat press's long duration stage. The dryer is normally inline with the system and allows for continuous runs without adding actual time to the complete process. In the above embodiments, the film with the image may be placed on the garment automatically, and depending on the embodiment, the garment with the film may move prior to pressing. Thus the film is liable to move from its correct location due to the movement between placement on the garment and activation of the press, leading to an image in the wrong place on the garment. Accordingly, according to an aspect of the present invention, the film is provided with a temporary adhesive for adhering the film to the garment. The temporary adhesive is not the same as the powder adhesive applied with the inks to fix the inks onto the garment as part of the pressing process.

[0045] According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a printing system for garments comprising: a direct to film printer configured to print images on a film for transfer to garments; a conveying platform and a plurality of heat presses, the conveying platform having a loading position, for receiving and placing garments and films, the garments being placed on one of the heat presses and the film being located on the garment at the loading position; the plurality of heat presses configured to apply pressure and heat to films and garments to transfer images from respective film to a respective garment, wherein the conveying platform is further configured to ensure placement of the garments, with films located thereon, with respective ones of the heat presses, thereby to enable transfer of a respective image onto a respective garment in a respective position.

[0046] In embodiments, the heat presses are mobile heat presses being mobile on the conveying platform.

[0047] In embodiments, the heat presses are stationary, each one of the heat presses being loadable from a loading bay along the conveying platform.

[0048] In embodiments, the direct to film printer has a given printing speed of images per unit time and wherein the heat presses are provided in sufficient number to press a corresponding number of garments per the unit time, wherein the unit time is a length of time taken by garment loading, unloading and pressing operations.

[0049] In embodiments, at least some of the plurality of heat presses are set up for use with different textile materials or design.

[0050] In embodiments, the conveying platform comprises a carousel.

[0051] In embodiments, the conveying platform comprises a conveyor.

[0052] In embodiments, the conveyor is a circular conveyor.

[0053] In embodiments, the conveyor comprises a central conveying path along which pressing is carried out and at least one return path. Embodiments may comprise a cutting device for cutting the film into individual image film parts for placement on a garment.

[0054] Embodiments may comprise a placing device for placing a respective image film part on a predetermined location on a garment.

[0055] The printing device may be designed to place a temporary adhesive on the garment at locations not coinciding with the predetermined location.

[0056] The device may be designed to check a job instruction or a database to obtain the predetermined location and / or to obtain heat press parameters for execution of the job.

[0057] The device may be designed to check a job instruction or database to obtain printing parameters and to select one of the plurality of heat presses that is set up with corresponding printing parameters.

[0058] In embodiments, each one of the heat presses is configured to press and apply predetermined heat for a respectively predetermined amount of time and is further configured to open or disengage from the respective garment at the end of the respectively predetermined amount of time.

[0059] In embodiments, the conveying platform is preset such as to operate at a speed that provides a required time for transfer of the image as the respective garment travels from the loading position to an unloading position.

[0060] In embodiments, the preset is reconfigurable.

[0061] Embodiments may include a film remover to remove film from the garment after image transfer. The film remover may remove the film from a fixed position on the garment or remove the film from a specific location being variable over different print jobs.

[0062] Embodiments may include an automated garment placer and / or an automated garment remover, for respectively placing garments on and removing garments from the conveying platform.

[0063] The system may include at least one dryer, the dryer located to receive garments for drying from the heat presses. The dryer may be a belt dryer and / or is sized to dry garments from all of the heat presses in parallel and use of the dryer may mean that the time in the heat press is reduced. Where there is a dryer, the film remover may conveniently be located either at the input side to the dryer or after the exit from the dryer.

[0064] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a film for use with a direct to film printing system, comprising: a film substrate; an image printed on the substrate; and a temporary adhesive placed on the substrate at locations not coinciding with the image.

[0065] In embodiments, the temporary adhesive is transparent and volatile.

[0066] According to a third aspect of the present embodiment there is provided a printing method for garments comprising: printing images on film for transfer to garments providing a garment to a loading position for receiving garments; providing a respective film with an image to a predetermined location on the garment; providing the garment with the respective film to a first heat press; pressing the garment at the first heat press to apply pressure and heat to transfer images from the respective film to the respective garment; and providing further garments for image transfer at further heat presses, such that the image transfer is carried out at least at the image printing rate.

[0067] The method may include conveying the first and further presses on a conveying platform via the image loading position such that a press arrives at the loading position at the image printing rate.

[0068] The method may include conveying the garment from the garment loading position to an available press of a group of presses.

[0069] The method may include using a garment loader to load the garment at the garment loading position.

[0070] The method may include adding temporary adhesive to the respective film to firmly locate the film at the predetermined location.

[0071] In embodiments, the temporary adhesive comprises a transparent and volatile adhesive.

[0072] The method may include use of a film remover for removing the respective film from the garment after the pressing.

[0073] In embodiments, the first heat press is a first available heat press.

[0074] In embodiments, the first heat press is a heat press preset with parameters suitable for the garment.

[0075] Embodiments may involve printing the images at locations on the film corresponding to desired image positions on respective garments.

[0076] The method may comprise drying the garments after pressing.

[0077] According to a fourth embodiment of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for image transfer using heat, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of heat presses configured to apply pressure and heat to garments to transfer images from a film to a garment; and a conveying platform; wherein the conveying platform is configured to ensure placement of the garments, with films located thereon, with respective one of the heat presses, thereby to enable transfer of a respective image onto a respective garment.

[0078] The heat presses may be mobile heat presses being mobile on the conveying platform.

[0079] Alternatively, the heat presses may be stationary, each one of the heat presses being loadable from a loading bay along the conveying platform.

[0080] In embodiments, the conveying platform comprises a carousel to carry the heat presses.

[0081] Embodiments may include a dryer for drying garments from the plurality of heat presses.

[0082] Embodiments may include a film remover, positioned to remove the films from the garment. The film remover may conveniently be located preceding an input to the dryer or following an exit from the dryer.

