[Invento]

Hey guys,

We are starting down a new business just like you, we been playing with our Epson WF-7110 with printer jack sublimation ink using standard paper for transfer vs sublimation paper. Being scientists at heart we took advice and tested it, we did find that these results can work for a very cheap price, but you will trade time for $ & quality.

Issues & tests:
1. We tested 3 different sublimation paper types and found regular printer paper doubled up with 6 sheets of B size over the top works great vs expensive papers.
2. We found that printer jack worked pretty good but had severe color distortion especially in the red, brown and blue color gradients.
3. We are also using a cheap press and had to calibrate our "turn nob" for different pressures as it doesn't show the pressure.

Answers:
1. Just test them, its cheap your mileage may vary.
2. This was honestly the hardest to figure out, we loaded the printer jack icc profile and used inkscape for design. We found out that inkscape doesn't use icc profiles and the icc profile from printer jack is not actually calibrated because it is based on your workflow, ie paper, ink, heat press and time/pressure settings and of course the shirt. To solve this we rented a x-rite color calibration tool and now our colors are perfect for the shirt we make at the settings we set it for, yea! This was $50 and well worth it.
3. Still trying to come up with a digital version of this, thinking a reed sensor of somesort, but right now i used plastiguage when it was cold and calibrated the press with squishy wax and a caliper, taped the handle with different colors and a legend, tape faces up toward the handle means 20,25,30 lbs of pressure.

We're all learning here, I would love some suggstions on making better reliable prints, but this is what we have so far and is looking pretty good and wanted to share for us n00bs.

 

[PedalJustPedal]

The issue with dye sub is there are many ways to spend a dollar to save a dime. Even "high end" paper like Beaver is really, in most cases, is nominal in ones cost of goods sold. Another factor is production time - if one is doing it part time at home maybe does not matter as much but doing it as a business? Time is money. Personally believe if one took all the time spent trying to save a few quarters here and there and spent on marketing/sales they would be lightyears ahead.

 

[DrivingZiggy]

So i'm truly keen on beginning in the color sublimation world yet im far away from becoming acquainted with the entire cycle. I'm taking a gander at my first printer and the one I have accessible here is the Epson Surecolor F6370 yet I don't know whether the accompanying items can be sublimated with acceptable quality utilizing this printer: Toss Pads, Campaign Workmanship Prints, Metal Craftsmanship Prints and Fired Tiles. I actually need to discover my texture, metal and solicit supplier and my warmth move on the off chance that every one of them can be produce utilizing this printer.

Of course you can print using the F6370. BUTTTTTTTTT you must have dye sublimation inks in it. You can transfer to most--if not all--of the items you're wanting to. BUTTTTTTTTTTTT they must be polyester or have a sublimatable polyester coating on them.

 

[splathead]

So i'm truly keen on beginning in the color sublimation world yet im far away from becoming acquainted with the entire cycle. I'm taking a gander at my first printer and the one I have accessible here is the Epson Surecolor F6370 yet I don't know whether the accompanying items can be sublimated with acceptable quality utilizing this printer: Toss Pads, Campaign Workmanship Prints, Metal Craftsmanship Prints and Fired Tiles. I actually need to discover my texture, metal and solicit supplier and my warmth move on the off chance that every one of them can be produce utilizing this printer.

Large format sublimation printers also need a large format heat press. I don't know what most of these items are, but if they are large, a large press is a must.