Printing On Leather?

[rhinez0r]

I searched for a bit on the forums and haven't really found an answer to this. I'm looking at wallets like these:

http://www.etsy.com/...=leather wallet

and these:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78744616/wallet-leather-wallet-men-wallet-box?ref=shop_home_feat

Any idea? Iron-on transfer? Textile printer?

Edited May 13, 2013 by rhinez0r

[Dangerous Beans]

I'm sure you'll get a decent answer on here, but I know that Peter at the Identity Store used to design and print the Leather for Dr Martins.

If anyone can put you right on printing on leather, it's him.

Drop him an email, here's the URL for the site. http://www.theidentitystore.co.uk/

Nige

[rhinez0r]

Thanks for the reply. Btw, I wanted to thank you while I had the opportunity for your YouTube videos on saddle-stitching. They were super helpful while I was getting started.

Cheers!

[TomG]

It may be DTG (Direct To Garment) printing. There is also a method developed by a guy named Shews, I think, that used a liquid to coat the leather and do a transfer of some sort. I think the stuff was purchased at JoAnns fabrics or something.

Tom

[JustKate]

Tom is referring to Billy 2-Shews. I think his method would produce that kind of result. He produced a really well-done instructional video you can find out more about here:

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=3766&hl=2-shews

[TomG]

Billy -- Yes -- that was who I was referring to. If I remember correctly, it's was a fairly involved process in that it had quite a few steps.

We also have an embroidery and screen printing biz we do out of our garage. I'm not sure what the ink dryer would do to leather, but I don't think it would be good. the typical plastisol ink has to hit around 320+ degrees throughout to cure. Not to mention that it really needs to "wrap" around the threads of the fabric. So the smooth leather would probably not let it grab on and hold. I suspect it out flake off.

The relatively new DTG printers are basically an Epson wide-format printer that lays a deposit of Pigment-based ink down. It would probably do really well on leather. As long as you accepted the fact that the ink is transparent. Sort of like dye. the base color of the leather is going to alter the ink color.

Some of the printers will lay down a base coat of white first and give really good color reproduction.

That's what I suspect might have been used with these brightly colored wallets.

But like Kate said - check out Billy's site.