TIGITAL® Tattoo
TIGITAL® Tattoo is an industrial decoration process where the artwork is printed on a transfer medium and then applied to the part using heat and pressure. It fits applications that need fine detail, repeatability and strong resistance to chemicals and abrasion, without direct printing on the final object.
What TIGITAL® Tattoo is
TIGITAL® Tattoo combines electrophotographic printing on a transfer medium with heat transfer and final curing. The image is prepared on paper or film (roll format) and transferred onto the part with controlled temperature and pressure. After transfer, the decoration is cured with an appropriate heat source.
Process overview
- Surface preparation - clean surface, adhesion check; optional activation (flame / Pyrosil / plasma).
- Printing on transfer medium - artwork is printed on a roll-based carrier.
- Transfer to the object - heat + pressure transfer; semi/automatic equipment with eye-mark positioning.
- Surface fixing (optional) - quick sealing of the top layer (IR/NIR/flame) if required by the substrate or coating.
- Final curing - bring the part to the required temperature for the defined time.
Settings depend on substrate, part mass and line speed.
Why it works in production
- High definition detail - thin lines, gradients and photo-like rendering.
- Industrial durability - designed for mechanical wear and chemical exposure.
- Flexible batching - easier short runs and design variants without classic print tooling changes.
- Repeatable output - stable results when time/temperature/pressure and positioning are controlled.
Line integration
The process can be integrated as dedicated stations or modules:
- surface activation,
- transfer (pad or roll concept),
- curing (convection oven, IR, NIR, flame - depending on the part).
Depending on setup, decorative operations can be combined in one run (for example with metallic foil / hot-stamping elements).
Practical controls
- Surface cleanliness and surface energy - first place where failures show up.
- Temperature windows - parts are commonly pre-heated; the silicone transfer element runs in a defined range.
- Pressure and speed - start slow, then increase speed until transfer becomes uniform.
- Validation after curing - adhesion and resistance testing after full cure.
For temperature-sensitive plastics, the final cure may be limited. In that case a different fixing strategy or top coat is used.
Applications
- Glass: perfumes, cosmetics, beverage bottles, etc.
- Aluminium/metal: bottles, thermo bottles, consumer items.
- Others: wood/MDF, plastics and mixed materials (after temperature and adhesion validation).
Products: bottles, jars, mugs, premium packs, decorative and promotional items with challenging shapes.
Process visuals and thermal profiles
Graphics from TIGITAL materials: process overview plus transfer and curing curves.
Accessories
To keep output stable in series production, accessories matter:
- PET carriers with lacquer/primer for ink adhesion
- printing consumables matched to the application and durability needs
- HS tooling/handling accessories for reliable transfer (alignment, pressure, guidance)
- cleaning and maintenance tools to keep quality consistent
Send your substrate sample and expected finish—we’ll propose the process configuration.
Contact us