[34Ford]

Have any of you seen these plaques that are given out that is a composite material with a matte black finish and the top is bright white with the image in it?

I thought sublimation at first but it cant be.

Reason I say this is there is no aluminum plate on the top of the base.
There is no seam or crack from the black to the white image. Smooth transition.

And the image has real crisp details.

 

[shonroti]

This is probably a sublimatable plaque. Romark makes a plaque that sounds very similar to this (matte black frame around a white face.

 

[34Ford]

But this plaque dont have a aluminum plate on top of it.
And the plaque itself is made from that re-manufactured pressed material.
You can tell from where it was milled out for hanging it on a nail.

Its a one piece plaque.

Unless the base material was molded around a aluminum plate.
You cant feel a seam no where.

 

[MX1CAN]

Aluminum plates aren't the only thing you can sublimate on.

Check out these plaques as I think this is what you're referring to:
UNISUB Plaques for Sublimation Imprinting - DyeTrans.com

If none of those fit your needs then browse through these sections:
UNISUB Plaques for Sublimation Imprinting - DyeTrans.com

I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for or maybe something similar to it.

 

[JYA]

Aluminum plates aren't the only thing you can sublimate on.

Check out these plaques as I think this is what you're referring to:
UNISUB Plaques for Sublimation Imprinting - DyeTrans.com

If none of those fit your needs then browse through these sections:
UNISUB Plaques for Sublimation Imprinting - DyeTrans.com

I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for or maybe something similar to it.

I get my wood plaques + double sided tape from JDS and the aluminum from Digital Grafx. Even with the shipping from two different sources, the cost is far less than the Unisub plaques, the quality is night and day better, and you don't have to worry about closing your platen onto a 3/4" thick piece of wood.

 

[DaveW]

I am pretty sure you are referring to the Unisub black ogee edge plaques like were referenced.

We use these all the time, the sublimatible part is "built in" and there is no seam between the wood and "it".

They can look really, really spectacular with the right artwork.

DaveW

 

[34Ford]

How does the top of them look when you buy them? Are they white or do you specify?

They look good.

 

[DaveW]

How does the top of them look when you buy them? Are they white or do you specify?

They look good.

It is gloss white just like white sublimation metal. You make your own color.

I haven't seen them in other "colors" like brushed alum or brass.

DaveW

 

[34Ford]

How bad is the upkeep on a sublimation printer?
Is it as bad as DTG printers?

I see where I could make awards for our car shows.

 

[MX1CAN]

How bad is the upkeep on a sublimation printer?
Is it as bad as DTG printers?

I see where I could make awards for our car shows.

Well I've never worked with a DTG machine but from what I've read around here and what I know about sublimation from experience I'd say the upkeep difference is huge.

With a sublimation printer you mostly have to worry about your lines clogging if you don't use it regularly but that's nothing that a few nozzle checks and cleanings can't clear up.

 

[34Ford]

I assume your talking about a CISS system.

Well thats good to hear. I know there is software that will cycle your printer for you or you could use one of those images I saw on here that you can run thru your printer to exercise your cartridges from time to time.

Ill have to look at the options. I guess you can go CISS or cartridges.

 

[JYA]

It is gloss white just like white sublimation metal. You make your own color.

I haven't seen them in other "colors" like brushed alum or brass.

DaveW

My experience has been that the Unisub gloss doesn't come close to the quality of either Digital Grafx or ID Plates aluminum. I have a client that specifically requests the aluminum plates, so, I am on the verge of giving away the little Unisub stock I have left.

Furthermore, ID Plates has aluminum plates that can be bought in white, silver, gold, brass, and other colors.

 

[MX1CAN]

My experience has been that the Unisub gloss doesn't come close to the quality of either Digital Grafx or ID Plates aluminum. I have a client that specifically requests the aluminum plates, so, I am on the verge of giving away the little Unisub stock I have left.

Furthermore, ID Plates has aluminum plates that can be bought in white, silver, gold, brass, and other colors.

Hey Marcelo we'd be happy to take the Unisub stock off your hands if you're just giving it away

I'll definitely check into those plates if the quality difference is truly as you say it is then we may just make the switch as well.


@34Ford: Yes I was referring to a CISS system which for this purpose is definitely recommended over the cartridges.

 

[DaveW]

CISS is the devil on Epson printers in my experience unless you print a ton each day. I had terrible clogging problems with mine. I switched over to refillable cartridges and that worked much better for me, but still occasionally clogged and you had to fill the cartridges all the time with the syringe, etc.

I switched to a Ricoh GX5050n and never looked back.

Everyone's mileage may vary.

DaveW

 

[natloc]

I have been doing sublimated plaques for a local cruise-in for a couple of years. They prefer the white metal with the winner's car imprinted. The only real headache has been color matching the car. The camera interprets the picture one way, Photoshop interprets the color another way, then you think it's right and you convert to CMYK and the driver changes it slightly and sometimes it is a pretty big surprise when it is sublimated. If you are cartooning the cars or just throwing a stock photo on the plaque, no worries, but if it is the real car, the owners expect the color to be perfect, it can be quite time consuming, even more so when the photographer sends pics with glare and reflections.