Dye Sublimation Printing

Sublimation printing is a procedure that allows the transfer of a full colour graphic or photograph onto a specific object selected out of a large range. The objects include materials such as metal, glass, ceramics and unisub products. These materials are then given a special coating to allow them to become sublimation receptive. There are also some certain synthetic fabrics that allow photographs or designs to be printed onto them. These include T-shirts, jigsaw puzzles, mousemats, metals, tiles, mugs, coasters, keyrings and more, however there are some materials that cannot be printed on, these include cotton fabric and garments because sublimation printing is always done on polyester, polymer or polymer coated products. Although it is not advisable to print on cotton it can actually be done however the image will wash out within a few washes.

The process is described as simple as there are not very many steps that are taken to produce the high quality goods. First, the customer designs the specific piece of artwork on their computer using any graphical design software they desire. The printer is then loaded with sublimation ink which prints onto Epson photo quality paper with 720dpi (dots per inch) giving the graphic a very high quality appearance. Sublimation inks are basically a formulation of a range of coloured dyes suspended in liquids that are able to pass through a digital printer.

A heat press is then used to transfer the image from the photo quality paper to the desired object, which is later recognised as the finished product. With the heat and pressure applied, the inks convert from a solid to a gas and penetrate into the substrates surface. This method used gives a much more durable finish compared to many other transfer methods used in the industry which simply applies to the chosen image to the surface of the wanted object.

The process is relatively quick and easy considering the quality of the end product. As the equipment is compact, only a small amount of working space is required.

The finished product results are vibrant, glossy, scratch resistance, photo realistic images on a very wide range of promotional goods and personal goods that anyone who receives them will love! These products make great gifts and have become very popular in recent years.

The required equipment for dye sublimation printing includes; sublimation printer, dye sublimation inks, sublimation paper and hat press or wraps.

Find out more information about Sye Sublimation Printing.