Discover the ultimate definitions for essential (TheMagicTouch) personalization terms in our curated glossary. Quickly grasp key concepts and streamline your understanding and best practices and simplify your learning journey with our comprehensive glossary.
Auto open is a function, where the heat press automatically opens after the set time has passed. Some heat presses come equipped with this feature, like the DTF Station Prisma Auto Heat Press. This can be practical, so you don’t have to be standing next to the heat press to open it manually.
Technically there are 3 ways of achieving this:
TheMagicTouch transfer paper has a print on the back this will tell you how to feed or on what side you must print. Do not print on this side. Only exception is TheMagicTouch ORD 8.1. This transfer paper does not have a back print because the paper remains visible on the result.
When your image has consecutive stripes in it. This is often caused by clogged, or defective nozzles in the printhead. These stripes are always in the same direction as the back and forth motion of the print head.
A chemical process where the color pigments of the polyester fabric slowly penetrate the transfer on top of the fabric. This can cause a light colored print on a darker colored polyester fabric to appear transparent or cloudy stained.
A defect in a printed substrate where the color seems to have been blown outside the intended borders of the image, resulting in a smudged effect. This can be caused by uneven temperature, overheating or excessive pressure during pressing.
Also often referred to as a Teflon sheet. An essential application tool for sublimation as you need to underlie and cover your blank product during pressing. It ensures the pigments do not enter the lower platen or stick to the heat platen of your heat press from where they could contaminate the next product you are pressing.
Some printers have a bulk system or ink tanks as an ink reservoir instead of Cartridges. This can be handy if you print larger volume, but you printer needs to suitable for it.
Also often referred to as the Liner or backing. This is the paper or the film that holds the transfer layer or film so you can print and or cut your design. After pressing this is what you remove and throw away.
It appears as a clear shiny sheet attached to the front of a sheet of heat transfer vinyl. This is the side of the htv that should be placed facing down while cutting. There are two different kinds of carrier sheets – pressure sensitive carrier sheets have a sticky backing and static carrier sheets have a smooth backing.
Procedure where you determine the exact temperature of the heat press with special indicator strips and adjust the indication of the heat press accordingly to make sure it indicated exactly the correct temperature.
Specially designed heat press for the odd shape of caps and hats. Most com equipped with a special mechanism to tighten the cap around the lower platen so it does not move or fold when pressed.
A heat press that opens and closes like a clamshell so hinged from backside with a platen that hinges upwards to open.
Clogging means blocking. With inkjet printers this will usually refer to the print heads or ink tubes being blocked by dried out pigments. This can cause the printhead to miss certain or all nozzles resulting in non optimal prints with dropouts or missing colors all together.
A polyester spray coating to spray on uncoated products. It may sound interesting, however, it’s not a durable and professional solution and you rarely get a good result.
This is basically a set of rules that have to be followed by a software program when a print file is created. The color profile provides the correct recipe for the CMYK or CMYW color mix, which ensure the output from the printer matches the image on the screen as closely as possible.
With Transfer media the output has to be as close to the original as possible once it is transferred onto the product, not when it comes out of the printer as there can be a slight shifting of color during the heat-press process. This requires special color profiles to take that shift into account when using transfer paper. One of the important roles of the SpaceControl Raster Image Processor (RIP) software is to provide these color profiles for each transfer application TheMagicTouch can offer.
After pressing a transfer paper onto the product, the carrier, also sometimes referred to as Liner or Backing, has to be removed. When you have to wait for the product to cool down before you can peel of the carrier, it is a cold peel transfer.
A configuration page is a document that provides information about the settings and configuration of the printer. The configuration page typically includes information about the device’s IP address, network settings, firmware version, and other key details. The purpose of a configuration page is to allow the user or a technician to easily access and review the device’s settings, which can be useful for troubleshooting and ensuring that the device is properly configured. Configuration pages can typically be printed directly from the device or accessed through the device’s web interface.
In the configuration page you’ll find the serial number you need for the RIP SpaceControl software.
