Is it printing, stamping, or....? I just learned the process of flock transfers, and realized I dont have the capabilty of it yet since I don't have a vinyl cutter. I am offering screenprinting and graphic design, and would like to offer as much as I can and would like to know how I can learn to print foil. Thanks.
Both can be screenprinted. You screenprint the design with adhesive, then heat press the foil or flock onto the adhesive, peel and only the design remains. You can use an iron if you want, but a press is easier and gives more reliable results.
You can also do it with a plotter, but you don't have to do it that way.
FYI - Rutland recently released a new product called X-Glue and a Release Agent that you add to your plastisol inks for a better product. The Release Agent goes into all the screens / colors that you don't want the foil to stick to. The X-Glue goes into the screens / colors that you do want the foil to stick to. This way you don't have to use waterbased inks (which don't act like an adhesive to foil) for the colors you don't want the foil to stick to.
FYI - Rutland recently released a new product called X-Glue and a Release Agent that you add to your plastisol inks for a better product. The Release Agent goes into all the screens / colors that you don't want the foil to stick to. The X-Glue goes into the screens / colors that you do want the foil to stick to. This way you don't have to use waterbased inks (which don't act like an adhesive to foil) for the colors you don't want the foil to stick to.
Wilflex also has this additive. http://www.polyone.com/bizunit/inks/...tive%20PIB.pdf
For traditional application get a printable adhesive. International Coatings Plasticol Foil Transfer Adhesive 3801LF works well. We tint the base with a pigments close to the color of the foil. This helps if any small areas do not get good transfer of the foil.
its that easy? screen print design with adhesive and than heat press? I've only seen rolls of flock material, are their loose flock fibers where I can just dump onto a shirt and heatpress, than reuse the unused portion of the fibers for a next shirt? A website to buy this stuff? Websites showing steps for flocking and foil? I can't find any tutorials.
Flocking uses special equipment. If you want flock I would suggest using flocking transfers. I believe there are some specialty inks that will mimic flocking yet its not the same thing
Printing foil adhesive is just like printing regular ink. You Print, run through the dryer and than heat press the foil onto the shirt. It will stick to the adhesive and any plasticol inks printed on the shirt unless you use the modifiers with the plasticols.
I learned this information from Sean Roeder at Roeder Industries (www.roederindustries.com). They don't have any tutorials online that I know of. Maybe later down the road. They sell the Crown Leaf Roll foil - which has a ton of designs and colors to choose from. Yes, the foil comes on a roll. The plastisol ink is an adhesive in itself, but the products above either increase the strength of adhesive or take it way. Take your screen printed and cured designed over to your heat press --> put the foil over the part that you want to have it to --> press and peel. That is the steps. Hope it helps.
Also note, when you screen print the Adhesive you need to cure it partially or fully doesn't matter so when your moving your shirt around you don't get adhesive all over the place.
We cure our adhesive shirts just like we do our normal screen printed inks, this way we have no issues. we have had great results with the foil.
one more thing, foil is COLD peel, if you pull it off while the shirt is still hot you will not get a clean looking foil. try it both ways to see what I am talking about, we learned by doing as we didn't know about these forums when we started.
Just to ask a clarifying question: I thought you could do flock (with screenprinting) in the same way as foil, but I haven't actually done it (foil yes, flock no). It sounds like I was mistaken? Would you just use suede inks to imitate, or...?
Just to ask a clarifying question: I thought you could do flock (with screenprinting) in the same way as foil, but I haven't actually done it (foil yes, flock no). It sounds like I was mistaken? Would you just use suede inks to imitate, or...?
I also thought they sold loose flock fibers (where you would use like standard kids glitter= where you put glue and dump the glitter until it sticks) for screen printing flock. They have suede inks?
Yes true flocking uses loose flock. You print an adhesive (or something like that0 , shake the flock onto the shirt than you have to use an electrostatic wand to get the flock to stand up. I have only read a little about this so I might not have it totally correct. I do know it is a major process.
Try a google search for textile flocking, screen pritin flocking.
I agree with Fluid that the loose flock takes more work or an expensive equipment to do the work for you. Here is a link to one of M&R's products that uses the loose flock. There is a video that shows the machine off - not necessarily the how-to process.
How do I "print" foil? 