[0083] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided an ink for powderless digital printing of an image onto a film for transfer to a textile, the ink comprising a dye and a binder, the binder being a polymeric adhesive binder for adhering the image onto the garment following pressing. The binder may be acrylic.

[0084] According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a printing method for garments comprising : printing an image onto a film using an ink as discussed above: at least partially drying the ink on the film; providing a garment; placing the film with the image onto a predetermined location on the garment ; pressing the garment at a first heat press to apply pressure and heat to transfer; and adhere the image onto the garment; and providing further heating or drying to the garment to dry and / or cure the ink.

[0085] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and / or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains. Although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments of the invention, exemplary methods and / or materials are described below. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will control. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be necessarily limiting.

[0086] Implementation of the method and / or system of embodiments of the invention can involve performing or completing control and print management tasks manually, automatically, or a combination thereof. Moreover, according to actual instrumentation and equipment of embodiments of the method and / or system of the invention, several selected tasks could be implemented by hardware, by software or by firmware or by a combination thereof using an operating system.

[0087] For example, hardware for performing selected tasks according to embodiments of the invention could be implemented as a chip or a circuit. As software, selected tasks according to embodiments of the invention could be implemented as a plurality of software instructions being executed by a computer using any suitable operating system. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, one or more tasks according to exemplary embodiments of method and / or system as described herein are performed by a data processor, such as a computing platform for executing a plurality of instructions. Optionally, the data processor includes a volatile memory for storing instructions and / or data and / or a non-volatile storage, for example, a magnetic hard-disk and / or removable media, for storing instructions and / or data. Optionally, a network connection is provided as well. A display and / or a user input device such as a keyboard or mouse are optionally provided as well.

[0088] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

[0089] Some embodiments of the invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the invention. In this regard, the description taken with the drawings makes apparent to those skilled in the art how embodiments of the invention may be practiced.

[0090] In the drawings:

[0091] FIG. 1 is a simplified flow diagram showing a conventional DTF printing process;

[0092] FIG. 2 is a simplified flow diagram showing a DTF printing process according to a first embodiment of the present invention in which films printed with an image by a printer are placed on garments and the garments are pressed using the next available heat press on a carousel to transfer the image;

[0093] FIG. 3 is a simplified diagram showing a variation of the embodiment of Fig. 2 using conveyor belts in place of a carousel;

[0094] FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram showing a further variation of the embodiment of Fig. 2 in which one conveyor belt feeds shirts and one conveyor belt feeds pallets and the two combine on a third conveyor where the heat pressing takes place;

[0095] FIG. 5 is a simplified diagram showing a yet further variation in which stationary heat presses are fed by conveyor belts and loading bays; FIG. 6 is a simplified diagram showing a cross section of a printed film for use with the present embodiments;

[0096] FIG. 7 is a simplified flow chart showing a DTF printing process according to embodiments of the present invention;

[0097] FIG. 8A is a simplified flow diagram showing a further variation of the DTF printing process of Fig 2 in which the printed films are cut into individual images and placed on the garments;

[0098] FIG. 8B is a simplified diagram illustrating a variation of the process of Fig. 8A in which the image is printed on a standard sized film and the whole film is placed in a standard position on the garment;

[0099] FIG. 9 is a simplified flow chart showing a conventional DTF printing process;

[0100] FIG. 10 is a simplified flow chart showing a DTF printing process according to embodiments of the present invention that uses powderless ink and adds a dryer to the process to reduce time in the heat presses;

[0101] FIG. 11 is a simplified flow chart showing a variation of the DTF printing process according to the present embodiments that also uses a dryer in a hybrid drying process that uses both a press and a dryer;

[0102] FIG. 12A - 12C are three simplified diagrams which respectively illustrate a standard DTF process, a process using multiple heat press units and a process using a single heat press and a belt dryer; and

[0103] FIG. 13 is a simplified diagram showing the carousel embodiment of Fig. 2 combined with a dryer for hybrid drying.

[0104] DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0105] As explained, the present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a direct to film printing process and apparatus for garment printing and, more particularly, but not exclusively, to a digital printing process that prints on film and then transfers the image from the film to the garment.

[0106] The present embodiments may provide a way to boost and reduce the cost of the printing process on media, particularly on textile, using the direct to film (DTF) technology by using powderless process based special adhesive ink and / or an efficient heat-press process to transfer the image from the film to the target media . The present embodiments may also be used for other processes, including printing processes, for garments, that uses heat presses, such as Direct to Garment, Direct to Fabric, dye sublimation transfer and other processes.

[0107] The present embodiments may thus enable a continuous and effective inline process with almost no human operator for most of the procedure, accordingly, reducing to a minimum the required manpower, which is usually the main bottleneck both in time and direct cost.

[0108] The present embodiments may use an ink formulation that can glue the printed image on the substrate without the need for any other addition to the process such as solids (e.g., melted powder) or liquids (e.g., jetable adhesive).

[0109] All current methods used to glue the printed image to the substrate ae based on additional materials, whether powder or liquids. The powder-based adhesion requires the additional, complicated, and expensive phase of covering the entire image with a very fine powder while the ink is still wet, then melt the powder and dry it. This process in considered to be non-sustainable, requires a high energy oven, creates a lot of waste and may even be dangerous due to the fine particles involved and their airborne characteristics. However using conventional glues is not practical since the ink has to be jetted through nozzles of a digital printhead, and glues are liable to cause blockages to the nozzles.

[0110] Recently developed jetable glue is however being used in a handful of systems, and is more reliable and effective. However, it too requires additional hardware, that is a specifically designed printhead, and requires the addition of the jetable glue to the ink formulation.

[0111] In the present embodiments, the ink itself may act as the gluing material after being applied by the printheads, without the need to add other materials or hardware. The ink includes a polymeric adhesive binder such as acrylic. The polymeric adhesive binder allows the image to adhere to the garment under pressure while able to be Jetted on a normal printhead as it is a waterbased dispersion of a polymer with particle size of less than 1 micron. Note that this does not apply to all acrylic substances, but rather specifically those that are jetable and have adhesive properties. Following pressing and initial adherence the ink is cured. In the ink curing process, cross linkers are activated and may result-in a robust polymer network which adheres firmly to the garment.

