History

When Franz Barta founded his lithographic printing office in a cellar vault in Vienna, nobody could foresee that this would be the starting point for an incredible history of success triggered by transfer print technology which has lasted for nearly 60 years now. With impressive meticulousness, Franz Barta perfected this technology and by including new inventions he pioneered the way for screen printing so it could be employed in transfer printing. This production process is used by transfer printers worldwide these days.

For reasons of space, the company soon moved into an old factory building in the Viennese fifteenth district where it is still located today. In 1955, Franz Barta signed a contract with the largest transfer factory in the world, the Meyercord company in Chicago. With a licensing agreement and new technologies, Barta gained access to the European market. In order to open up this market, the company impress GmbH was founded in Hanover in 1956.

In 1957, the patent for the impressal® - dry transfer image and further patents for heat application transfers were obtained. In 1964, after a developing period of four years, Franz Barta’s long-cherished dream of producing transfers from rolls became reality by web printing. With BARTA RS 1, the first rotary screen printing machine was born, followed by the first four-colour printing machine BARTA RS 4.

Due to the sudden sales boom it became necessary to extend the factory building. The building was inaugurated on April 27, 1969. In the same year, applicator 69, a machine for automatic transfers from rolls was invented and introduced to the public. This was the beginning of the triumphant progress of transfers in the toy and sports shoe industry, which continues to date in other industries as well.

In the following decades, the service area was extended to over 8,000 m², and the number of employees was increased to 170. The development of our distribution network guarantees contact and service to our customers in North America, Europe and Asia today.