Sublimation Transfer Printing VS Heat Press, Know the subtle difference of them

Hi~ nice to see you again, dear friends. Today is cloudy in Nanjing, but also feel very hot! Have you remmenber the topic of last week? It is about the relationship between sublimation transfer printing and digital inkjet printing. Then today I want to talk about what is difference between sublimation transfer printing and heat press. There are many people can't understand clearly of them. Please read this artical, I will share you the subtle difference of them.

What is Sublimation transfer Printing?

Sublimation transfer Printing

Initially invented for the plastic items printing like the sheets, awards, etc., the sublimation printing technology has been used for a long time now. In this digital printing method, bonding is made on the material on a molecular level.
In the sublimation transfer printing, dye sublimation ink and a sublimation paper are used to do the printing work. Microfiber, polyester, etc. like materials are best printed using the dye sublimation technology.

What is Heat Press?
In the heat press printing, pigment ink and a transfer paper are used to do the printing job. Including the cotton and polyester, you can use any kind of material to apply the heat transfer technology. It is a similar kind of method of a screen printing or a DTG (Direct to Garment) printing.

Differences of sublimation printing VS heat press
Prints made by the sublimation technique, have permanent and realistic images which are having soft feelings on hands. When you use the heat transfer technique, heat is transformed through the light based paper and sticks on the fabric.
The sublimation method uses the sublimation ink, while the heat transfer method uses pigment ink, dye ink, solvent ink, etc.

Though the heat transfer technology can be applied to all types of materials, mostly it works perfectly for the 100% cotton fabric. While the sublimation technology is widely used for polyester, banner, and hard surface like a mug, aluminum pot, etc. kinds of materials.

The sublimation printing uses less pressure and temperature than the heat transfer method & prints in less than 1 minute of time.
The objects with sublimation printing have permanent, high-resolution printings which do not peel, while the prints through the heat transfer process are having some different appearance than the surrounding fabric.

The sublimation printing machine has easy setup process and also has a low cost of maintenance.
A dye sublimation printer has a longer lifespan than the heat transfer printing machines

The last：
Both the technologies are useful, beneficial, affordable, and the printing can be done with simple-to-follow steps. So, the choice is yours. But I suggest getting the heat transfer printer if you are only sticking with the garment printing business. If you are going to work on other things like ceramic printing, plastic printing, tiles printing, etc. then go for the sublimation inkjet printer.

Okay, these all above are my share about the difference of sublimation printing and heat press.I believe that you can differ from them after read this artical. If you have any other needs or questions welcome to contact us at any time. We will provide you the best quality product and service. Hope my article can be useful to you. Thank you for your reading.

Sublimation Transfer Printing VS Digital Inkjet Printing, Do you Know Their Relation?

Dye sublimation printing of fabric banners and displays as compared to the items, or substrates, printed using an inkjet digital printer.
Do you know features of sublimation transfer printing?

Inkjet Printers
Large Format inkjet printer in our business is typically at least 30 inches wide, but go up over sixteen feet in width, and these can be used as dye sublimation printers as well, although not generally interchangeably without flushing feed lines and some other technical “fixes” that need to be done before being able to convert from one type of ink to a dye ink set.

For one thing, CMYK or four color process printing done with ink on an inkjet printer actually uses the 4CP ink set CMYK (short version of cyan-magenta-yellow-black), in contrast to the dye set used when printing in preparation for dye sub printing. The dye set is termed CMYO, which is short for cyan-magenta-yellow-overprint clear, where the dye is printed to a treated transfer paper, and in the heat transfer process becomes the black color.

Dye Sublimation Printers
Unsuitable Substrates or Unprintable Items

So, first, let me tell you what dye sublimation printers are NOT used for. They are not used for natural fiber fabrics such as cotton, linen, or bamboo. They are also not used for direct to fabric printing or what is erroneously called direct sublimation printing, which is really inkjet to fabric printing, or DTF (direct-to-fabric) printing (another term is DTS, or direct-to-substrate).
Dye sublimation is typically not used for materials like PVC (vinyl) decal stock or banner materials, as inkjet printing works fine as a surface print for these materials. Dye sublimation is generally not used for rigid plastics like styrene or polyethylene as flatbed digital UV printing is mostly used for this type of printing. Other rigids such as MDO plywood or heavier plastics are also printed on the flatbed UV inkjet digital printers.

Suitable Substrates or Printable Items
Large Format Dye Sublimation PrintingWhat dye sublimation is used for. With a special polymeric coating, there are many items that can be printed with the dye sub print process such as cups, metal or even wood plaques and awards, or anything else that can be inserted into a flatbed heated press.
And, of course, fabric. Polymer-based fabrics such as nylon or polyester can be printed using dye sublimation heat transfer from the treated transfer paper by printing a mirror image on the paper, matching it to the fabric, and sending it through heated pressure rollers.

