Rub-ons and transfer stickers with UV DTF
are explained briefly when you hover over or tap them.
A rub-on is a transfer image that you do not stick on like a sticker with a backing film, but rub on to the object. Only the motif is left, with no visible film edge. The principle is old: according to Wikipedia, Letraset rub-down lettering was rubbed from a transparent sheet onto the paper with a hard pencil or a burnishing tool. With a UV printer and UV DTF film you can now make such transfers yourself, in colour, with white and varnish. The specialist retailer Printequipment accordingly calls UV DTF film for sticker production “DTF Rub-On”, and eufyMake speaks of UV DTF decals or stickers.
The technology behind it is explained in UV DTF explained. This article is about the practical workflow from motif to finished rub-on.
What you need
- a UV printer that can print on A film, as sheets or from the roll
- A film: the print film with an adhesive layer that is printed on
- B film: the clear transfer film that is laminated over the print
- a laminator or laminating roller, built in on some machines
- a cutting knife or scissors, a squeegee
- isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free cloth for the surface
Step by step
- Create the motif: eufyMake recommends high-resolution files with a transparent background. Printing happens only where there is motif, and this later becomes the rub-on. How to set up white and varnish is explained in Preparing print data.
- Load the A film: With sheet stock, peel off the protective layer so the adhesive side is exposed. For its O1 Omni, xTool writes that the thinner, non-adhesive side of the release paper must face up, and it fixes the sheet on an adhesive mat.
- Print: The printer lays white, colour and usually varnish on top of each other. Printequipment gives the tip that several layers of white can make the transfer more stable.
- Laminate: Run the printed A film together with the B film through the laminator. With xTool and eufyMake the laminator is preheated for this. Roll-fed machines such as the Procolored VF13 Pro laminate directly after printing.
- Cut out: Cut out the individual motifs with a little margin.
- Apply: Clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry. Peel off the A film, the motif now hangs on the B film and the adhesive side is exposed. Place it on and rub back and forth with the squeegee until the motif adheres completely (xTool).
- Peel off the B film: Peel slowly and flat. If part of the motif stays on the B film, press it down again.
According to eufyMake, fine lines and sharp corners can break out when the B film is peeled off. Try new motifs small first. An independent test of the eufyMake laminator at The Gadgeteer also describes that adhesive residue can remain around the motif and has to be removed before applying.
Variant: removing adhesive residue and foil embossing
For its laminator, xTool also offers a stripping film that removes excess adhesive around the motif after printing. A separate transfer film is then laminated on. In the same way, xTool makes rub-ons with hot-stamping foil, for example in gold. Whether your machine can do this depends on software and accessories.
Which surfaces rub-ons stick to
eufyMake names smooth surfaces such as plastic, wood, glass and metal. Slight curves, as on a mug, are fine, but strongly and multiply curved shapes lead to bubbles and lifting edges.
Not suitable according to eufyMake:
- Silicone: The surface hardly accepts the adhesive, and the transfer often comes off after just hours.
- Soft rubber and soft TPU: The constant movement breaks the bond and the edges lift.
- Waxed or water-repellent surfaces: The adhesive does not stick at all.
- Fabric and soft textiles: The transfer tears, comes off and does not survive washing. Textile DTF is intended for textiles, see DTF, DTG, screen printing, sublimation and heat transfer vinyl compared.
For surfaces from which a motif is later supposed to come off again, eufyMake recommends printed vinyl stickers or adhesive-free cling film instead of UV DTF.
How long do rub-ons last?
eufyMake gives a range of 2 to 5 years for UV DTF: in the guide to UV DTF transfers, stickers typically last 3 to 5 years or longer on clean, smooth surfaces. The buying guide to UV DTF says they last at least two years outdoors without noticeable fading, and many years indoors with good care. UV-cured ink and varnish are said to be resistant to water, scratches and sunlight. According to eufyMake they do not belong in the dishwasher: heat and water pressure weaken the adhesive, even if a motif can survive a few cycles.
Rub-ons are meant as a permanent solution. For removal, eufyMake names heat from a hair dryer and a plastic scraper. How durability can be extended in general is explained under Durability of UV prints.
Devices in the wiki with UV DTF
| Device | Design | UV DTF according to the data sheet |
|---|---|---|
| eufyMake E1 | flatbed and UV DTF | via accessories: roll film attachment and laminator at extra cost |
| Procolored VF13 Pro Panda | pure UV DTF roll printer | printing and lamination in one device, 31 cm film width, no direct printing on objects |
| xTool O1 Omni | flatbed and UV DTF | only with laminator LM1 (accessory), still on pre-order in the EU |
| Longer ePrint | flatbed and UV DTF | transfer film and roll provided, still on pre-order in the EU shop |
| Procolored V11 Pro | flatbed | UV DTF stickers with optional laminator |
Prices and all technical data are in the linked data sheets. The UV printer buying guide helps you judge which device suits you.
Sources
- eufyMake: How to Make UV DTF Transfers
- eufyMake: UV DTF Printing: How It Works & Why It’s Useful
- xTool: User Guide for A Film, B Film, Waste Stripping Film, UV DTF Adhesive Transfer Film
- Printequipment: UV-DTF-Folie (specialist retailer)
- The Gadgeteer: eufyMake UV DTF Laminator Review
- Wikipedia: Letraset, rub-down lettering