Hello everyone, I have a small embroidery shop that does mostly embroidery and was considering adding sublimation. I have read alot here about various printers and products but am still a bit confused. My question is Is there or should i have 2 printers one for t-shirts and another for other sublimation product? Also, ricoh is a brand that i have heard good things about but right now I cannot justify the cost for an expensive system. I would like to print heat transfers also. Please advise I know this maybe alot but I just want to make sure I am getting the right things to do what i need to do. Are there any other products that I need to consider to get me started.
Want to Add Sublimation to My Shop
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
Joined
·
588 Posts
Hi Carolyn,
First let me say that I've heard good reports on the Ricoh. Better than Epson from what I've heard.
I know people that have sublimation as their only form of business and do very well at it. After 3 yrs with embroidery, I tried sublimation & vinyl cutting. I was an expensive investment for the cutter, software, mug press, computer, printer & heat press. I sold my printer/cutter w/the computer and software. I do use the heat press & that was a good investment. I'm purchasing a new cutter for vinyl. Overall sublimation wasn't a good direction to go in, at least for me. Also, sublimation ink was very expensive and didn't have a long shelf life and I didn't have the business to support sublimation.
I think that if you have a shop, with walk in customers, that want a picture on a mug or shirt, it could work out OK for you.
Good luck in making the correct decision. It's always difficult.
First let me say that I've heard good reports on the Ricoh. Better than Epson from what I've heard.
I know people that have sublimation as their only form of business and do very well at it. After 3 yrs with embroidery, I tried sublimation & vinyl cutting. I was an expensive investment for the cutter, software, mug press, computer, printer & heat press. I sold my printer/cutter w/the computer and software. I do use the heat press & that was a good investment. I'm purchasing a new cutter for vinyl. Overall sublimation wasn't a good direction to go in, at least for me. Also, sublimation ink was very expensive and didn't have a long shelf life and I didn't have the business to support sublimation.
I think that if you have a shop, with walk in customers, that want a picture on a mug or shirt, it could work out OK for you.
Good luck in making the correct decision. It's always difficult.
Joined
·
1,628 Posts
I am a big fan of sublimation.
After 18 years of sublimation things are
quite good. Yes things have improved.
It would like saying I want buy a computer
because of windows 95 and the high cost of the
past.
I think sublimation delivers the best
value for decorating a very large array
of items.
Check out my many videos at;
YouTube - condesystems's Channel
Let me know your questions.
After 18 years of sublimation things are
quite good. Yes things have improved.
It would like saying I want buy a computer
because of windows 95 and the high cost of the
past.
I think sublimation delivers the best
value for decorating a very large array
of items.
Check out my many videos at;
YouTube - condesystems's Channel
Let me know your questions.
Joined
·
1,276 Posts
Carolyn, you will need to have separate printers for dye-sublimation inks (it will cover all your dye-sub products: t-shirts, textiles, ceramics, neoprene, etc) and for ink-jet heat transfers.
Like David, I love sublimation and all the possibilities it offers. There is a bit of a learning curve - like with everything else - but the results are rewarding.
I'm using wide format dye-sub equipment, so I can't really comment on desk-top printers (I used to have an Epson 4000 a while back and was happy with it), but I hear/read a lot of good things about Ricoh printers.
Do you have a heat press already? Maybe, to ease yourself into the process, you can start offering the service, but outsourcing your dye-sub transfers. This way you can accertain the demand without investing into the printer just yet.
Good luck with it!
Like David, I love sublimation and all the possibilities it offers. There is a bit of a learning curve - like with everything else - but the results are rewarding.
I'm using wide format dye-sub equipment, so I can't really comment on desk-top printers (I used to have an Epson 4000 a while back and was happy with it), but I hear/read a lot of good things about Ricoh printers.
Do you have a heat press already? Maybe, to ease yourself into the process, you can start offering the service, but outsourcing your dye-sub transfers. This way you can accertain the demand without investing into the printer just yet.
Good luck with it!
Hi D Evo, I do have a heat press and will ease myself into the process. I want to make sure I am comfortable with producing a excellent quality product. For the Items that I want to do I believe the desk top printer will be just great for me. Thanks for the information. If you have any other information of advice that you would offer? If i get an order that I cannot handle you best believe that I outsource it.
Joined
·
83 Posts
Hi all,
I've read so much about sublimation and know it is more than I need to invest in the equipment. I have a custom costume business ad also work on small run T shirts and apparel. I found out today there are companies that will print dye sublimation "transfers" for you. That is exactly what I need.
I currently screen print one off small runs and use Plastisol transfers alot, and some inkjet transfers.
