Make Laser Transfer Brighter!

Hello I think I know a little about Transfers. I've been in the business since 1980 and I've seen a lot of great papers. To start off with, The Printers have gotten a lot better.I use to use the OIL MACHINES that didn't have a "BYPASS TRAY" Fast foreward to the now Present and I have a Oki Data C830N printer that gives me what I want in my transfers. I use Image Clip Laser Dark Papers as well as The Trim Free Paper.

I think that the Image Clip Papers are wonderful Papers to run in today's Machines. The Papers that have a "Trim Free" are great as well. The Image CLip is a "Lighter Paper that I have found works well. You need to use it in a "2"Part process but, it works well.

I also use a Xerox 550 Printer that I "Outsource" My jobs to. I have to say,"(if I dont get in touble) Xerox gives me the Brightest, Sharpest, Image I've ever seen. Now don't get me wrong there are several others out there I've heard that will do the job. So, to sum it all up? the 550 color is in my opinion is the best. My Oki-Data is a great machine though. It serves me very well when I do Trabloid size prints.

JrLey05 said:

Hey Everyone,

I been Testing out Imageclip Laser Light Transfer paper. I wanted to know if anyone had recommendations as to how to make the transfer brighter and more vibrant once it is applied to the garment? I know Inkjet transfers tend to be brighter because of the amount of ink. Has anyone found a way to get brighter and more vibrant results out of the Laser paper transfers once applied to the shirt?

Any help is much appreciated!

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Laser transfer with become darker when pressed on the substrate. You need to edit the image saturation, Gama, contrast and lightness then covert it to RGB halftone. Otherwise if you don't convert it to RGB halftone and the image has gradient and light color ImageClip Laser light will not work. Check the attached photo. Technically the image will not work with ImageClip Laser light. But because I edited all the parameters above and converted it to halftone the image worked. There are light greys, flesh tone and gradient colors in the image. Technically those shades are no nos.

When making adjustments create 6 small images that will fit on a page and adjust the values for each image so that you don't waste transfer papers. Press them on a scrap shirt or swatch fabric. Pick the best of the lot.

I used CorelDraw because the smallest pixel size for halftone is 2. Photoshop smallest size is 4. The image tend to get darker and grainier with large pixel.

In the Okidata printer Color Tab I selected Advanced color, Natural and Vivid. SRGB will make the image pop.

Luis, Thanks for your view on this topic.

We have gone back to using sublimation toners and a different {A} paper when making IC for Darks. IC for lights should be no different.
The sublimation toners gives a much brighter and softer hand.
The difference in regular toners and sublimation toners is there are no pigments in sublimation toners. the colors are produced with DYES and are activated when they are heated. The IC {B} paper has the wash fastness coating that allows the sublimation dyes to adhere to cotton fabrics. I don,t have to adjust anything in running a RGB print because the toner and the {A} paper makes the transfer POP like it is on GLASS. I can tone it down from a High Gloss to a satin finish by re pressing the image a second time by using a Teflon sheet or a baking paper sheet over the transfer.
Regular toners were not designed for heat transfers as sublimation toners are acceptable to heat.

Luis, You have a older printer where you can still get toners and drums less expensive then the newer ones with all of the extra sensors on them. I am still using the c3200 and it is as good as the newer ones.
I have a customer who is buying the c610 Oki and having it shipped to me t so I can remove the toner from the drums and clean them to add the sublimation toner to the drums. The sublimation toner is not very much more then the OEM Oki toners and has a very good yield.
The advantage in cost by him shipping me his printer is he doesn,t need to purchase new drums.
The cost for your c5200 sublimation cartridges is $191.00 per color and the yield for full coverage is approximately 1400 prints letter size.
I do realize your point about the cost restricting customers from affording it but they can switch over when they can afford to using those original drums. It produces a better quality product then a C711W or the c920W at a lot lessor cost by far.
AL
1-866-900-2830

sublial said:

Luis, You have a older printer where you can still get toners and drums less expensive then the newer ones with all of the extra sensors on them. I am still using the c3200 and it is as good as the newer ones.
I have a customer who is buying the c610 Oki and having it shipped to me t so I can remove the toner from the drums and clean them to add the sublimation toner to the drums. The sublimation toner is not very much more then the OEM Oki toners and has a very good yield.
The advantage in cost by him shipping me his printer is he doesn,t need to purchase new drums.
The cost for your c5200 sublimation cartridges is $191.00 per color and the yield for full coverage is approximately 1400 prints letter size.
I do realize your point about the cost restricting customers from affording it but they can switch over when they can afford to using those original drums. It produces a better quality product then a C711W or the c920W at a lot lessor cost by far.
AL
1-866-900-2830

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Al, like I said I can get CMY hi yield 5000 pages tat 5% for $51.00. The price of sublimation is 3 times the regular compatible toner. Add the price of a new drum and toner cartridge that you clean and empty then you fill with sublimation toner. In my case is the lowest price I have seen is $143.00 for drum and $51.00 for toner cartridge will equate to $194.00 plus $191.00 for sublimation toner is $385. Multiply that by 4 and It is $1540.00. That cost more than 3 times I paid for the printer long time ago. That means I have to charge at least $15.00 a shirt for a long time. I charge S-XL $9.00 a shirt and that is even with Bfeey-T. I don't have to worry about color profile that sublimation requires. I can print straight out of the cartridge. Don't tell me your sublimation toner will adhere to very light toner coverage such as light grey, flesh tone and gradient colors without manipulating the image? You and I know that ImageClip Laser light is very sensitive to those shades of color. BTW you said the hand of sublimation is softer. The polymer of ImageClip has slightly harder than JPSS inkjet transfer. Having said that the sublimation toner color carrier still requires the polymer to transfer on the shirt. So what makes the hand softer with sublimation toner? The polymer color carrier of sublimation will still stick to the polymer of ImageClip just like the regular toner color carrier. Are you saying the sublimation polymer carrier is softer than the polymer color carrier of regular toner color carrier? Remember the hound dog design you sent me? I have been holding off mentioning it in the forum in fairness to you. I respect your opinion but sometimes what you say does not match in real life. I am basing my opinion with the samples you sent me as proof. I am not making them up without any basis. BTW thank you for sending the samples. I was not planning on requesting but you offered them to me.