[0112] The present embodiments may integrate the heat press stage using an array of simple systems in a way that can make do with only one operator and so that the heat press stage is carried out in parallel with the rest of the process. Thus, the main bottlenecks of the process may be removed.

[0113] The print, powder, melting and cutting stages may also be automated for the inline system, and in fact, current arts support the printing, powdering, and melting stages but without the cutting stage. The cutting stage, that is, dividing the printed film, or roll, into specific parts for each garment, may be added as a following stage in the present embodiments without causing additional delays since the cutting process is relatively short and fast.

[0114] Embodiments may involve printing the image at the correct location, automated cutting of the film sheets for the specific application, loading the shirts and the printed sheets onto a multiple heat press system and then applying automated paper feeder and / or pick and place to position the cut sheets of film onto the target garment such as a shirt, with additional adhesive to keep the film attached to the media while the system is moving.

[0115] In most of the embodiments, multiple heat presses are used and move while the heatpressing is being carried out. Thus, the presses actually move on a carousel or a conveyor. Finally automated removal of the sheets after transfer and unloading of the garments may be provided for.

[0116] Considering the pressing stage in greater detail, the heat press is the last and the most timeconsuming stage in the process. Conventionally it is carried out using human operators, and usually in the current art one operator operates one heat-press unit. Since the heat press units are stationary, the operators are required to wait in position by their presses until the press is completed. In many cases this may take 10-30 seconds of idle and expensive waiting.

[0117] Regarding heat pressing it is noted that applying heat is needed for image transfer from the film to the garment. The temperature used may correspond with the powder melting point. The pressure is needed to improve the contact between the film / image and the garment, but the pressure may be very low, albeit for a longer time. The pressure to be applied may be as low as 15-30psi although higher pressures would normally be used to make the process faster, and ensure that the results do not suffer from short durability or bad wash resistance.

[0118] The present embodiments may provide for placing multiple heat-press units on a moving platform, such as a carousel or a conveyer, and moving them in a continuous manner while engaged and pressing the films and garments. Thus a single operator may then remain in one place, a single loading area, and supervise or carry out both loading of the garments and films and operating of the presses as they come past his station, or the loading may be carried out automatically, as will be explained hereinbelow. The printed film is placed on the shirt, either by the same operator or by a pick-and-place automated system, and the press units are closed while moving to the next station of the carousel. The operator may then place the next shirt on the following heat-press unit and continue the process repeatedly without wasteful idle time or having to move around.

[0119] Furthermore, since there are multiple heat press units and all of them are available to the operator at some point, the system may support different applications such as fabric type, garment type, film type, finished appearance, etc. and may allow for different setups, say different combinations of temperatures, times, or pressures; different types of transfer film substrates (PET, Vinyl), etc. by allocating each job to the correct preconfigured heat press unit with the specific setting for that job.

[0120] For example, some of the multiple heat press units may be assigned to cotton shirts and have a high temperature cotton setup (160-200C) for a longer time (15-60 seconds). Other units may be assigned to polyester shirts and have a different setup, such as a lower temperature (120- 130C) for a shorter time (10 seconds), or different pressure, and yet other units may be set up for more complex applications, such as baseball hats, or bags which usually require specific mechanical adapters and setups. Moreover, the different settings of each heat press may also be applied to control the finished appearance of the image and the garment. For example, for the faded or old look a setup of 170C for 10 seconds may be applied; for full colors, a setup of 185C for 10 seconds may be applied, for a glossy look a setup of 160C for 15 seconds may be applied and so forth. The operator may then load each media item onto its relevant preset heat press, without waiting or needing to change setups during the overall operation.

[0121] Garment and printed film loading and placing may be carried out by robot loaders through the system's controller, so that the operator merely supervises, or the robot loader may be dispensed with, in which case the operator may physically load the garment.

[0122] The present embodiments may provide a printing system for garments which comprises a direct to film printer to print images on film for transfer to garments, a conveying platform having a loading position for receiving the garments with the films being located thereon, and heat presses to apply pressure and heat to garments to transfer images from film to garment. The conveying platform places garments and films onto a currently available one of the heat presses, and the result is an inline system combining film printing and image transfer. The heat presses may be mobile with the conveying platform. The garments may be provided at the same rate as the printer prints individual images, and this may entail providing multiple presses.

[0123] Once the heat press time is over as preconfigured for the specific job, the system may automatically open and disengage the relevant heat press unit and peel the film off the image in accordance with the desired timing for hot or cold peeling. For example, if using a PET film, the peeling is usually done at room temperature, while when using a vinyl film, the peeling may be done at a relatively high temperature.

[0124] For purposes of better understanding some embodiments of the present invention, reference is first made to the construction and operation of a current, non-integrated, system as illustrated in Fig. 1. As explained in the background, using printer 10, an image is printed on a film 14, usually using a five or six-channel printer, for example with CMYK and White special stretchable inks, with the white layer printed las.

[0125] Powder may be applied evenly on the printed image and melted to act as an adhesive between the inks and the media fibres. The inks and powder are shown in 12.

[0126] The outcome of these steps is a printed film sheet 14, bearing a mirrored image and fixing adhesive, ready to be transferred to the shirt.

[0127] The film may be placed on a typically open heat-press machine 18, and optionally, one may pre-press the naked media for a few seconds to unify the fabric. The printed film is then placed on the media in the designated location, typically after it has been cut from the sheet 14, as a single sheet may bear designs for multiple garments. The printed image is then transferred onto the desired surface using heat-press machine 18 for 10-20 sec at temperatures of 140-160C. After cooling to the desired temperature, the film may be automatically or manually removed from the surface to leave behind image 16 on the garment.

[0128] Optionally, the heat-press may operate again directly on the printed image for 5- 15 sec to improve the hand-feel and wash and rub fastness of the finished result. It is noted that such a step requires a lower temperature than the transfer.

