Ok, I am new here and trying to figure out this whole ink business. I am wanting to do sublimation on tees and mugs, and also just regular heat press transfers. I have been looking at the TransMagic! Inks and ArTainium inks from Alpha supply. They both are CIS compatabile, right? Would you have to have two printers or can you unhook the CIS and switch back and forth. IAlso, can you give me feed back on the above inks. I plan on purchasing the Epson 1400. All input would be apprecaited. Thanks ahead of time.
I would not switch back and forth. It would be cheaper in the long run to buy two prtinters.Because every time you switched inks you would have to clean the nozzle a few times to get the right ink printed out. ArTainium inks are costly.
"Pigment ink" transfers to the shirt with the "polymer coating" on the transfer paper.
"Sublimation ink" turns into a gas when heated by the press. You wouldn't want any pigment ink mixed in during this process. It may give undesirable results.
If you need a large format printer for both processes, the 1400 will work. If regular size format is fine for one of the processes, then the c120's are fine to use... both printers work for either process.
all good comments...you definitely do not want to 'switch' back and forth. You would waste a ton of ink and dye sub ink is very expensive...75-85 US for just one cart...full CIS with ink for a 4 color printer is around
$550 but last much longer than the same dollar value of carts. The C120 comes with pigment ink...the 1400 does not. The 1400 has 6 colors...the C120 has 5 (2 are black)...the advantage of the 1400 is the 11x17 size paper that it can take
i am assuming you can do same print jobs with durabrite inks as sublimation inks,just not on same materials.am i right or wrong?
You can print the same graphic, if that is what you are asking.
Also, if you can get away with a smaller format printer, the C120's are dirt cheap, like $39 on Epson's website. You can't buy replacement ink for that!
If you have been looking at the Alpha Supply website for sublimation ink I would suggest you read all the information they have there about what sublimation is and can do as well as what it doesn't do. They have one of the most informative sites out there on dye sublimation. It will answer most questions you might have.
Durabrite and sublimation inks 
