TRANSFER PRINTING SYSTEM
A transfer printing system includes an ink-jet printer, a transfer-surface, and a transfer-mechanism. The ink-jet printer dispenses jettable-material in a pattern. The transfer-surface accumulates the pattern which is subsequently transferred to a substrate. The substrate is characterized by a non-uniform surface. The transfer-mechanism moves the transfer-surface containing the pattern of jettable-material into contact with the substrate whereby the pattern of jettable-material is transferred from the transfer-surface to the substrate.
1 . A transfer printing system, said system comprising:
an ink-jet printer that dispenses jettable-material in a pattern; and
a transfer-surface that accumulates the pattern which is subsequently transferred to a substrate, wherein the jettable-material is a conductive-material, the conductive-material formulated for electric-circuits.
2 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the pattern of jettable-material includes a plurality of colors.
3 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the substrate is characterized by a non-uniform surface.
4 . (canceled)
5 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the transfer-surface includes a flexible-pad, wherein the ink-jet printer dispenses the pattern of jettable-material onto the flexible-pad, and the system includes a transfer-mechanism that moves the flexible-pad containing the pattern of jettable-material into contact with the substrate and then retracts the flexible-pad from the substrate, whereby the pattern of jettable-material is transferred from the flexible-pad to the substrate.
6 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the transfer-surface includes a flexible-membrane, wherein the ink-jet printer dispenses the pattern of jettable-material onto the flexible-membrane, and the system includes a transfer-mechanism that wraps the flexible-membrane containing the pattern of jettable-material about the substrate and then unwraps the flexible-membrane from the substrate, whereby the pattern of jettable-material is transferred from the flexible-membrane to the substrate.
7 . The system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the transfer-surface includes a liquid-bath, wherein the ink-jet printer dispenses the pattern of jettable-material onto the liquid-bath, and the system includes a transfer-mechanism that dips the substrate into the liquid-bath containing the pattern of jettable-material and then removes the substrate from the liquid-bath, whereby the pattern of jettable-material is transferred from the liquid-bath to the substrate.
8 . A method of transfer printing, comprising:
providing a transfer-surface that accumulates a pattern of jettable-material;
dispensing, with an ink-jet printer, the pattern of jettable-material onto the transfer-surface;
providing a substrate; and
transferring, with a transfer-mechanism, the pattern of jettable-material from the transfer-surface to the substrate, wherein the jettable-material is a conductive-material, the conductive-material formulated for electric-circuits.
9 . The method in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the pattern of jettable-material includes a plurality of colors.
10 . The method in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the substrate is characterized by a non-uniform surface.
11 . (canceled)
12 . The method in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the transfer-surface includes a flexible-pad, wherein the ink-jet printer dispenses the pattern of jettable-material onto the flexible-pad, and the step of transferring includes moving, with the transfer-mechanism, the flexible-pad containing the pattern of jettable-material into contact with the substrate and then retracting the flexible-pad from the substrate, whereby the pattern of jettable-material is transferred from the flexible-pad to the substrate.
13 . The method in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the transfer-surface includes a flexible-membrane, wherein the ink-jet printer dispenses the pattern of jettable-material onto the flexible-membrane, and the step of transferring includes wrapping, with the transfer-mechanism, the flexible-membrane containing the pattern of jettable-material about the substrate and then unwrapping the flexible-membrane from the substrate, whereby the pattern of jettable-material is transferred from the flexible-membrane to the substrate.
14 . The method in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the transfer-surface includes a liquid-bath, wherein the ink-jet printer dispenses the pattern of jettable-material onto the liquid-bath, and the step of transferring includes dipping, with the transfer-mechanism, the substrate into the liquid-bath containing the pattern of jettable-material and then removing the substrate from the liquid-bath, whereby the pattern of jettable-material is transferred from the liquid-bath to the substrate.