[0129] The operation of the heat press and the operation of the printer are not coordinated and do not occur on compatible timescales.

[0130] Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components and / or methods set forth in the following description and / or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0131] Reference is now made to Fig. 2, which illustrates a combined DTF printing and transferring machine 20 for printing on film and transferring to a garment according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0132] A direct-to film (DTF) printer 21, which prints the desired image at a predefined place onto a film, say to suit the desired position on the garment, is positioned in contact with a device 22 that cuts the film to a predefined size and form, feeds the cut film, and may also add temporary volatile adhesive to the film. Shirts are fed by a garment feeder, in this case shirt feeder 24, to a press 26 so that the garment arrives on the press and the cut film is placed on top in its designated location and fixed in position using the temporary adhesive. The combined shirt and film fixed thereon is carried by moving press 1 - 26 - around carousel 30. The press closes and proceeds to apply heat and transfer the image from the film to the garment. The heat melts the powder so as to adhere the inks of the image to the fibers of the garment. The press moves around the carousel and a sufficient number of heat presses, herein moving press 1... moving press n, are provided so that there is always a press available for a newly printed transfer at the typical rate of printing. Likewise, the carousel, in this case oval shaped, is preset according to the length and speed that provides the necessary time for transfer of the image as the garment travels from the shirt feeder to shirt unloader 32. This preset can be reconfigured easily to optimize the press and movement of each heat press unit to the desired parameters. Prior to unloading the shirt, now with the transferred image, a film remover 34 peels off the film.

[0133] In an embodiment, the film has a fixed size and position on the garment. The fixed size sheets are printed with the image already placed in the correct location on the sheet, so the sheet can be placed on the garment in a prefixed position and the image is printed in the desired position on the garment. This method obviates the need for flexible pick & place mechanism since the sheet is always loaded at the same position, and thus simplifies the automation of the loading stage. For example it allows a standard paper feeder to load the sheets onto the garment.

[0134] Alternatively, the film sheets are filled with images, and are cut automatically, either immediately or at any time after the print and powdering are completed, from the film sheet or roll of film. The cutting may be based on specified locations on the film, and the cut images are placed accurately at specified locations on garments.

[0135] In either case, the printed films are picked and placed, or fed, on the shirts automatically, preferably while the temporary adhesive is still wet. If necessary, additional adhesive may be added to prevent movement of the film on the garment.

[0136] Usually, the heat press is performed in-line with the DTF printing. The heat press time is longer than the printing, cutting and placement time but due to the pressing time being spread over the motion of the carousel, the heat press does not form a bottleneck for the process.

[0137] The heat press systems continue to move during their engagement with the carousel.

[0138] After a heat press system is disengaged, the film may be removed from the garment manually or automatically. In the embodiment in which the film has a standard size and shape and the image is printed in its predefined location, removal may be carried out with a simple peeler, regardless of the image position on the garment. In the embodiment in which images are cut and placed in desired positions, a more complex peeler may adjust in each case to the specific image and film position on the garment.

[0139] The process is applicable to any print method that requires a heat press as a separate stage, including vinyl, and sublimation processes, etc. Currently most systems for mass production of DTF produce a roll, or a large sheet, with multiple images side by side on the same film. Then the large rolls are cut to the separate sheets that in turn are allocated to the specific shirts.

[0140] As discussed, one embodiment may provide for printing the images on standard size sheets. The images are printed in a specific location to correspond with their final locations on the garment. The embodiment enables placing of standard sheets in standard positions, and in turn, such a standard placement simplifies the sheet loading and peeling procedures. The embodiment obviates the need for specific accurate placement.

[0141] The present embodiments may provide for cutting the sheets as part of the overall production process before placing them on the shirts. There are a few technologies to cut the sheets such as an accurate knife, laser, chemicals, etc.

[0142] Once there are cut sheets ready to be transferred to the target shirt, the present embodiments may provide an automatic, or manual pick-and-place process, where the target garment is first mounted on the heat press unit and then the printed and pre-cut film is placed on the target at a designated location as derived by the process controller from the image location on the film sheet. The system database holds the job instructions and may communicate to the loader to indicate the desired location on the garment to place the image. The location of the sheet on the garment can be either at the final image location if the image is printed in the middle of the sheet, or at a constant location (if the image is printed in the specific location on the sheet). The loader may be either an automatic robot or a human operator. Thus, the pick-and-place process may allow for a synchronized, timely and accurate option for loading the garments and the film onto the heat press unit.

[0143] When performing the sheet placing, optionally by paper feeder or using a pick and place procedure, the cut sheet with the transfer may be expected to remain in the same location on the shirt, especially if the heat press moves before it is closed or engaged. One way to achieve this is to place the cut sheet on the shirt soon after the powder melting occurs, so the powder layer is still sticky. This may give a working window of 10-20 seconds. A second way to achieve this, particularly, if the cut sheet is already dry and not sticky enough, is to add a transparent and volatile adhesive to the non-printed areas of the cut film before placing it in the shirt. The adhesive may keep the sheet in place for the short period before the press is engaged, and being volatile may disappear as no longer needed. The transparent and volatile adhesive is herein referred to as temporary adhesive. Reference is now made to Fig. 3, which is a simplified diagram of a variation 40 of the machine of Fig. 2, in which a conveyor is used in place of a carousel. Parts that are the same as in Fig. 2 are given the same reference numerals.

[0144] A direct-to film (DTF) printer 21, which prints the desired image onto a film in a designated or an automatically defined location, is located in contact with a device 22 that cuts and feeds the film, and also adds temporary adhesive. Shirts are fed by a garment feeder, in this case shirt feeder 24 to a press 26 so that the garment arrives on the press and the cut film is placed on top and fixed in position using the temporary adhesive. The combined shirt and film fixed thereon is carried by moving press 1 - 26 - around conveyor 42. The press closes and proceeds to apply heat and transfer the image from the film to the garment. The heat melts the powder so as to adhere the inks of the image to the fibers of the garment. The press moves around the conveyor 40 and a sufficient number of heat presses, moving press 1... moving press n, are provided so that there is always a press available for a newly printed transfer. Once the pressing time is over, as required by each job, the relevant heat presses are opened, or disengaged to avoid over-pressing and save energy. Likewise the conveyor is designed with a length and speed that provides sufficient time for transfer of the image as the garment travels from the shirt feeder to shirt unloader 32. Prior to unloading the shirt, now with the transferred image, film remover 34 peels off the film. The conveyor may include two 180 degree turns as the presses are returned to the shirt feeder position.

