It is my understanding that the sub ink is actually a powder that converts to a gas when heated on the press & thus "enters" the poly fibers / coating on the shirt or non-textile item you are pressing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oolong
So dye sub is used only on ........
Is it an actual ink, or does it change the property of the fabric (like how thermal paper in fax machines work)?
It is my understanding that the sub ink is actually a powder that converts to a gas when heated on the press & thus "enters" the poly fibers / coating on the shirt or non-textile item you are pressing.
Interesting. I had never heard of it being a powder, but the rest is the same with what I was told. The cartridges are definitely fluid ink so I don't know at what point the ink would be a powder.
__________________
Hard labor kills, make t-shirts instead.
Inkjet sublimation ink is definitely in a liquid state till it gets printed on to the release paper. However, it does go from a solid state on the paper directly to a gas state when heated up. If you heat polyester molecules up, they open up (unlike cotton molecules that close up - thus the reason why cotton shrinks in the dryer). With the polyester molecules opened up, the sublimation ink in the gas state can go inside them. Cool the polyester molecules down and they close up and lock in the sublimation ink.
Now, if you are talking about sublimation toner...all toner is basically a dry powder substance.
That is the basic science of how sublimation ink works. Hope it helps.
Inkjet sublimation ink is definitely in a liquid state till it gets printed on to the release paper. However, it does go from a solid state on the paper directly to a gas state when heated up. If you heat polyester molecules up, they open up (unlike cotton molecules that close up - thus the reason why cotton shrinks in the dryer). With the polyester molecules opened up, the sublimation ink in the gas state can go inside them. Cool the polyester molecules down and they close up and lock in the sublimation ink.
Now, if you are talking about sublimation toner...all toner is basically a dry powder substance.
That is the basic science of how sublimation ink works. Hope it helps.
Just do plastisol heat transfers. Looks good, feels good and requires less time (if you don't count the time it takes for someone to make the transfers for you). If you are going to do screen printing dont do what I did and buy garbage equipment!
Great informative post for us newbies. After exploring some options, I think I've decided to go with the plastisol. To me it seems the most cost effective way with the best quality.
You cannot do dyesub on cotton as it will wash out. Even if you print on 50/50 half of it will wash out. I have the hybrid system with dyesub on one side and chromoblast on the other. Chromoblast is just a fancier standard transfer system that bonds ink and adhesive on top of the cotton. It will fade, has a slight hand(feel), and leaves a very light window around your design so you should trim as much off as possible before pressing. Dyesub puts the dye into the fibers so the design will not fade, can be bleached, has no hand(feel), has no window around the design since the paper is basically a carrier sheet, etc. There really is no difference in cost between the two to print and apply, and each has it's own uses. Dyesub must be used only on manmade materials or items which are coated with a special polyester. I do tons of mugs, mousepads, and t shirts(the t shirts are about 3 times the cost of cotton t's) so price accordingly. Only epson injet printers can be used for dyesub because of their printheads.
I have been printing onto white poly cotton T's for a while now with sublimation inks, they are not as bright and look like they have already been through a few washes. I explain to the customer that it will hold those colours as they are. I am going to try it out a rally, and see if the bikers will go for it. I have a photographer to take pics of their bikes etc.. and print them there. I will also offer the usual, mouse pad, mugs and the rest. I have bought a printer that takes sublimation cartridges, as trying to take the big printer with the bulk system will be too risky.
If you are printing on 100% poly t's, they should be very bright. Are you using a rip? You are correct that they will not wash out. They can even be bleached and will outwear the fabric. Vapor is my t of choice for print quality, but softlinks are more comfortable and show through less for the women.
You're right Tim. When I say cotton/poly, I am always referring to softlink since they are poly on the outside, but cotton on the inside. I never print on anything that is a blend, though I know some do. He also said that he doesn't want to take his big printer, so I assume(I know that is dangerous) that he is using the correct ICC profile also. Besides, I'm an embroiderer, not a full time printer
Thanks for your feedback. I am using a 65/35 blend. I am now worried that the inks that adhere to the cotton in the shirt will wash out. I am going to do a wash test today. I use the artanium profile and have great results.
Thanks for your feedback. I am using a 65/35 blend. I am now worried that the inks that adhere to the cotton in the shirt will wash out. I am going to do a wash test today. I use the artanium profile and have great results.
Thanks again
Gemais
I would be almost 100% certain that the cotton side would wash out. I haven't done too many dye sub wash tests, but all of the evidence on the forums points to it.
__________________
Hard labor kills, make t-shirts instead.
You are correct. Whatever percentage cotton the shirt has, that percentage of ink will wash out. Besides, you can't beat the look that sublimation gives on either the vapor or softlinks. If you want to print on a blend, use a regular transfer or chromoblast.
Thanks for taking the time to write all that out. I got tons of info from it. I'm just starting out and didn't even know there were that many printing methods.
Thanks
This is a discussion about Pros and Cons of Each T-Shirt Printing Method that was posted in the General T-Shirt Selling Discussion section of the forums.
Re: Pros and Cons of Each Shirt Imaging Method 
Re: Pros and Cons of Each Shirt Imaging Method 
Re: Pros and Cons of Each Shirt Imaging Method 
