Impressions - Digital Decorator 2019 - 9

wo camps exist in the sublimation-decorating world:
desktop and large-format
printing.
Desktop decoration entails phone cases,
coffee mugs, socks and thousands of other
products that, for the most part, will fit
on a 16" x 20" heat or mug press. Largeformat printing includes allover-printed
sports apparel, dresses, baby blankets and
more, prepared on much larger heat or
rotary calender presses.
The cost of entry into desktop sublimation printing can be less than $1,000 for
a printer and just more than $1,000 for a
quality heat press. Both printers and heat
presses can cost more, depending on the
image and system size you choose to purchase. Most inkjet printers in the desktop
category originally were paper printers
that were repurposed with a new ink system to produce sublimation transfers.
Large-format printers have a higher
cost of entry. They start in the $6,500
range, with heat presses ranging from
$10,000-$40,000 or more, depending
on the size and number of items being
printed at one time. Large-format printers commonly start at a 42-inch-wide
output. The heat process is accomplished
Multiple items can be placed in a
by either a large-format heat press or a
frame for heat setting.This allows
rotary calender press, where sublimation
easy of loading, unloading and
transfer paper and fabrics are combined
creating multiple products at once.
using a heated roller system.
The conversation when determining
printer size usually follows the following logic: "I only want to
do coffee mugs, so my obvious choice is a desktop printer." Or
conversely, "I want to do allover-printed T-shirts and jerseys, so I
need to go the large-format route."

The Sublimation Process

Regardless of whether you are familiar with the sublimation
process, you likely own sublimated products. Do you have a coffee mug with a picture of the Grand Canyon or White House?
If so, it's likely sublimated. That cellphone case with a picture of
your kids? That's sublimation, too.
The process is straightforward. First, choose a product, such
as a coffee mug, which must be coated with polyester to accept
the sublimation ink. While some products can be sprayed or
painted with this coating, factory-coated products are best for
permanence and washability.
A sublimation transfer then is printed on either a desktop or
large-format printer with special sublimation inks. Any image in
any number of colors can be output. The transfer is printed with
cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK) inks that, when combined, can produce millions of colors. Finally, you apply heat to
the transfer paper and the substrate being decorated to produce
a finished product.
When heated, the dry ink on the paper will transform into
a gas, which molecularly becomes embedded into the polyester
fabric or substrate's polyester coating. The result is a permanent
print.
A Supplement to Impressions

Small-format prints
produced on a largeformat printer can
make a big difference
for sublimators
of any size.
The heat press (a mug heat press for this example) should be set
at 400˚F at medium to heavy pressure. The transfer is attached
to the mug using heat tape. After heating, remove the mug using
an oven mitt. Detach the transfer from the coffee mug for the
finished, printed product.
For coffee mugs, you also can use mug wraps and heat the
product in an oven instead of a heat press. A quality heat press
with even and consistent heating is important to the finished
sublimated product.

A Third Option

Small-format prints produced on a large-format printer can
make a big difference for sublimators of any size. Think small
substrates - coasters and coffee mugs, for example - printed
with sublimation transfers from a large-format printer.
Most decorators shopping for printers only consider the
Fall 2019 * 9

Impressions - Digital Decorator 2019

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