[0145] Reference is now made to Fig. 4, which is a simplified diagram showing a further variation 50 of the machine of Fig. 2. Again, similar parts are given the same reference numerals.

[0146] A direct-to film (DTF) printer 21, which prints the desired image onto a film in a standard, designated or an automatically defined location, is located in contact with a device 22 that cuts and feeds the film, and also adds temporary adhesive. Shirts are fed by a garment feeder, in this case shirt feeder 24 to a pallet 51, and then film is placed on the garment on the pallet by film feeder 22. Moving press 26 then engages the pallet 51, with the shirt, on combined conveyor 52, so that the garment arrives at the press with the cut film placed on top and fixed in position using the temporary adhesive. Numeral 58 indicates the pallet with the press engaging the shirt, and numeral 60 indicates the pallet with the press fully engaged. The combined shirt and film fixed thereon is carried with the moving press 26 - along combined conveyor 52 to shirt unloader 32. The press closes and proceeds to apply heat and transfer the image from the film to the garment. The heat melts the powder so as to adhere the inks of the image to the fibers of the garment. The press moves along the combined conveyor 52 and a sufficient number of heat presses, moving press 1...moving press n are provided so that there is always a press available for a newly printed transfer. Once the pressing is over, as required by each job, the relevant heat presses are opened, or disengaged to avoid over pressing and save energy. Likewise, the combined conveyor 52 is designed with a length and speed that allows for transfer of the image as the garment travels from the shirt feeder to shirt unloader 32. Prior to unloading the shirt, now with the transferred image, film remover 34 peels off the film. The pallet 51 then returns via pallet return conveyor 54 and the moving press returns via heat press return conveyor 56.

[0147] Reference is now made to Fig. 5 in which a variant 70 has stationary presses and loaders for each. Direct-to film (DTF) printer 21 prints the desired image onto a film in a designated location as before, and is in contact with a device 22 that cuts and feeds the film, and also adds temporary adhesive. Shirts are fed by a garment feeder, in this case shirt feeder 24 to a pallet 51, and then film is placed on the garment on the pallet by film feeder 22. The pallet 51, with the shirt, is then conveyed along conveyor 72, to one of several loading bays 74. From the loading bay the garment is picked up by the appropriate loader 76. 1...76.4 and placed in any one of presses 78.1...78.n. A special application press 80 may optionally be provided.

[0148] The garment thus arrives at the press with the cut film placed on top and fixed in position using the temporary adhesive. The press closes and proceeds to apply heat and transfer the image from the film to the garment. The heat melts the powder so as to adhere the inks of the image to the fibers of the garment.

[0149] After pressing, the pallet is reloaded at the loading bay and carried by the conveyor 72 to unloading bay 79 and shirt unloader 32. Once the pressing is over, as required by each job, the relevant heat presses are opened, or disengaged to avoid over pressing and save energy. A sufficient number of heat presses are provided so that there is always a press available for a newly printed transfer. Prior to unloading the shirt, now with the transferred image, film remover 34 peels off the film.

[0150] Reference is now made to Fig. 6, which is a simplified diagram illustrating a film 90 after printing by the DTF printer 21. Film substrate 91, for example a PET substrate may be used, is printed with image 92, which includes inks and powder as explained above. Temporary adhesive 94 is adhered to the film outside of the printed areas. As discussed hereinabove, the temporary adhesive may be a transparent and volatile adhesive so that it does not leave marks on the garment and evaporates once the pressing process has begun.

[0151] Reference is now made to Fig. 7, which is a simplified flow chart of a printing method for garments according to the present embodiments. In the method, images are printed on film in a designated location and cut for transfer to garments. The printing 100 of the image onto the film is done by the DTF printer at an image printing rate appropriate to the given printer. A garment is now provided 110 to a loading position for receiving garments on a conveyor or directly at a heat press unit. The film from the DTF printer with an image for the given garment is placed 120 on a given location on the garment. Then an available heat press unit is selected or set to apply the correct parameters to the specific garment and image. Then the garment with the film is provided to the selected, or next, available heat press and pressed 130 to apply pressure and heat to transfer the image from the film to the garment. Then the heat press is opened 140 and moves to a peeling and unloading station. The process is repeated 150 with further garments and additional presses so that image transfer is carried out at the same rate or at faster rate as the images are printed.

[0152] Reference is now made to Figs. 8A and 8B, which are two simplified flow charts of two variations of the printing method for garments according to the present embodiments, with two different embodiments relating to the way in which the image is printed on the film, and the film is subsequently placed on the garment thereof. Fig. 8A shows printing, using a DTF printer 200A with arbitrary printing location 210A. Multiple images are printed on the film, for multiple garments and the film is cut to obtain the individual images 220A. The cut images are then placed accurately on the garment 230A at the location on which the image is intended to appear. The image is pressed using heat press 240A and finally the film is peeled from its specific location 250A to obtain the final printed shirt 260.

[0153] Fig. 8B shows the printing, using a DTF printer 200B. The garment has the same specific printing location 210B. However the film is a standard size 220B, and is not cut, or cut to a smaller standard size; for example from Al size sheet to eight A4 size sheets. The image is printed in advance on the film at the location corresponding to the desired image position on the garment. The film is placed on the garment in a fixed location 230B, and pressed as before using heat press 240B and is finally peeled from its standard location 250B to obtain the final printed shirt 260. The use of standard size films allows for greater automation and improves the process by allowing for the use of industry-standard feeders and / or peelers.