OKI and Crio
Press Menu
Select Print Information
Press enter > Select Configuration > Press enter
You will find the serial number on the top part in the first line.
RICOH
Press menu
Scroll down to Print list/report > Press OK
Select Configuration page > Press OK and press OK again
You will find your Machine ID (Serial number) in the second line on the first page.
Display and electronics of the heat press. Here you select your time, temperature and on some models more functions like a counter. The electronics behind the display also control the switching on and off of the heat element in the heat platen to keep thee selected temperature.
Stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and White. In printers with CMYW The black is removed and replaced with white. This enables the printer to print white, which gives unique possibilities, especially with TheMagicTouch transfer papers. The printer can still print black, it just means black is now made from the 3 colors, so called “Composite black”.
Stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and BlacK. The 4 printing colors. Black is indicated by “K” instead of “B”, which might seem a bit odd.
Often this is explained by the story that the “K” is chosen to prevent mix up with Blue. This is not correct however.
This usage of the “K” instead of the “B” for Black comes from traditional printing where the black color printing plate was referred to as the “Key plate” or “Key color”. Hence the “K”.
Process where pixels from an image are broken up into an array of little dots. This also refers to the perception of the human eye of a series of closely arranged dots as a line. This principle is used in inkjet printers to create an image with dots of overlapping ink.
Transfer Media where the printed transfer layer can be released from the carrier by soaking the printed transfer into water. The ultra-thin transfer layer with the print on it releases itself and can be transferred onto many different products, as long as they are non-porous, and smooth. Best known waterslide transfers are:
TheMagicTouch DCT4.5C
TheMagicTouch DCT4.5W
TheMagicTouch DCT4.5 Light C
Unit in a color laser printer where the actual image arises. With laser or LED light, the drum unit is statically charged exactly where the toner should stick to the drum to create the image. By rotating the toner image is taken from the drum onto the paper thus creating the image on paper.
Specially developed PET carrier with a coating that holds the ink in place and makes a release on the garment after the transfer process.
Ink or Paint, or adding color to a substrate, for instance: Dying fabric in a color bath.
These are the temperature and humidity in the room where you work and/or store your Transfer media. It is important to keep an eye on this as a high humidity or very high of very low temperature can have a serious negative effect on the performance of your media. Roughly the relative humidity must be between 20 to 60% and the temperature between 15 to 32°C/60 to 90°F.
After pressing, the sublimation process is still going. When the paper shifts on the product while opening the heat press this may cause a shadow around your image on your printed product. The key is to not shift the sublimation paper after pressing and remove it from the product in one, swift movement. Heat resistant tape can help to overcome this problem too.
Refers to which side of the media has to be up and which side down. The printed side is what is called “the face”. So “Face Up” means the transfer (printed) layer facing up. This is the opposite of Face Down.
Refers to which side of the media has to be up and which side down. The printed side is what is called “the face”. So “Face Down” means the transfer (printed) layer facing down and the backside of the media facing upwards. This is the opposite of Face Up.
Free From also known as Free Style or No Cut transfers are transfer specially designed to have automatic contour cut. Meaning that there is no full flat transfer. It only transfers where there is image (toner). Saving you time it would normally cost to weed the design. You need a White toner printer to have the full function of the free from application.
Our free form transfers are:
TheMagicTouch WoW 7.8
TheMagicTouch T.One
A color laser or color LED printer works with toner instead of ink. The toner which are tiny particles, are brought to the paper to form the image by static electric charges. Once on the paper the toner particles need to be bonded with the paper. This is what the Fuser unit does. Two hot rollers melt the toner to the paper or transfer media.
Hotmelt is a PET film where you cut out the text or logo. This can be applied with transfer paper or flex foil. You then use hot stamp foil to print it on the hot melt flex foil.
Small grinded particles of polyester that melt and get sticky when heated above a certain temperature. Available in different size of particles and melting point.
Heat Transfer Vinyl or HTV is a foil made of polyurethane (PU) and provided with an adhesive layer and a carrier (also called backing). Flex foil is used to print clothes, bags and caps with names, designs or logos.
