THE DYE SUB COLUMN Introduction to dye sub printing
We welcome new columnist, Justin Mann, who founded the successful online forum,
www.dyesubforum.co.uk. Justin looks at some of the basics, with some valuable tips for those just starting out on their dye sub journey...
O
K, so youʼre just starting out in sublimation printing or maybe youʼve added sublimation to your existing business? What are the problems you may face and how do you overcome them? As with any printing process there are a large number of problems you may or may not face. Certainly in the early days youʼll come up against a few challenges but donʼt let this put you off. Sublimation is a fantastic process that can yield great satisfaction and in return great profits so persevere and donʼt let initial niggling problems put you off. We often see the same questions being asked over and over again at the DSF – Dye Sublimation Forum. Here are just a few examples.
Why don’t my prints look like they do on screen?
Sublimation produces stunning, vivid results and while it may be difficult to get Pantone exact matches (please donʼt offer customers this!) you shouldnʼt notice any major shifts in colour and if you do it could be down to a number of factors. Firstly, check that your printer and software settings are correct. Visit the Sawgrass website for a wealth of information on setting up for different software. Follow the guides carefully as one box ticked/unticked incorrectly can make a huge difference. Ensure you have your printer profile or Powerdriver software installed. If you do not have this installed or your software is not using the profile your results will be poor. Profiles for supported printers are also available on the Sawgrass website as well as from your supplier. Run a nozzle check on your printer. If there are any broken lines run a quick head clean. Itʼs important not to run more than a couple of head cleans in succession as this will waste ink. Some printers need to be left for a while before continuing the cleaning. Visit the forum for more detailed information on this.
J About the author
ustin Mannʼs interest in printing started over 20 years ago when he worked in screen printing. He is also experienced in large format and has spent several years running his own sublimation print business. He became increasingly involved in sublimation and heat transfer and founded the Dye Sublimation Forum three years ago. The growing community now extends to 1700 members who are all willing to help each other. You can find Justin and the forum at
www.dyesbforum.co.uk
Another point to remember is that what you see on the printed paper wonʼt necessarily match the final print onto your blank mouse mat, coaster, mug etc. Sublimation inks are different to the standard inks you may have used before so youʼll need to press a couple of items to see if the quality and colours are acceptable.
I followed the supplier’s recommended settings but my prints are dark/poor quality.
While manufacturers/suppliers issue guidelines for print times and temperatures this will vary depending on your own heat press – even the temperature your blanks have been kept at. If theyʼve been stored in a cold garage/work unit you may need to pre-heat to ensure there is no moisture in the blank.
As a starting point, many blanks will print well at 200C for 60 seconds. Start with this and adjust as necessary. You may need to increase or decrease this but youʼll soon start to see the differences with each change. Some blanks need heavy pressure while others, metals for example, only need very light pressure.
If sublimation transfers are applied at too high a temperature you may start to see a
INKS:
Sawgrass Europe recently launched
SubliJet IQ Dye Sublimation Inks for the Epson WorkForce Pro WP-4015 DN Inkjet Printer. Sawgrass
holds a patent for using
sublimation ink in small format printers.
colour shift. This is particularly noticeable when using the Ricoh printers as the inks used in these printers tend to need a slightly lower time and temperature. Blacks may turn brown indicating “over cooking”.
I bought my printer/inks on an auction site/second hand and can’t get anything to print correctly.
Sawgrass hold a patent for using sublimation ink in small format printers. Youʼll still find people selling cheap printers and imported inks and while this may initially look tempting I would strongly warn against this. Iʼve lost track of the number of times on the forum experienced members state “Buy cheap, buy twice”. Time and again, members come onboard having bought cheap set-ups and end up spending out all over again on supported printers and inks. Save yourself time and money and go down the supported route! You will need regular, ongoing support from your supplier along with consistent ink and blank quality. Spend a little more when you start up and start making money far quicker with far fewer headaches. You may initially think that the inks are very expensive. As a comparison look at the ink cartridges you buy for your standard home printer which may hold somewhere in the region of 7ml. Youʼre buying a much larger amount of ink that will last a long time and when you look at the price per print youʼll quickly see thereʼs plenty of room for profit. ■We welcome all new members regardless of their level of experience at the DSF so please visit us at
www.dyesubforum.co.uk and join a rapidly growing community of like minded folk that will be only too happy to share their vast wealth of experience with you.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
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