Complete process of hydrodipping

Hydrographic printing is a method of applying two dimensional images onto a three dimensional object surface by utilizing water. 
• Hydrographic printing is also called as water transfer printing, immersion printing, hydro dipping and cubic printing. 
• Hydrographic printing is one of the current innovations in printing industry. 
• Water is used as a transfer medium in this innovation. 
• This technique can be easily applied on metal, wood, glass, plastic, porcelain and other products. 
• It is a process done after the standard painting process of the object.

The earliest patent records credit the invention of water transfer printing to Motoyasu Nakanishi of Kabushiki Kaisha Cubic Engineering in 1982 (filed for patent in 1982 and got it in 1984). 
• It is not clear who invented Hydrographic printing. 
• Before the patent was issued there were 3 different companies that clammed rights for this invention. 
• Taica corporation claimed that in 1974, Cubic printing was invented by their engineer (not named and an accidental invention). 
• In 1976, they established Shizuko Cubic Co. (renamed Cubic Co. Ltd in 1989 later renamed as Taica Corporation in 2006) for sales expansion of cubic printing. 
• TWN industries doesn’t lay claim to themselves, yet they give credit to Cubic Engineering. 
• Researchers of Zheijiang University and Columbia University-including Yizhong Zhang, Chunji Yin, Changxi Zheng, and Kun Zhou have created a software for precision printing. They presented their research on Computational hydrographic printing in Los Angeles on August 2015.

The whole process takes place in 6 basic steps: 
• Step 1: Film printing 
• Step 2: Primer & Base coating 
• Step 3: Activation 
• Step 4: Ink transfer 
• Step 5: Washing process 
• Step 6: Clear coating 

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