BREATHABLE HEAT TRANSFER LABEL
Technologies are generally provided for textile items with breathable heat transfer labels. In some examples, a reversed design of a label may be printed onto a surface of a carrier using a water-based or solvent-based ink. A layer of a thermoplastic adhesive may be applied onto the surface of the carrier with the reversed design and a predefined pattern of holes may be laser-drilled into the carrier through the thermoplastic adhesive to avoid appearance of burn marks on an external surface of the label in the completed product. The carrier may be onto a garment or textile item by affixing the thermoplastic adhesive onto a surface of the garment and activating the thermoplastic adhesive. The carrier may then be removed revealing the design of the label with laser-drilled holes on the garment or textile item.
1 . A textile item with a breathable heat transfer label, comprising:
a fabric; and
a label with a graphic design applied to the fabric, wherein the label is applied through:
printing of the reversed graphic design onto a surface of a carrier,
application of a layer of a thermoplastic adhesive onto the surface of the carrier with the reversed graphic design,
laser-drilling of a predefined pattern of holes into the carrier through the thermoplastic adhesive,
attachment of the carrier onto the fabric by affixing the thermoplastic adhesive onto a surface of the fabric and activation of the thermoplastic adhesive, and
removal the carrier.
2 . The textile item of claim 1 , wherein the reversed graphic design is printed onto the surface of the carrier employing a water-based or a solvent-based ink.
3 . The textile item of claim 1 , wherein the carrier is made from a material that includes satin, nylon, polyester, cotton, silk, recycled polyester, or Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET).
4 . The textile item of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic adhesive is polyester-based, urethane-based, or poly-vinyl-acetate-based.
5 . The textile item of claim 1 , wherein the holes have a diameter ranging from about 0.05 mm to about 1 mm.
6 . The textile item of claim 1 , wherein a size and a pattern of the holes is selected to preserve a visual integrity of the graphic design.
7 . The textile item of claim 1 , wherein a shape and a size of the label is selected based on a type of the textile item and the graphic design.
8 . The textile item of claim 1 , wherein the textile item is a shirt, a dress, a jacket, a coat, a skirt, a sock, a glove, a scarf, a headgear, an undergarment, shorts, pants, or a sports bag.
9 . A method to manufacture a garment with a breathable heat transfer label, the method comprising:
printing a reversed design of a label onto a surface of a carrier;
applying a layer of a thermoplastic adhesive onto the surface of the carrier with the reversed design;
laser-drilling a predefined pattern of holes into the carrier through the thermoplastic adhesive;
attaching the carrier onto a garment by affixing the thermoplastic adhesive onto a surface of the garment and activating the thermoplastic adhesive; and
removing the carrier.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein printing the reversed design of the label onto the surface of a carrier comprises:
employing a water-based or a solvent-based ink.
11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
cutting the label to a preselected shape and size based on a type of the garment and the design.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein laser-drilling the predefined pattern of holes into the carrier comprises:
selecting a diameter of the holes in a range from about 0.05 mm to about 1 mm; and
selecting a pattern of the holes to preserve a visual integrity of the design.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein applying the layer of the thermoplastic adhesive onto the surface of the carrier comprises:
applying a polyester-based, a urethane-based, or a poly-vinyl-acetate-based adhesive.
14 . A system to manufacture a textile item with a breathable heat transfer label, the system comprising:
a roller configured to provide a flexible substrate to be used as a carrier;
a printer module configured to print a reversed design of a label onto a surface of the carrier;
an applicator module configured to apply a layer of a thermoplastic adhesive onto the surface of the carrier with the reversed design;
a laser module configured to laser-drill a predefined pattern of holes into the carrier through the thermoplastic adhesive;
an attachment module configured to attach the carrier onto textile item by affixing the thermoplastic adhesive onto a surface of the textile item;
a heat applicator module configured to activate the thermoplastic adhesive; and
a removal module configured to remove the carrier from the surface of the textile item.
15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a dryer module configured to dry the printed design of the label on the surface of the carrier.
16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the laser module is configured to:
select a diameter of the holes in a range from about 0.05 mm to about 1 mm; and
select a pattern of the holes to preserve a visual integrity of the design.
17 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a cutter module configured to cut the label to a preselected shape and size based on a type of the textile item and the design.
18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the textile item is a shirt, a dress, a jacket, a coat, a skirt, a sock, a glove, a scarf, a headgear, an undergarment, shorts, pants, or a sports bag.
19 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
a quality control module configured to perform one or more of a structural and a functional quality check on the textile item upon removal of the carrier.
20 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the printer module is configured to employ a water-based or a solvent-based ink to print the reversed design of the label onto the surface of the carrier.