[BoniJW]

I'll admit up front that I know very little about this topic, so I'm asking this question. I saw that you can print on thousands of items with dye sublimation, but can one of those items be a flat rock? I am working with someone who is looking to put a print on a flat rock and I thought this may work. any help or insight is appreciated!
Thanks!

 

[charles95405]

In a word NO...sublimation requires a polymer coated surface...which a rock is not..there are DIY coatings but at best they look it...not something I would recommend...a flat rock might not be evenly surfaced...which you need as the heat/paper must be in direct contact with the surface...like a sublimation tile..

 

[BoniJW]

In a word NO...sublimation requires a polymer coated surface...which a rock is not..there are DIY coatings but at best they look it...not something I would recommend...a flat rock might not be evenly surfaced...which you need as the heat/paper must be in direct contact with the surface...like a sublimation tile..

Thanks so much for the info. I will pass it along. Sad, what he's done so far looks really cool, but you can see the clear paper he is using for the image.
I really need to look into the dye sublimation - thinking of adding it on to what I do now - silk screening.

 

[cprvh]

There are laser transfer papers for hard goods that release only the toner to the substrate. They do not require any special coating.

 

[charles95405]

Ron...I have tried a couple and so far found the results to be inconsistent...enough so that I just don't do it... in the case of rocks...even if it worked on tiles etc..would not be effective since you have to have flat even surface

 

[joeshaul]

Believe I've seen a rock printed on with DTG somewhere on this forum, the most common method is usually done by sand blasting and paint filling though I believe.

 

[cprvh]

When I think of "flat rocks", I am thinking of the rocks that are cut with a wet saw which have a smooth finish. If they are not flat (for the heat press), then the direct printers would be an option as Joe has pointed out.

We have printed a couple very large orders (10k+ pieces) on bisque (sp?) tile using the laser papers. The bisque does not require post baking to harden the toner as it seems to adhere to the tile quite well. I personally will not use it on glazed tile.

 

[BoniJW]

When I think of "flat rocks", I am thinking of the rocks that are cut with a wet saw which have a smooth finish. If they are not flat (for the heat press), then the direct printers would be an option as Joe has pointed out.

We have printed a couple very large orders (10k+ pieces) on bisque (sp?) tile using the laser papers. The bisque does not require post baking to harden the toner as it seems to adhere to the tile quite well. I personally will not use it on glazed tile.

These rocks are smooth and flat. What exactly do we need to get?

 

[rrc62]

I can tell you what doesn't work. Goose Juice.... We went through a quart of it trying different coating methods and thicknesses as well as a wide range of press temps and times. Through all of that we were not able to get ANY transfer at all. Nothing. Not even a faint ghosted image. We were coating flat rocks.

If it's something you are dead set on doing and can do a some volume, I'd contact a pro coater like LRI and work out a deal. That's about the only way you'll get professional results. The home brew solutions just don't work.

 

[martinwoods]

We pad print rocks
That may be an option for you if you can find someone to pad print them. Of course you would not want to do just 1 this way because you have to burn plates etc.

 

[BoniJW]

We pad print rocks
That may be an option for you if you can find someone to pad print them. Of course you would not want to do just 1 this way because you have to burn plates etc.

Thank you!
I'll have to look into that.