Dye-Sub would be awesome for certain projects.
I found out about mytransfersource.com and they seem very reasonable (compared to plastisol) and can seemingly do low/no minimum prints.
Anyone have other companies they use or can recommend? I sent away for samples from mytransfersource but that is the only company I could find that offered this service.
Thanks
Kraig
klothes by kraig
Joined
·
18 Posts
Hi Kraig. I have used sublimation for about three years now. Whilst it is a good print method, there are some limitations you have to take into account.
The first is that sublimation blanks can be on the pricey side, so you have to factor that into your costings, the ink is also extremely expensive and that can cost you way more than the actual cost of your printer. Finally, sublimation only works on polyester, or polyester faced garments which won't appeal to all buyers out there. Cotton is still king when it comes to tee sales.
On the plus side you can also output things like mousemats and coasters from your regular flat press.
The first is that sublimation blanks can be on the pricey side, so you have to factor that into your costings, the ink is also extremely expensive and that can cost you way more than the actual cost of your printer. Finally, sublimation only works on polyester, or polyester faced garments which won't appeal to all buyers out there. Cotton is still king when it comes to tee sales.
On the plus side you can also output things like mousemats and coasters from your regular flat press.
Joined
·
1,628 Posts
The cost of printing with the new printers
like the gx7000, is about half of the cost with
Epson. A full coverage letter page is about $.50 for ink.
That us less than most small cart normal epson printers.
like the gx7000, is about half of the cost with
Epson. A full coverage letter page is about $.50 for ink.
That us less than most small cart normal epson printers.
Joined
·
1,276 Posts
While "cotton is still the king" for casual apparel, it's not an option for active wear/sports wear market - which has been historically main market for sublimation.
Probably, doing one-off gift t-shirts with photo prints of favourite dogs etc. with dye-sublimation is an expencive option, but for personalised performance apparel, team wear, hunting, fishing, hiking, cycling and other activities dye-sub is a perfect decorating method.
Probably, doing one-off gift t-shirts with photo prints of favourite dogs etc. with dye-sublimation is an expencive option, but for personalised performance apparel, team wear, hunting, fishing, hiking, cycling and other activities dye-sub is a perfect decorating method.
Joined
·
121 Posts
My system uses an Epson 4800 printer. Real world cost for ink is 2 cents per square inch, using the 220 ml cartridges, before the blasted printer gets through wasting gallons in cleaning cyles and what not - especially since it has been a clogging nightmare since new.
That would make your 8.5" x 11" page cost $1.87 at full coverage, edge to edge, before waste. I'm told that small cart Epson printers run more for ink than my 4800.
My advice is to use refillable cartidges and buy your ink in bulk to help control costs.
Then, factor in your cost of transfer paper, incidentals, time pressing, cost of electricity to run that 1,500 watt press and a fudge factor to catch anything that you missed, such as test samples and more expensive poly shirts.
You decide if that leaves you in a competitivie position with the alternatives.
In my case, the answer is sometimes yes and sometimes no.
Hello everyone, well I got my printer set up today. I printed out my rgb color chart. I did notice there were lines going thru the chart not sure if that is gonna be a problem or not I guess we will have to wait and see. Tomorrow I plan to purchase some polyester material and do some test prints. Does anyone know if the fabric has to be pre treated or not? It will be 100% poly.
Joined
·
1,628 Posts
Plain polyester is perfect.
Are you using the correct driver setting?
Are you using the correct driver setting?
Joined
·
18 Posts
If you lived in the UK or many other countries where it is cool for most of the year, you'd realise why there is a reduced market for breathable 'sports' wear in other countries Tania. We don't all have the searing heat of Australia.
For professional athletes they would realistically use more specialised wear, than just a logo on a poly tee. I use sublimation as a 'print on demand' technology for our own tees that are sold internationally. DTG is something that was looked at, but the mess involved with regularly blocked printheads and cleaning out ink lines is not a route we wanted to go down. Same reason we do not use Sawgrass inks in small format printers, as clogging of printheads is a regular occurence and their ink was way too expensive as it was, without keep wasting it on cleaning cycles. Incidentally we tried our large format ink from another manufacturer in a small desktop Epson printer as an experiment and it never clogged once. Even when it was left for nearly three weeks without being used.
The usual limitations apply to sublimation with being restricted to a range of pastel colour tees which are expensive in direct comparison to cotton goods. The subli vinyl we tried for dark garments left it feeling like someone had welded a raincoat to it. I wear a lot of the Vapor backcountry tees myself which are very comfortable but I limit the sublimation tees I sell, to white cotton with polyester outer.
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
