Advantages and Disadvantages of Dye Sublimation Printing on Fabric Banners

Dye sublimation printing is, by definition, the sublimating of dye in fabric. The way it really works is like this. First, a switch paper is printed on a digital printer that is set up with CMYO dye cartridges reasonably than your typical CMYK inks. CMYK, or 4 colour process printing (4CP is the shorthand model of CMYK which stands for cyan-magenta-yellow-black) is used in surface printing of supplies, including direct-to-material printing, but doesn't become a part of the material like dye sub printing does.

Dye sublimation uses dyes, as I said, and a CMYO dye cartridge set that substitute the black in CMYK printing with an "Overprint Clear." The inkjet printer that is set up to print dyes (this cannot be accomplished interchangeably without a vital quantity of know-how and expense, so as soon as a printer is ready up to print dyes, it's often not transformed back to straightforward CMYK inkjet printing) prints a mirror picture of whatever it's that needs printed on a treated dye-accepting paper identified generically as "switch paper."

This paper is now "married" to a bit of polyester or one other synthetic materials (polyester is the commonest as a result of its versatility in look and usage - from stretchable trade show booth materials to clothes to outdoor flags and an entire lot more) after which it is fed by way of heated rollers that mix warmth - about 375°F or 210°C - with pressure to increase the cells of the fabric and convert the dye to a gaseous state.

The dye is sublimated into the open pores of the polymeric artificial materials, and as it cools once more, traps the sublimated dye throughout the cells of the fabric. Because the dye sublimation shirt printing grew to become gaseous, it does not create a dot sample through the sublimation process like inkjet printing will on material or vinyl or different rigid plastic substrates, somewhat it creates a steady tone print very similar to how pictures are developed and look.

So, now that I've defined the basic difference between dye sublimation printing and inkjet printing, I'll address the original query of the advantages or disadvantages of both. As chances are you'll know, I do not think there's a variety of disadvantages to dye sublimation printing on fabric, but I will provde the two that I can think of off the highest of my head. First, it is slower than inkjet printing because you've gotten two processes within the warmth switch part of dye sublimation, so labor costs are going to be higher to some degree, though there at the moment are printers which have the material and paper inline and they're drawn into the heated rollers as the printer continues to print.

The second disadvantage can also be a manufacturing concern that's being solved by the newer printer/roller items just explained within the earlier paragraph. In the past, and nonetheless within the present, it isn't uncommon for the fabric to get a crease or wrinkle in it, or the paper, and all of a sudden the entire transfer print and piece of fabric are ruined. You would need to start over. A lot of those that have been at this for awhile and are utilizing older gear charge higher costs per square foot for wider material, however many also do not who have the newer equipment.

So far as advantages, I talked in regards to the continuous tone printing that creates brighter and smoother color variations and transitions than you may find with inkjet printing, and a superior overall look, in our opinion. Also, because the dye impregnates or is sublimated in the cloth, it's everlasting and cannot flake off like some forms of ink will, significantly garment inks used for t-shirts or inks printed on inflexible substrates. So, durability and appearance are probably the very best examples of the superiority of dye sublimation printing of cloth or garments.