There are many types of flex films for printing on diverse types of fabrics. MagiCut is our own house brand and is available in various standard flex foils. There are also 3D flex foils such as holographic, metallic and soft metallic and various glitter and patterned flex foils
If you want to know more about how flex foil works, read more on everything about flex foil
When directly after pressing a transfer paper onto the product, the carrier, also sometimes referred to as Liner or Backing, has to be be removed immediately without waiting for it to cool down, it is referred to as a hot peel transfer.
HTV is the abbreviation of Heat Transfer Vinyl. HTV or also called flex is a vinyl used to decorate textile, bags, and other textile fabrics. Unlike adhesive vinyl or sign vinyl, HTV or Heat Transfer Vinyl is printed onto an item using heat and pressure.
A laser printer creates the image with static electricity and colored powders called toner.
The toner is being applied to the paper in exactly the right amount and on the correct place by means of static electricity. The exact location of the electric charge that is required for this process is meticulously being applied by the laser so that the toner will adhere exactly where needed to create the image that is printed.
The platen where you put your product on. In most cases its covered with a rubber foam pad that helps to stabilize your product during pressing.
Printing technique where the printer produces tiny ink droplets to create the image that is printed. Generally, these types of printers are more suited for home printing as they are cheap to buy but very expensive per print. The ink used in these types of home-printers is unsuited for transferring as it is very water soluble and does not
This the paper or film that holds the transfer layer or film so you can print and or cut your design. After pressing this is what you remove and throw away.
This the paper or film that holds the transfer layer or film so you can print and or cut your design. After pressing this is what you remove and throw away.
This can be a swing away or a Clam shell, but you must manually close it to start the pressing process and generate pressure.
This is the process when the pigments move from one surface (paper) to another surface (polyester) So during the sublimation process there is a migration of the pigments as a vapor onto and into the polyester (coated) product.
Extra tray to feed paper into a printer, specially designed for media that’s thicker or different in composition from normal plain printing paper. The Multi-Purpose tray is situated on the printer in such a way that the paper path is as easy as possible to make feeding specialty media possible. The most common media used from the multi-Purpose Tray are:
• TheMagicTouch transfer paper
• TheMagicTouch CL*Media Sticker paper
• Cardboard
• Labels
Water repellent fabric that often has a special coating to resist wetting. Nowadays polyester is more common as a water repellent fabric for sports gear or sports bags than Nylon.
A microscopical small little tube in the print head from where the ink is been shot towards the paper. A print head consists of hundreds of these tiny tubes.
An option in your printer or driver to check if all the nozzles in your print heads are still working as they should be.
This is the route the paper travels through the printer from input to printed output. For transfer papers that have a special composition, it is important to have a paper path with as little sharp bends and corners as possible. This is often referred to as a “Straight paper path”.
Peeling means removing the excess foil. A peeling tool and a cutting mat are often used to peel flexible foil, flock foil or vinyl.
Tiny little color particles that can be insoluble in water or other carriers.
A heat press that uses compressed air to open and close. You need an additional compressor that can generate enough pressure to make it work.
Polyester is a type of plastic that can hold high temperatures and has an open structure when hot and close structure when cold. This makes it a necessary substrate for the sublimation process, as the pigments cannot enter any other substrate well enough.
When you have your product or one of the items of the TheMagicTouch Application Toolkit on the heat press, and you close the heat press to put some heat in the product or the Application Toolkit prior to the actual transfer pressing.
These are the 4 primary ink colors used in printing: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and black in traditional printing methods referred to as “Key”. This is where the CMYK comes from.
Print & Cut is a term that is used when you first make a print and then contour cut it with a cutting plotter.
Print & Cut is mostly used if the printer cannot print white. You use the white that is present in the transfer or printable HTV. To prevent white showing around the design, the print can be contour-cut by the plotter. Typical media that can be used with the Print & Cut process are:
TheMagicTouch CL*Media stickers
TheMagicTouch OBM 5.4
TheMagicTouch DCT 4.5
TheMagicTouch Tattoo 2.1
TheMagicTouch TTC 3.1
Process with equipment capable to both Print and Cut within the same machine.