[0154] The present embodiments may provide an apparatus, a method or a process for DTF printing, that enables the inclusion of the heat press stage as an inline and integral part of the production process. The integration uses multiple heat press units and in embodiments these are mounted on a moving platform that enables the heat press units to move while they are engaged and heat-pressing the garments with the DTF films. In alternative embodiments the heat press units may be stationary and the garment feeder moves instead. The present embodiments may thus allow for multiple applications, meaning different fabric types, garment types, number of printed images and designs, etc. each with different setups, in respect of heat press temperature, press time and pressure, etc. all on the same system. The present embodiments may provide an apparatus, a method, and a process for DTF printing, that combines the heat press stage with a dryer. The heat press with dryer may be provided inline and integrated with the rest of the process. The integration may use single or multiple heat press units, either stationary or moving on a carousal or a conveyer as described above in any of the Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, to initially adhere the image to the garment by applying heat and pressure for a relatively short time. The heat press units may then be integrated with one or more textile dryers, such as a hot air belt dryer, to finalize the adherence and the drying of the garment with the printed image. A belt dryer is a common and modular hardware item used in many textile printing facilities, such as screen and direct to garment printing, and may easily be integrated into the previous stages in the DTF manufacturing process, either manually or automatically. Moreover, the dryer may operate continuously and may support almost any production rate. More particularly, the production rate of the dryer may be determined by the width and / or length of the dryer, so that a larger dryer provides a greater drying capacity and vice versa.

[0155] The present embodiments may provide an apparatus for a high throughput mass production DTF printing with no more than one human operator;

[0156] The present embodiments may thus allow for a more efficient and productive DTF process and apparatus.

[0157] In the present embodiments the combination of heat press units with a dryer may incorporate the following stages.

[0158] 1. Printing the image on a film - first the colored image and then the white layer

[0159] 2. Applying melting powder on the printed image or printing an additional white layer with special ink as discussed herein, both options being supported by the embodiments.

[0160] 3. Placing the film on a substrate (e.g., a garment) and heat pressing for a short time (e.g., for 5 sec, @ 120C)

[0161] 4. Optionally peeling the film

[0162] 5. Curing and drying the inks in a dryer (e.g., for 6 min, @ 160C)

[0163] 6. Optionally peeling the film (if not performed in stage 4)

[0164] As noted above, the heat press is only used for a relatively short amount of time, five seconds in the above example, whereas in the other embodiments the heat press may be used for up to twenty seconds and in the prior art times of 60 seconds may be encountered. The process may continue using a standard dryer that can operate continuously, such as a hot-air belt dryer, and therefore does not introduce any bottlenecks or additional delays to the process.

[0165] Let us say that printing the images on a film using a specific printer, e.g., a 1 meter wide, R2R Sublistar printer, with a maximum speed of 15m2 / hr, may print approximately 250 A4 sheets per hour, that in turn may be transferred to 250 shirts.

[0166] In this example, we assume that powdering, melting, and cutting the rolls into separate sheets may be done in parallel with printing, and hence does not slow the process. The implication is that there are 250 sheets ready to transfer every hour.

[0167] The loading and unloading onto and from a heat-press system of each printed sheet and shirt may take approximately 10 seconds, however the initial transfer time in the heat press is now only 5 seconds instead of approx. 20 seconds in the heat press only example.

[0168] Thus, the overall transfer time for one heat press is approximately 15 sec, or the speed of one heat-press system is approximately 240 shirt per hour, similar to the printer's pace. The shirts are further transferred to the belt dryer to complete the transfer and for curing and drying for approx. 5 minutes. A dryer with a throughput of 250 @ 5 min. shirts per hour is very common in the textile printing industry; for example, Adelco's Dual Smart dryers' family, and many others.

[0169] Accordingly, to provide maximum capacity, a single heat-press system may be combined with a belt dryer to transfer the images at the rate they are being printed, and thus complete the job with excellent utilization.

[0170] Attention is also drawn to two optional stages for peeling the film from the image and garment. One option is to carry out the peeling after the heat press and the initial adherence, and second option is to carry out the peeling after the dryer and the final drying. A production line may be provided with flexibility to perform the peeling at either stage, as more suitable and effective.

[0171] Reference is now made to Figs. 9, 10 and 11, which are three simplified flow charts of three variations of a printing method for garments according to the present embodiments. The figures show three different embodiments relating to the way in which the adhesive ink is applied on the printed image and the way the printed image is adhered to the garment.

[0172] Fig. 9 illustrates a process according to the earlier embodiments herein, with powder-based adhesive. Fig. 10 shows the process without powder and with the ink itself acting as the gluing layer. Attention is made here to stage 320A in Fig 9 of adding the powder to the image and melting the powder. Such a stage is not included in Fig. 10 as the ink applied in stage 310A already includes all materials required to glue the image to the substrate. As a result, the entire process described in Fig. 10 is simpler than the one described in Fig. 9 and the finished product is thinner with better hand-feel and durability. Fig. 11 illustrates an embodiment in which a heat press is used for the initial part of the process of transferring the image, followed by a longer drying process in a standard textile inline belt dryer, which may provide a final drying stage. The combination may allow for a considerable reduction in the heat press duration, thus further reducing, or even eliminating the standard bottleneck in the process usually introduced by the heat press step.

[0173] Referring now to Fig. 9, the color image and a white undercoat are printed onto a thin film - 310. Powder is spread on the ink layers and heat is applied to melt the powder - 320. If required, the film is cut into the appropriate sized images - 330. The sheet, cut or otherwise is placed on the garment - 340. A heat press is applied to the film and the garment - 350, and finally the film is removed -360.

[0174] Referring now to Fig. 10, the color image and the white ink with the polymeric binder, are printed onto the thin film - 370. The printed film is partially dried - 380 to allow its positioning face-down on the garment, and if required the film is cut to the relevant size - 390. The film is placed on the garment - 400 and a heat press is then applied, with the film present, to transfer the image onto the garment- 410. The film is then removed - 420, and the garment is then cured or dried 430 to evaporate excessive fluids and finalize the cross-linkage of the inks to stabilize the print.

