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Dye sublimation

	Dye sublimation... is the process of transferring ink from one surface to another, using heat. Dye sublimation has been in use mainly for industrial textile printing, but with the introduction of  portable heat presses, it is becoming a popular way to decorate clothing, other fabrics and just about any other material that can be coated with polymer primer (eg coffee mugs, plates, tiles etc).
	Is dye sublimation same as heat transfers? Thermal transfers can be used for similar application as dye sublimation, but the two processes are quite different. In thermal transfer, the image is printed onto special transfer paper, which is then "stuck" to the blank (eg. t-shirt) using heat. The transfer material STAYS on the fabric. You can use almost any printer and ink to print reasonable quality transfers, but for more permanent and professional looking prints, use an Epson printer and "high temperature" ink. Contact us for more info and/or to buy ink, transfer paper etc (not listed here yet). In dye sublimation, the image is printed onto special dye sublimation (or similar) paper, which is then heated and pressed against the blank for few seconds. This causes some of the ink to vaporize, permeate the fabric and stick into it's fibres. The "transfer" sheet is then discarded.
	Equipment required for dye sublimation. You need a printer capable of printing with dye-sub ink and a heat press. Before buying anything, work out what exactly you want to sublimate. There is little point in buying a wide format printer for example and 5in1 heat press, if all you want to produce is printed coffee mugs. You may find it easier to start small and upgrade as your business grow Printer: Must be Epson ! Any model will do, as long as there are refill friendly cartridges available for it. If you only need to sublimate few things every now and again, want to save few dollars and already have an Epson printer, there is no reason why you couldn't use it for regular printing as well as dye sublimation.  All you need then is second set of refill friendly ink cartridges (& dye-sub inks). Heat press: What you want to sublimate will determine what type and size press you need. Basic models start from around $200 or you can spend as much as several thousand dollars on a fully automatic high volume press. Multi function (3in1 and 5in1) units take up less space and cost less than buying individual units. Work out what you NEED ! We can supply heat presses at competitive prices, but don't keep them in stock. It takes 2 weeks to get one in. Contact us for the latest prices. Ink: Dye sublimation ink is unique and you can not use "normal" inkjet ink. It will not transfer at all. There can be considerable differences between sublimation inks from different sources. Some inks sublimate at higher temperatures than others, which can make them unsuitable for certain (heat sensitive) applications. Shop around and don't assume that the most expensive ink on the market will work any better than cheaper alternatives. You may find it difficult to find affordable sublimation ink in Australia right now, but it is still easy enough to buy overseas. Paper: Good sublimation ink should transfer pretty well from plain (copy) paper and that's really all you need for many applications. If you need higher colour intensity and/or better resolution, using sublimation paper helps. Tip: High resolution paper works almost as well and is cheaper.  You will also need some heat resistant tape for attaching the transfer to your blank (masking tape works fine). Other supplies:  The range of blanks available for sublimating is huge these days and includes mugs, glasses, plates, key rings, aluminum board, puzzles, mouse pads, bedding, bags, baseball caps, towels, t-shirts, tiles and many more.

Product Code	Product Name	Price
DS4-100	Dye sublimation paper A4
DS3-100	Dye sublimation paper A3

 

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