The difference with Print&Cut is that the media does not leave the printer and the same machine can also cut. The printer first prints then contour cuts. Where with Print&Cut you would need two devices. With Print + Cut there is no need to print the registration markers with Print&Cut you do.
The most important part of your printer. From the print head, the ink is being ‘shot’ on the paper. The print head is very fragile and can be damaged quickly.
This a software that selects the correct color profile for your sublimation paper and blank product to ensure all the colors are correct once transferred onto the product. It is an important part of sublimation printing as the pigments change color during the heat press process.
Small piece of software that has to be installed on your computer to be able to use your printer. Each printer comes with its own Printer driver.
The Printer driver connects the program you use to create your design and the printer that is connected. When you click “Print” in your design-program the actual printer you choose is the printer driver. This takes the file from your design program and creates digital information the printer can use to print the actual page(s).
Pressure sensitive adhesive. An adhesive used on the carrier of HTV, where the adhesion is influenced by the pressure during the heat press process to make removing the carrier easier.
Time it takes for the heat platen to go back to the set temperature when the platen cools down during pressing.
When you press the product again after your application for extra bonding, sealing or extra effect like a gloss or matte finish.
A smart mechanical system that locks the Interchangeable lower platen in place. That makes it easy and quick to replace a lower platen with a different sized one for a special job.
It means your paper is quickly dry and ready to use.
It important that your ink is dry before applying it onto your blank product.
The device that applies the hot melt powder on the wet ink. Then removes the left-over powder with mechanical force.
Single step transfer paper is a transfer that can press the image onto the product by pressing just once. So directly from printer to product in one step. The advantage of a single step transfer paper is that this is currently the fastest way to print a t-shirt!
A more elastic HTV layer, specifically made for swimming-gear and garment with lycra.
A heat press where the heat platen opens upwards and then moves away from the lower platen in a turning way (a swing) to the left or right.
Or also called Block out, means the extra layer that prevents the pigments of the polyester fabric from penetrating through the flex foil or transfer paper after heat from a transfer press. The so-called bleeding. Sublistop is used when sublimated polyester textiles such as sports shirts, football shirts or softshell jackets are printed. Read the explanation here.
Bleeding is a process that occurs when the pigments of a polyester fabric become active again due to the heat. The pigments penetrate the flex foil or transfer paper and this causes a discoloration.
You can prevent this discoloration by using block out foil, also known as sublistop foil. Bleeding is done exclusively on dark colored polyester fabrics, often printed with a lighter colored flex foil.
Technically, the term Sublimation or also called subli, means the direct phase transition of a substance from the solid phase to a gaseous phase. This is what happens to the color pigments of sublimation ink when heated with a heatpress. If you apply this process with a sublimation printer, sublimation paper, sublimation flex or sublimation flock onto a polyester (coated) product, we speak of sublimation.
Specially designed paper for Sublimation ink. A coating holds the ink in place.
A sublimation printer is a printer with inkjet technology that is especially been designed for sublimation. The special sublimation UHD (Ultra High definition) inks in this printer ensure that the high-quality print can ultimately be transferred to the sublimation article.
Transfer Media that has a two-step process to create your personalized temporary tattoo. Print on the transfer paper then apply the glue on the paper, then apply to the skin. After soaking the paper, the glue and transfer liner stay on the skin. The durability will depend on the individual skin type.
TheMagicTouch Tattoo 2.1
Where ink is the component that creates the image in ink-jet printers, toner is the image creating component for the electro-statical printers; Laser and LED printers.
Toner consists of tiny particles of a polymer structure with several added components that determine the color, and make sure the toner particles are capable of being with charged with static electricity without clogging together unwantedly.