[0175] Referring now to Fig. 11, the color image is printed onto the thin film 450 with or without a white layer ink with the polymeric binder. Optionally the printed film is partially dried, or a powder is applied on the image 460 to allow its positioning face-down on the garment, and if required the film is cut to the relevant size 470. The film is placed on the garment 480 and a heat press is then applied for a short time, with the film present, to initialize the transfer of the image onto the garment 490. The film is then removed 500a, and the garment is dried in a dryer 510 to complete the adherence process and then evaporate excessive fluids and finalize the cross-linkage of the inks to stabilize the print. Alternatively, the film may be removed after the dryer, as illustrated by 500b.

[0176] Reference is now made to Figs. 12A, 12B and 12C, which show a simplified comparison between the method according to the prior art in Fig. 12A and two methods according to the present embodiments in Figs 12B and 12C

[0177] In Fig. 12A the DTF printer 700 provides a printed film 710A, with powder-based adhesive. The film with adhesive is placed on a garment 720A. The garment, with the film and the adhesive, is then placed in a heat press unit 730A for about 60 seconds; then the film is peeled and the printed garment 750A is ready. In Fig. 12B the DTF printer 700 provides multiple printed films 710B, with either powder or powderless adhesive, and these films are placed on multiple garments 720B. The garments with the films are placed together in multiple moving or stationary heat press units 730B for about 60 seconds; then the films are peeled and multiple printed garments 750B are ready.

[0178] In Fig. 12C the DTF printer 700 provides multiple printed films 710B, with either powder or powderless adhesive, and these films are placed on multiple garments 720B that are in turn placed one at a time in single or multiple moving or stationary heat press units 730C for about 5 seconds. Then the garments with the films now initially glued, move into a high throughput belt dryer for a few minutes. Then the films are peeled and multiple printed garments 750C are provided on a continuous basis.

[0179] Attention is drawn to the fact that in the prior art process shown in Fig. 12A the heat press unit becomes a bottleneck to the entire process since the heat press stage takes longer than any other stage and must be carried out before the next stage is possible. In the process shown in Fig. 12B the bottleneck is reduced by using multiple heat press units simultaneously for the same duration of time. In the process shown in Fig 12C the bottleneck is reduced or even eliminated by combining the heat press unit for a short duration of time with a continuous high throughput belt dryer, so the process comes the closest to providing full production continuity and utilization.

[0180] Reference is now made to Fig. 13, which is a simplified diagram illustrating a variation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 in which a dryer 160 is added after the carousel 20.

[0181] A direct-to film (DTF) printer 21, which prints the desired image at a predefined place onto a film and adds and melts powder if applicable, is positioned in contact with a device 22 that cuts the film to a predefined size and form, feeds the cut film, and may also add temporary volatile adhesive to the film. Shirts are fed by a garment feeder, in this case shirt feeder 24, to a press 26 so that the garment arrives on the press and the cut film is placed on top in its designated location and fixed in position using the temporary adhesive if applicable.

[0182] The heat press stage is carried out in the same manner as explained in Fig. 2 using a carousel, but variations may be provided according to the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. However, attention is drawn to the fact that in the present embodiment, a considerably shorter time is required in the heat press stations, thus less heat press units are needed for the same overall production throughput.

[0183] After the heat press system is disengaged, the film may be removed from the garment manually or automatically. In the embodiment the shirt with the printed image is unloaded from the heat press unit, either manually or automatically, to the dryer 160 for final drying and curing until the shirt 170 is ready and exits the dryer. The present embodiments may cut, pick and place the sheets on the targets, while the sheets, cut or otherwise, are still wet and sticky or with additional adhesive that retain the sheets on the media while the system is moving

[0184] As noted above, embodiments may use ink which is both powderless and glue-less, by using a white ink with a polymeric adhesive binder that acts as a gluing material. Such a binder may for example be acrylic.

[0185] In the present embodiments, the powderless DTF process may include the following stages.

[0186] 1. Printing the image on a film - first the colored image and then the white layer (if applicable) with special ink

[0187] 2. Drying the film (e.g., for 2 min, @ 1 IOC)

[0188] 3. Placing the film on a substrate (e.g., a garment) and heat pressing (e.g., for 20 sec, @ 120C)

[0189] 4. Peeling of the film

[0190] 6. Curing the inks in a dryer (e.g., for 6 min, @ 160C)

[0191] Attention is to the fact that the process does not require any additional step for the adhesive, as it uses the ink itself for this purpose.

[0192] It is expected that during the life of a patent maturing from this application many relevant DTF printing technologies will be developed and the scope of the this and other terms are intended to include all such new technologies a priori.

[0193] The terms "comprises", "comprising", "includes", "including", “having” and their conjugates mean "including but not limited to".

[0194] The term “consisting of’ means “including and limited to”.

[0195] As used herein, the singular form "a", "an" and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0196] It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment and the present description is to be construed as if such embodiments are explicitly set forth herein. Conversely, various features of the invention, which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination or may be suitable as a modification for any other described embodiment of the invention and the present description is to be construed as if such separate embodiments, subcombinations and modified embodiments are explicitly set forth herein. Certain features described in the context of various embodiments are not to be considered essential features of those embodiments, unless the embodiment is inoperative without those elements. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims. All publications, patents and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference into the specification, to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated herein by reference. In addition, citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention. To the extent that section headings are used, they should not be construed as necessarily limiting. In addition, any priority document(s) of this application is / are hereby incorporated herein by reference in its / their entirety.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A printing system for garments comprising: a direct to film printer configured to print images on a film for transfer to garments; a conveying platform and a plurality of heat presses, the conveying platform having a loading position, for receiving and placing garments and films, said garments being placed on one of said heat presses and said film being located on said garment at said loading position; said plurality of heat presses configured to apply pressure and heat to films and garments to transfer images from respective film to a respective garment, wherein the conveying platform is further configured to ensure placement of said garments, with films located thereon, with respective ones of said heat presses, thereby to enable transfer of a respective image onto a respective garment in a respective position.

