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| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON DYE SUBLIMATION |
| What do I need to get started? | | You will need a computer, color management software, graphic design software, a compatible desktop or large format printer, sublimation ink, sublimation paper (optional but suggested) and heat transfer equipment (flat press, roll press, mug press, or plate press). The addition of a color scanner lets you create transfers from photos or other images that are not in a digital form. |
| What are dye sublimation transfer inks? | | Sublimation describes the process of a solid substance changing directly into a gas or vapor, without first passing through the intermediary liquid state. Sublimation inks are dye colorants that, once printed and activated by heat, easily become a gas and have the property to bond with polyester or acrylic surfaces. Sublimated images are extremely durable against wash and are scratch resistant* since they become part of the substrate they have been sublimated to (the image is protected within the surface). *The image is actually as scratch resistant as the first few millimeters of the surface it is sublimated on since they are impregnated in color, beyond that point scratches will show the substrate original color. |
| Why can
I only use Rotech Ink on printers that are larger than 42" ? | |
A US based Company holds patents relating to the formulation of dye
sublimation ink for use in inkjet printers. As a patent holder this company can decide how the patented
product is distributed. US Sublimation's Rotech inks are manufactured
under license from the patent holder; the license allows our inks to be
marketed only for use on printers that have a carriage width of 42" or above.
The license is transferred to the users of US Sublimation's Rotech
Digital Sublimation inks as long as they use the inks in printers that are 42 inches wide or more.
The sublicense extends to United States Patent Nos. 5,302,223; 5,487,614;
5,601,023; 5,640,180; 5,642,141; 5,734,396; 5,830,263; 6,425,331; 6,439,710;
6,450,098; 6,488,370; Re-examined United States Patent No. 5,488,907; any
foreign patents claiming priority of one or more of these patents; and any
extensions, continuations, divisions, continuations-in-part, registrations,
reissues and/or renewals thereof.
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| What
if I own both two printers and only one is 42 inches or above? | |
In this case you can purchase ink only for use
on the larger printer (42 inches or above). For the smaller printer (under
42") you are required to purchase ink that is licensed for such use. Under
no circumstance US Sublimation endorses, directly or indirectly, the use of it's licensed
ink in a printer that does not meet the licensing requirements. No
distributor, reseller or sales person has the authority or right to
authorize use of our sublimation inks on printers that have a carriage width
under 42", only the patent holder can modify the terms of this license. US
Sublimation forbids using it's licensed products in any way that is not
permissible under the terms of the license and will not offer any kind of technical support in connection with
the improper use of it's licensed products. US Sublimation, PrintVillage and
all affiliated Companies accept no responsibility nor
liability for the improper use of it's products by the end user.
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| Do I need special transfer paper? | | Theoretically no special paper is needed for the process to work, on the other hand the wrong paper can significantly reduce the quality of the finished product and increase the cost associated with ink usage. Special papers allow for better quality and a higher ink transfer rate therefore reducing the amount of ink you would usually need for intense colors. We are recommending Jetcol paper as it is adjusted to our sublimation inks to attain the highest quality with the lowest amount of ink. |
| How do sublimation transfers work? | | Sublimation uses a heat transfer process that employs special heat sensitive inks that are able to go from a solid state to a gaseous state without passing through the liquid state when the proper amount of heat is applied. These inks are used to print the desired image on a special transfer paper (or high quality paper). Once printed, the paper and substrate (the material you are planning to sublimate the image to) are put in to a heat press. Once the heat from the press is applied, it will allow the ink to pass from a solid state (on the paper) to a gaseous state; the gas will then “travel” from the paper to the substrate where once the temperature is reduced it will turn to a solid state again and bond with the substrate in process. |
| How are sublimation transfers different from transfer papers? | | Heat transfers created with color ink jet or wax thermal printers use a polymer coated transfer paper to fuse ordinary ink particles onto the surface of a substrate. The result is a "decal-like" transfer that can peel, crack, fade, and discolor over time. Sublimation transfers instead rely on special transfer inks or toners to transfer below the surface of a substrate. The result is a "tattoo-like" transfer that will not peel, crack, or fade for many years. |
| How is a sublimation transfer different from direct printing onto fabric? | | ‘Direct printing' is an alternative category that includes a variety of ways to digitally print on textiles. Direct printing involves printing directly to a coated and paperbacked fabric with an ink jet printer. A common misconception is that this is a more efficient process than sublimation, but both methods require finishing. The finishing process for direct printing includes both steaming and washing. Standard ink jet inks or specialty inks can be used but vary greatly in quality and durability. Coated or paperbacked fabrics for direct printing are limited, more expensive and easily wasted. |
| What are the limitations of sublimation? | | Sublimation inks transfer well to synthetic surfaces such as polyester and acrylic. They do not transfer to natural surfaces such as cotton, or dark colored surfaces. Over long periods of time, sublimation inks have limited color-fastness when exposed to direct sunlight. |
| What do I need to know about color management software? | | Every ink used in the printing industry requires color management tools to match it’s color properties to the color properties used by the Hardware to manage the digital image (Computer Hardware, Monitor, Printer) in order to match the original and produce good clarity and consistent results. Color management software uses color profiles (ICC profiles) to calibrate the differences between the digital colors (that you see on the screen) and the actual colors of the ink |
| What should I know about UV stability when using sublimation inks? | | Sublimation inks have limited color-fastness when exposed to direct sunlight. There are many factors that can affect the lifetime of your sublimated product some of which are: climate, season, geography, working time, temperature and pressure, the substrate and image density. |
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