The Printing Process
This process, like the flat press described above, converts the dye into a gaseous state and impregnates the heat-opened polymer cells with color, which, after the heat and pressure are gone, close in around the dye, leaving the color permanently as part of the fabric. This not only creates durable color, it also creates almost photographic quality continuous tones that are brighter and more colorful than an inkjet printer can normally achieve.


Okay, this is the differences the I told to you! Our characteristic is “one-stop sublimation printing solution”, as far as possible to make customers more convenient and save worry.

Nanjing Feiyue paper Industrial Co.,ltd
www.feiyuepaper.com
Email: sales@feiyuepaper.com
jenny@feiyuepaper.com
Whatsapp: +8618755150383

Knowing the definition of Dye Sublimation Printing

THE DEFINITION OF DYE SUBLIMATION
Looking at the literal meaning – as it is defined in the science world – sublimation is the phase transition of a substance from a solid directly to a gas without going through a liquid phase occurring under specific temperature and pressure conditions.

OK. But how does this fit in to decorating thousands of products with a photo quality image? It helps if you approach this technology by looking first at the word dye. This technology involves a dye process. Hundreds of thousands of everyday products are decorated using colored dyes. Manufacturers of apparel, consumer packaging, consumer goods, electronics, etc., et al add dyes to color their products whether they're made of plastics, fabrics or woods. The dye process is often done at early stages before the individually decorated product components are assembled or sewn together.

As we are describing dye sublimation, the "solid" part of the equation denotes the microscopic particles of solid ink dyes which rest on the surface of your printed, ready-to-transfer sublimation page which you printed directly from CorelDRAW, Adobe PhotoShop or a rip program like Wasatch to a supported Epson, Ricoh, Mutoh or Mimaki sublimation printer. When introduced to heat, these solid ink particles turn directly to a gas which then permanently dye the decorated surface and sub-surface of your product, depending on whether it’s a textile or hard substrate.

THE SUBLIMATION DECORATION PROCESS
The first steps of sublimation decoration often involve the same tools used with other technologies like engraving, screen printing and embroidery. It is only after the final image is printed to paper when sublimation sets itself apart from all other technologies.

Here's the step-by-step process required to produce a sublimated product:
1. Design and customize a graphic specific to the final product using professional graphics software. Sublimation products showcase millions of colors utilizing high resolution, true photo quality images and any vector-based graphics and text.

2. Print the image to a supported inkjet printer using specialty sublimation inks on sublimation-friendly paper.

3. Face the printed image on the sheet to a sublimation-ready surface (e.g. polyester-based only). Some hard products like plaques and name badges will need to be taped using heat resistant tape. For soft substrates like t-shirts or mouse pads, the transfer can be "tacked" to the product using a light, repositionable adhesive spray available at any hardware, craft or super store, or by using a tacky sublimation paper, currently only available for wide format printers.

4. Place the product and sublimation print under a heat press. Each product type has its own formula for time, temperature and pressure for optimal decorating. The proper temperature usually hovers between 385° F to 400° F, time varies from 50 seconds for a Vapor Apparel t-shirt to over seven minutes for a glossy, ceramic tile. 

5. The required pressure is usually "medium" or around 30-40 psi on a pneumatic press. You're looking for a solid marriage between the heated platen and the face of your sublimation transfer (where the solid ink dyes rest).

6. After the time expires, remove the product (using protective heat gloves is recommended when handling many sublimation products), tear away the transfer and admire the finished image.

Okay, our specialty is to offer “one-stop sublimation printing solution”.

In the process of dye sublimation transfer printing and transferring, the printer, paper, ink, transfer machine, cutting machine and even the software which can deal with pictures are all sold in our company.

Please believe that our professional degree. Engaged in sublimation transfer printing industry for many years, we can provide the best advice for you.

Nanjing Feiyue paper Industrial Co.,ltd
www.feiyuepaper.com
Email: sales@feiyuepaper.com 
jenny@feiyuepaper.com
Whatsapp: +8618755150383

Can We Print Plastics Using Dye Sublimation Printing?

As, we know, dye sublimation technology with wide application. Pretty much anything that has the correct chemical composition – i.e. is made from polymers (is polymeric in its chemical structure), it can be printed. Or, if not, if your substrate, whether it be leather, wood, glass, or non-polymeric plastic, will retain a clear or white base coat spray throughout the sublimation printing process. So the question can be solve--- you can print plastic with dye sub printing.

But, with a big caveat.
The dye sub print process uses heat. Lots of heat. About 400º F of heat, give or take a few degrees. Heat and plastic can be a bad combination, as plastic has a tendency to melt at that temperature.

