Friday, March 29, 2024

Transfer Paper Responses:

Philip T. Lis CPO

The following email consists the original post to the OandP LISTSERV along with the responses I received. Thanks to all that responded.

Philip T. Lis

I am looking for transfer paper that allows personal pictures/photographs to be
applied to copoly plastic. We have a patient that has personal photographs that
were transferred to his afo’s at another facility. Where can we purchase this
paper and what are the legal aspects if the patient wants to use pictures that
are copyrighted. Thanks for your assistance.

RESPONSES:

I just went through this for one of my patients. The transfer paper is not
the secret – you need to have a printer that prints with “sublimation ink”.
The best suggestion to get the work done locally is to call a t-shirt
printing place and ask them if they have a sublimation ink printer. If you
get the photo copied using sublimation ink then the ink will transfer onto
the hot plastic.

Do not try to use “iron – on transfer paper” from office supply shops – the
image is on a film and the film scratches off like a scratch and win ticket!

**********************************************

The use of any copyrighted material without written permission from the
copyright holder would certainly be illegal. The point of a copyright is
to protect the holder from pirated use of the copyrighted material.
Hope this helps.
**********************************************
Contact a trophy shop or a facility that does silk screening, and ask them if they do custom in-house sublimation printing. Sublimation printing is a process where dry ink on transfer paper becomes a vapor (skipping the liquid stage) and deposits itself onto another material (metal, glass, prosthetic socket, or orthotic). If they have the equipment, (basically expensive printer with special ink and paper) I am sure that they should be able to give you a sample of their work to experiment with and ultimately the image that you desire.

I found transfer paper for this purpose at Wal-Mart in the sewing and crafts
section. It comes in a package of several 8 x 10 sheets. There were 2
different kinds and I can’t remember which one I picked.

You put the paper in the feed of an INK JET copy machine. (Take out the
usual copy paper first) Place whatever original picture or document in the
copy machine scan platform and make a copy onto the transfer paper.

Then use whatever method you usually use for getting the image onto the hot
plastic. We found that a light spray of pure silicon spray to the surface
of the hot plastic and to the paper helps in peeling the paper off the hot
plastic. (Not too much, though, since it might cause blurring of the image)

We try to decide exactly on the cast where we want the image to come out and
measure to a point from, say, the foot or the top of the cast. then try to
lay the image on the hot plastic at precisely that point just before taking
it out of the oven. Smooth the paper onto the plastic with gloved hands for
anywhere from, say, 15 to 45 seconds – then peel it back off. We would then
close oven and leave plastic till oven temp comes back to molding temp.

I’m sure you will have to experiment and you will perhaps waste several
pieces of plastic on your first few attempts. Hope not.

By the way, Philip, don’t smooth the corners of the paper into the hot
plastic. If you do, you’ll have hell getting it peeled back off. In fact,
it’s a good idea to bend a couple corners back before placing the paper on
the plastic so you can get hold of them to peel it.

there was a company in Sudbury Ont which did this stuff…

they are called out of sight fabrications, 380 laforest St, Sudbury, on, P3C5J1

1(705)674-5779 email [email protected]

hope this helps.

These are the responses that I received. I want to thank those that responded for their information.

Philip T. Lis CPO

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