Transfer Media where, as the name suggests, the transfer paper only transfers the toner. There is no glue or protective layer transferred. We use the properties of the toner to make it stick to the surface. The surface needs to fit under, or in a heat press and resist heat and pressure. To get the best results, you must use an Application Tool for most of the surfaces you want to decorate.
We have two toner transfers.
TheMagicTouch CPM 6.2
TheMagicTouch RST 9.1
Transfer Media specially designed to print a design on garments and fabrics. You transfer an extra layer to get a better wash resistance. Depending on which transfer paper you choose the extra layer is white or transparent. This ensures you can decorate white, but also colored and black fabrics. Also, important to take into consideration is the type of printer you use and on what kind of fabric you want to print. Our textile transfers are:
TheMagicTouch TTC 3.1
TheMagicTouch OBM 5.4
TheMagicTouch WoW 7.8
TheMagicTouch T.One
TheMagicTouch Software powered by TheMagicTouch is a RIP software which stands for “Raster Image Processor”.
This basically means that this software helps you to print your designs with exactly the correct settings. Because transfer paper is entirely different from normal plain paper, you need special settings for the best result in color, fixation (how well the toner sticks to the paper) and, if your printer can print white, the right amount of white toner on the right spot of the image. SpaceControl is special RIP printing software that helps you with all these settings in a very user friendly way.
This is a release agent know from the Teflon sheets. Most heat presses have a Teflon coating on the heat platen to make the transfer not stick to the heat platen, similar to a baking pan.
Also often referred to as a Blowout sheet. An essential application tool for sublimation as you need to underlie and cover your blank product during pressing. It ensures the pigments do not enter the lower platen or stick to the heat platen of your heat press from where they could contaminate the next product you are pressing.
The transfer belt transfers the paper true your printer or copier. It has a static charge, so the toner particles move from the Drum unit onto the paper. Then the paper is transported to the fuser unit. There are also printers and copier that only transfer the toner before its moved to the paper. It will depend on your type and manufacturer if your transfer belt is a consumable or not.
Media is a collective term for materials that can be used in printers or cutting plotters.
Well-known media types are:
TheMagicTouch CL*Media stickers for printers and Flex and Vinyl for plotters
Cuttable HTV for plotters
Printable HTV for several types of plotters
Tip: When a printer asks to load media, it means that there is no media present.
Is a different name for Heat press. A press you use for transfer applications.
A two-step transfer paper enables to add a white layer on the image only by first transferring the design onto a different sheet while adding white at the same time. This is to create a free formed design with as much white behind the color as possible for optimal opacity on the product. In most cases this is done with transfer paper for white toner printers, TheMagicTouch WoW 7.8.
• Step 1: Adding extra white from the transfer onto the image.
• Step 2: The second step presses the design onto the product.
Sometimes there will be toner left over on the transfer belt this can happen after a paper jam. The printer or copier will clean it by itself and transfer the not used toner to the waste bottle. In some bigger printers or copiers this is a separate consumable.
After pressing a transfer paper or heat transfer vinyl onto the product, the carrier, also sometimes referred to as Liner or Backing, must be removed. When you must wait for 10 till 15 seconds for the product to cool down before you can peel of the carrier, it is a warm peel transfer. You can leave the product on the heat press.
Your cutting software will cut a square around your design. This will make it easier to weed your design.
Handy tool to peel away excess HTV after cutting the design. This can be a hook pin or tweezers.
After pressing transferpaper onto the product, the carrier, also sometimes referred to as Liner or Backing, must be removed. When you must spray or soak the product with water to cool down or release the carrier, it is a wet peel.
As Cyan, Magenta and Yellow toners are transparent, a white background is needed to correctly display the colors once printed. In order to print on a distinct color of media, white toner is required to obtain white underneath the color image. The same goes when an image is being transferred onto another product by means of TheMagicTouch transfer paper and that product is not white. In that case the white toner also helps to display the other colors correctly on the product.
Transfer Paper
Heat Transfer Vinyl
Stickers
Direct To Film
Blank Products
Printers
Heat Presses
Sublimation
Hot Stamp Foil
Application Tape
Accessories