So, there are some plastics that can be printed, but they need to be reinforced with fiberglass. As of this writing, I am unaware of any formed plastics that can be printed. Just flat FR reinforced plastics. They can be cut to shape, of course.
There are also some questions about dye sublimation printing, are you interesting?

What Can Be Printed through Dye Sublimation?

1. Any substrate or surface treated with polymer-based spray.
As stated in the first paragraph of this article, any product that has a polymeric base should be printable using dye sublimation. This would exclude nylon, cotton, wool, leather, wood, etc. As also stated in the 2nd paragraph, these polymeric items must also withstand high heat, which will exclude a lot of plastics with the exception of reinforced plastics, such as fiberglass reinforced plastics.

The last exclusion would be anything of dark coloration, such as pre-colored fabrics or other viable polymeric substrates. Bright or “true” white substrates work best for sublimation printing. Light colors are not forbidden, but you will lose 15-25% of your color gamut, depending on the color (light tans or grays or the like).

Having said that, I also alluded to the fact that there are white and/or clear polymer base coat products that can be sprayed or printed onto various substrates such as wood, leather, glass, and much more that will allow you to transfer a dye sublimated print to one or more of these items. Items that are now being dye sublimated after being treated with polymer base coatings include snowboards, skate boards , skis, mugs, mouse pads, glass, leather, wood products, metal, badges, awards using some of the above materials, signs, photographic plaques, and more.

2. Printable Fabrics suitable for dye sublimation printing.
Outdoor Banners with stands There are also many printable fabrics that can be printed using dye sublimation printing, but they don’t require the base coat spray as they’re already polymer-based, can withstand high heat, and are normally white in color.

3. Microfiber style fabrics.
Sublimation printing is also used for microfiber style fabrics that can wick moisture away from the body, and the printing will not inhibit moisture wicking like all other printing will do on athletic or exercise clothing products.

Dye Sublimated Display as an Advertising Tool
As stated above, the promotional products industry has embraced the high quality photographic processes that dye sublimation affords.

Also, because of the photographic continuous tone printing that dye sublimation can create on polymer based fabrics, the graphics industry is turning more and more to dye sublimation for trade show graphics, retail banners and posters and other marketing related items because of the beautiful prints created using dye sub printing.

Okay, if you want know more about sublimation transfer printing, please welcome to www.feiyuepaper.com contact us at any time. Our characteristic is “one-stop sublimation printing solution”, as far as possible to make customers more convenient and save worry.

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Nanjing Feiyue paper Industrial Co.,ltd
www.feiyuepaper.com
Email: sales@feiyuepaper.com 
jenny@feiyuepaper.com
Whatsapp: +8618755150383

Does Fabric Need to Be 100% Polyester for Dye Sublimation Printing?

Hi~ Nice to see again, my dear friends! Have you learn about sublimation printing? Which kind of fabric suitable for print? And does fabric need to be 100% polyester for dye sublimation printing? For these a series of questions. If you don't know the answer chearly, my this artical could help you!

While you do need at least 60% polyester fabric to successfully dye sub print, it is better to use 100% polyester because you will attain a superior print if 100% of the fabric accepts the dye when it enters gas form and is inducted into the open polymer pores.

What you may not know is how this process works and why polyester fabric is the best product for dye sublimation, whereas cotton, wool, and even nylon will not work for this type of printing.

Starting with the dye, it is necessary to know that the dye is not the same type of sublimation ink as inkjet inks which use the CMYK (cyan-magenta-yellow-black) ink set, but instead, use a CMYO dye set (cyan-magenta-yellow-overprint clear) where the clear, when it is printed on the dye sublimation transfer paper, turns to black and transfers that way.

Once the paper is printed, it is joined, print side to whichever type of material you are using, then put through a set of heated rollers. The heat must be in excess of 370º F (190ºC) to cause the dye to be converted into a gaseous form, and also to cause the polymer’s cells to open as they expand to accept the now gaseous dye into the cells.

Once this process has taken place, the fabric cools, the cells close, and the color is permanently locked into the fabric in continuous tones of beautiful color, similar to a photograph’s tones.

Without the cellular construction of the polyester fabric and it’s polymeric qualities, it would not be possible to print using dye sublimation. So, the more polymers, the better. So the answer is, of course, yes and no. We recommend using 100% polyester, but it’s not an absolute requirement.


Okay, These all above are my share about what kind fabric suitable for subliamtion transfer printing. If you have any other needs or questions welcome to contact us at any time. We will provide you the best quality product and service. Hope my article can be useful to you. Thank you for your reading.

Nanjing Feiyue paper Industrial Co.,ltd
www.feiyuepaper.com
Email: sales@feiyuepaper.com 
jenny@feiyuepaper.com
Whatsapp: +8618755150383