Sublimation Printing: Everything You Need to Know

These days, many people are talking about sublimation and all the equipment you need for it. However, what exactly is a sublimation machine, and how does it operate? You can transfer dyes from a sublimation machine to materials like plastic, paper, fabric, or cards using heat. You may print full-color graphics using a desktop sublimation device, sometimes called a dye sublimation printer, and transfer them to surfaces without needing weeding. The completed products are great, and sublimation may provide access to a wide range of products, like brilliant coffee mugs and colorful polyester T-shirts.

Keep reading this article as we talk about sublimation printing and much more.

What is sublimation?

Let’s first discuss the sublimation procedure in detail. Sublimation uses pressure and heat to transfer dye to polyester fabric or another surface coated with polyester. A transfer paper is first printed with the paint using a sublimation printer. The dye and surface are then heated together while the transfer paper is placed on a surface. When exposed to high temperatures and pressure, the dye vaporizes, then transforms into a solid to magically “sublimate” onto the fabric. Additionally, the dye is permanent and won’t fade, peel, or break over time after it has been incorporated into a surface conducive to sublimation.

What is sublimation printing?

A computer printing method called sublimation printing uses heat to transfer color to objects, including paper, plastic, card stock, and fabric.

The introduction of the sublimation printer changed the printing landscape, primarily concerning the general population. It may be utilized on various surfaces and materials, from coffee cups and dinner plates to photo books and apparel, making it one of the few options for printing on hard surfaces.

How does the sublimation machine work?

Sublimation machines printers are printers with specialized dye-sublimation ink. The printer may be a dedicated sublimation printer or a desktop printer modified to use sublimation ink. The sublimation ink is held in reservoirs or cartridges organized by color and injected through tubes into specialized nozzles with thousands of tiny holes, known as a print heads. You can generate high-quality, high-resolution, full-color images with your fantastic little sublimation machine thanks to the tiny holes that produce sublimation ink droplets as small as four nanometers.

Note that not all inkjet printers can function as sublimation equipment. For instance, the direct to film printer can’t. Do not attempt to convert your inkjet printer into a sublimation printer.

What can you sublimate on?

Thanks to sublimation printing’s suitability for a range of materials, you have many product options.

What is the difference between a sublimation printer and a regular printer?

Using high heat to transfer the image to a substrate, dye-sublimation printers produce images using sublimation ink. The ink used in standard printers does not transfer well under high heat. When a sublimation print is applied on transfer paper, it appears faded, but when heat and pressure are used, the print comes out vivid. A typical printer’s print can’t be transferred, despite being brilliant when it first appears on the paper. Sublimation pigment ink and polyester surface are necessary for the dye sublimation printing method to produce colorful prints.