I tell you what I still have the other dog design. I will press it on 100% percent cotton. I will post the result side by side with hound dog which I pressed on 50/50 shirt that turned very dark. I think it is due to dye migration issue with cotton blend fabric. The hand was worse than opaque that has raincoat like hand. The dogs where printed with sublimation toner so the comparison will be valid. It should bot turned dark like the hound dog. Like I said I was not going to mention about the sample or post photo and I am sorry if it has come to this point. I just want others to know what they are getting into based on my experience whit sublimation toner transfer with ImageClip. You can always send sample to those who request them to prove your point. I always give unbiased opinion.

Luis, The samples I sent you were done when I first started this process thanks to Opron.
I know longer run the print in the color printer twice and do not increase the density of it any longer.
I also don,t press it with heavy pressure any more as I press it with low to medium pressure but for a longer dwell time.
I also purchase the drums for $45.00 to go in the c5000 and c6000 models and charge $20.00 to clean them from regular toners. I purchase the c610 drums for $75.00 each.
I will send you samples tomorrow as per how I do them as laid out above for you.
I agree that the polymer resins in OEM color toners and sublimation are similar but the pigments versus dyes is the difference. The pigments are a solid and the dyes are not a solid.
Personally it doesn,t matter to me what color toners the customers prefer. I was using pigment toners for the past 8 months but have recently found that the sublimation toner has produced a better quality print. The cost for a full coverage of sublimation toners is .53 each. The paper cost $1.75 per transfer for Darks and the white toner is no more then .25 foe a estimated full coverage print of $2.50 each.
I also estimated the same cost with OEM to be similar. I didn,t have good results with generic toners for this process.
I will also enclose a pigment transfer on leather and a sublimation transfer to show you how more pliable the dye transfer is versus a pigment transfer. I am only sending these to you as it will illustrate it better then on fabric.
I don,t dispute your costs I am only showing what I buy and charge for drums and cleaning them and respect your integrity.
AL
1-866-900-2830

sublial said:

Luis, The samples I sent you were done when I first started this process thanks to Opron.
I know longer run the print in the color printer twice and do not increase the density of it any longer.
I also don,t press it with heavy pressure any more as I press it with low to medium pressure but for a longer dwell time.
I also purchase the drums for $45.00 to go in the c5000 and c6000 models and charge $20.00 to clean them from regular toners. I purchase the c610 drums for $75.00 each.
I will send you samples tomorrow as per how I do them as laid out above for you.
I agree that the polymer resins in OEM color toners and sublimation are similar but the pigments versus dyes is the difference. The pigments are a solid and the dyes are not a solid.
Personally it doesn,t matter to me what color toners the customers prefer. I was using pigment toners for the past 8 months but have recently found that the sublimation toner has produced a better quality print. The cost for a full coverage of sublimation toners is .53 each. The paper cost $1.75 per transfer for Darks and the white toner is no more then .25 foe a estimated full coverage print of $2.50 each.
I also estimated the same cost with OEM to be similar. I didn,t have good results with generic toners for this process.
I will also enclose a pigment transfer on leather and a sublimation transfer to show you how more pliable the dye transfer is versus a pigment transfer. I am only sending these to you as it will illustrate it better then on fabric.
I don,t dispute your costs I am only showing what I buy and charge for drums and cleaning them and respect your integrity.
AL
1-866-900-2830

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Thank you AL. I did not mean to be disrespectful. I am just stating facts. Can you include ImageClip for light with sublimation toner and regular toner of the same image so I can compare the hands of each transferred image. You said that the drum and toner cartridge had to be sent to you for you to clean and fill the sublimation toner. That is why I stated the price of how much it will cost me to purchase each drum and cartridge. So the $191.00 you quoted me includes the drum and toner cartridge. If that is the case the price makes more since than my supplying the drum and cartridge set. BTW if one has to send you drum and cartridge sets do you send back the recovered toners from them or do you keep them? How much is sublimation toner alone? When the sublimation toner is pressed on 100% polyester shirt what happens to the toner color polymer carrier? Not talking about using ImageClip laser light. I am talking about pressing directly on the shirt using sublimation paper.

I would like to suggest that you post photos so members can see what you are talking about. I read in one of the posts that you said you are not familiar with uploading photos.

Here is link on how to upload photos: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/forum-information/t11206.html

So there you have it. You can't use that as an excuse anymore. I know self promotion is against forum rules but I don't think Rodney would mind you uploading photo when requested by members and no self promotion overtone that comes along with it. I would say have at it and upload as many photos you like. Hope the OP don't mind. It will be beneficial to him and others.

There are other procedures listed in this link that other might benefit from. I hope the OP don't mind: T-Shirt Forums.com Announcements - T-Shirt Forums