FAQ GUIDE FOR SUBLIMATION



Q. Can dye sublimation be used on ceramics, glass, wood and metal?
  • All of these products need a polymer coating for sublimation to take place
  • Sublimation dyes need polymers to bond with for color transfer and permanent coloration

    Q. Can I sublimate plastics?
  • Yes and no
  • You cannot sublimate onto just any piece of plastic. Many polymers cannot withstand the amount of
    heat needed to achieve sublimation
  • Even if they could stand the heat, the added pressure and press time may deform them. Many of them
    melt and shrink.
  • Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) is the plastic of choice for sublimation

    Q. Can I sublimate onto cotton? 
  • Sublimation only takes place with polymers. Using regular sublimation paper to transfer a design to cotton may result in some coloration. However, this will wash out because the dyes have not bonded with the fabric.
  • There are some lms and transfers on the market that will enable you to transfer a sublimated design to cotton
  • Fabric enhancers, preparation sheets and sprays are also used to add a layer of polyester to non- polyester fabrics, so you can sublimate onto these fabrics
  • Sawgrass offers the Virtuoso HD Product Decorating solution with ChromaBlast-HD inks and transfer paper
  • Though not sublimation inks, ChromaBlast-HD is a formulation of commercial-grade pigment inks with binders that react to binders in ChromaBlast transfer paper
  • Together, they enable customers to apply permanent digital transfers to cotton

    AND THERE IS ALSO THE UNIQUE AND RECOLUTIONARY SUBLICOTTON (which basically have the polymeric pretreatment in the coating of the paper), becoming a one step solution and No Powder No mess

    Q. Can I sublimate onto cotton/poly blend?
  • You can, however the dyes will only a x to the polyester bers
  • The inks that attach to the cotton bers will wash out
  • Your colors will not be as vibrant as they would be with 100% polyester
  • You can use a cotton/poly blend to create a distressed look for your artwork

    Q. Why are my colors washed out on the transfer when it comes out of the printer?
  • This is perfectly normal
  • The heat and pressure of your heat press will activate the sublimation process, which allows the true
    colors of the design to imprint
Q. Can I use any printer with sublimation inks?
  • Not all printers can work with sublimation inks
  • Some produce heat internally, which can cause early gassing of inks, damage to the hardware and
    unreliable prints
  • Most printers that are compatible with sublimation inks have been engineered for o ce use with thin,
    pigment-based inks. Using sublimation inks, which are highly viscous rather than thin, is an aftermarket use for the printer. As a result, these printers do not typically last long, as the dye solids in sublimation ink damage internal hardware. They also use much more ink to achieve rich colors.
  • Sawgrass’ line of Virtuoso printers are the only ones manufactured speci cally for sublimation printing. They produce the highest-quality prints with the least amount of ink spend.

    Q. Why are my colors not coming out right, especially reds and blacks?
  • Check that you are using Virtuoso Print Manager, ICC pro les or RIP software to manage your colors
  • Make sure you are using Sawgrass inks that are not past the use-by date
  • Make sure you are using high-quality transfer paper
  • Experiment with times, temperatures and pressures
  • If you complete all of these steps and are still having trouble, contact your dealer’s technical support or Sawgrass Technical Support:
    o https://www.sawgrassink.com/Portal/Tech-Support/Tech-Support-Wizard.aspx
    Q. I’ve seen lots of sublimated products with white in the designs. How is that
    accomplished?
  • The designer works white into the design where needed
  • The printer does not apply ink to those portions of the design. It is blank space on the transfer paper.
  • When the design is pressed onto a white substrate, the natural color of the substrate is seen in the
    places of the design that are supposed to be white
  • If you include white in a design and press onto a colored substrate, the color of the substrate will show
    up where the white is supposed to be
    Q. Do I need color management software or ICC pro les to print?
    • Yes. One or the other is needed to convert the colors you see on your screen into similar colors on paper.
    • Sublimation takes this a step further, in that the colors printed on your transfer paper have to become the colors you chose on screen, and variables, such as the paper, ink, substrate and press time/temperature/pressure, all a ect the colors you see in the end
    • Virtuoso Print Manager is a custom driver that enables you to select print quality, speed, substrate type, transfer paper and other variables that can impact your colors
    • ICC pro les and RIP software act similarly, but cannot take the environmental variables into consideration in calibrating colors
    • Each of these options has their uses in sublimation printing
Q. Why can’t I sublimate onto dark-colored substrates?
  • Sublimation inks are semi-transparent, and the color of the substrate will have some e ect on the color of your image once pressed
  • For example, if you press a blue heart onto a pink shirt, the heart will have a slightly purple hue to it, as the pink mixes with the blue.
  • White substrates result in the most vibrant prints, but prints can also be vibrant and colorful on light- colored substrates, such as fabrics
  • A very dark color, like black, can be used to imprint on a darker blue or red substrate and still be visible
  • Some metallic substrates, such as ChromaLuxe photo panels, have a clear coating on them. When you
    press your image onto these substrates, your color may not be as vibrant as it would be on white, but the sheen from the substrate will add a new metallic aspect to your design

    Q. Why does my design look smudged or like there’s another copy on my substrate
    after pressing?
  • This is called ghosting
  • Sometime during the sublimation process, the transfer shifted in its contact with the substrate
  • This causes smudging and additional imprinting in areas that were not intended to be decorated
  • Use of both spray adhesive and heat tape to secure transfers can help prevent this
  • Flat heat presses can also cause a vacuum e ect with some substrates. The substrate will stick to the
    top platen when you open the press and fall down once the vacuum seal is broken. This movement can
    cause ghosting
  • Open your heat press slowly to check for vacuum sealing. If it’s happening, close the press only enough
    for the substrate to meet the bottom platen. Wait for the seal to break, which should only take a few seconds. Once it does, then open the press and remove your substrate.

    Q. What images can I use for sublimation?

    • You can use any image that you can import to or create on your computer with popular graphic programs, as CorelDRAW and Adobe Photoshop
    • You can also use images and designs you create in CreativeStudio Online Designer
    • Any images that are of high-resolution (min of 200 dpi) are suitable for sublimation reproduction

      Q. Where do I go for support?
    • Your dealer should be the rst stop in troubleshooting issues
    • You can also get support at SawgrassInk.com:
      o https://www.sawgrassink.com/Portal/Tech-Support/Tech-Support-Wizard.aspx

      Q. Why are there little blue flecks on my shirt after I sublimate onto it?
    • These are dust and ber particles that were on the shirt before it was pressed
    • To avoid this in the future, make sure to heavily wipe the fabric with a sticky lint roller before pre-press
      and your nal press
    • You can also use pressurized air to clear the transfer of any bers you can’t see
Q. Why should I use Sawgrass products when there are less expensive printers and
inks available?
  • Sawgrass delivers more value for your dollar. You get a complete system with full company support and proven, award-winning print quality.
  • Sawgrass o ers reliability. In a business where time is money, Sawgrass systems keep you printing with very little maintenance. Aftermarket printers with cheaper inks take a lot of time to maintain.
  • Investing in cheaper products can end up costing you more in the long-run. Lost time re lling
    cartridges, ruined prints because of smudging or banding, broken print heads that make your printer unusable, ink carts that are drained dry instead because you’re not warned you need to re ll your ink and cause print head damage...these are the hidden costs of “cheap” printers and inks.
  • Cheaper printers and inks oversaturate prints, using up to 50% more ink than Sawgrass printers do. So, you may pay less for your ink, but you ultimately use more AND lose image quality in the process.


https://www.ebay.com/usr/the_world_of_transfer_papers

Comments