2. The printing system of claim 1, wherein said heat presses are mobile heat presses being mobile on said conveying platform.

3. The printing system of claim 1, wherein said heat presses are stationary, each one of said heat presses being loadable from a loading bay along said conveying platform.

4. The printing system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein said direct to film printer has a given printing speed of images per unit time and wherein said heat presses are provided in sufficient number to press a corresponding number of garments per said unit time, wherein said unit time is a length of time taken by garment loading, unloading and pressing operations.

5. The printing system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least some of said plurality of heat presses are set up for use with different textile materials or design.

6. The printing system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveying platform comprises a carousel.

7. The printing system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the conveying platform comprises a conveyor.

8. The printing system of claim 7, wherein the conveyor is a circular conveyor.

9. The printing system of claim 7, wherein the conveyor comprises a central conveying path along which pressing is carried out and at least one return path.

10. The printing system of any one of the preceding claims, comprising a cutting device for cutting said film into individual image film parts for placement on a garment.

11. The printing system of claim 10, comprising a placing device for placing a respective image film part on a predetermined location on a garment.

12. The printing system of claim 11, configured to place a temporary adhesive on the garment at locations not coinciding with said predetermined location.

13. The printing system of claim 11, configured to check a job instruction or a database to obtain said predetermined location and / or to obtain heat press parameters for execution of said job.

14. The printing system of any one of the preceding claims, configured to check a job instruction or database to obtain printing parameters and to select one of said plurality of heat presses that is set up with corresponding printing parameters.

15. The printing system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein each one of said heat presses is configured to press and apply predetermined heat for a respectively predetermined amount of time and is further configured to open or disengage from said respective garment at the end of said respectively predetermined amount of time.

16. The printing system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveying platform is preset such as to operate at a speed that provides a required time for transfer of the image as the respective garment travels from the loading position to an unloading position.

17. The printing system of claim 16, wherein said preset is reconfigurable.

18. The printing system of any one of the preceding claims, comprising a film remover configured to remove film from said garment after image transfer, said film remover beingconfigured to remove said film from a fixed position on said garment or to remove said film from a specific location being variable over different print jobs.

19. The printing system of any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one of an automated garment placer and automated garment remover, for respectively placing garments on and removing garments from said conveying platform.

20. The printing system of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one dryer, the dryer located to receive garments for drying from said heat presses.

21. The printing system of claim 20, wherein said dryer is a belt dryer and / or is sized to dry garments from all of said heat presses in parallel.

22. The printing system of claim 20 or claim 21, comprising a film remover, positioned to remove said films from said garment, wherein said device film remover is located at one member of the group of positions comprising preceding an input to said dryer and following an exit from said dryer.

23. A film for use with a direct to film printing system, comprising: a film substrate; an image printed on the substrate; and a temporary adhesive placed on the substrate at locations not coinciding with said image.

24. The film of claim 23, wherein the temporary adhesive is transparent and volatile.

25. A printing method for garments comprising: printing images on film for transfer to garments providing a garment to a loading position for receiving garments; providing a respective film with an image to a predetermined location on said garment; providing said garment with said respective film to a first heat press; pressing said garment at said first heat press to apply pressure and heat to transfer images from said respective film to said respective garment; and providing further garments for image transfer at further heat presses, such that said image transfer is carried out at least at said image printing rate.

26. The printing method of claim 25, comprising conveying said first and further presses on a conveying platform via said image loading position such that a press arrives at said loading position at said image printing rate.

27. The printing method of claim 25, comprising conveying said garment from said garment loading position to an available press of a group of presses.

28. The printing method of any one of claims 25 to 27, comprising using a garment loader to load said garment at said garment loading position.

29. The printing method of any one of claims 25 to 28, comprising adding temporary adhesive to said respective film to firmly locate said film at said predetermined location.

30. The printing method of claim 26, wherein said temporary adhesive comprises a transparent and volatile adhesive.

31. The printing method of any one of claims 25 to 30, comprising a film remover for removing said respective film from said garment after said pressing.

32. The printing method of any one of claims 25 to 31, wherein said first heat press is a first available heat press.

33. The printing method of any one of claims 25 to 32, wherein said first heat press is a heat press preset with parameters suitable for said garment.

34. The printing method of any one of claims 25 to 33, comprising printing said images at locations on said film corresponding to desired image positions on respective garments.

35. The printing method of any one of claims 25 to 34, further comprising drying said garments after pressing.

36. An apparatus for image transfer using heat, the apparatus comprising:a plurality of heat presses configured to apply pressure and heat to garments to transfer images from a film to a garment; and a conveying platform; wherein said conveying platform is configured to ensure placement of said garments, with films located thereon, with respective one of said heat presses, thereby to enable transfer of a respective image onto a respective garment.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said heat presses are mobile heat presses being mobile on said conveying platform.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said heat presses are stationary, each one of said heat presses being loadable from a loading bay along said conveying platform.

39. The apparatus of claim 36 or 37, wherein the conveying platform comprises a carousel.

40. The apparatus of any one of claims 36 to 39, further comprising a dryer for drying garments from said plurality of heat presses.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, comprising a film remover, positioned to remove said films from said garment, wherein said film remover is located at one member of the group of positions comprising preceding an input to said dryer and following an exit from said dryer.

42. An ink for powderless digital printing of an image onto a film for transfer to a textile, the ink comprising a dye and a binder, the binder being a polymeric adhesive binder for adhering the image onto the garment following pressing.

43. The ink of claim 42, wherein the binder is acrylic.

44. A printing method for garments comprising : printing an image onto a film using an ink according to claim 42; at least partially drying said ink on said film; providing a garment; placing said film with said image onto a predetermined location on said garment ; pressing said garment at a first heat press to apply pressure and heat to transfer; andadhere said image onto said garment; and providing further heating or drying to said garment to dry and / or cure said ink.

Images