Dye sublimation printing is one of the most underrated techniques for product decoration. While it may not be applicable for certain surfaces, this process fills many unique niches in the promotional printing market and is the ideal choice for printing on polyester fabrics and polyester resin coated products. 

How Does the Process Work?

• While the multi-step process might seem intimidating, it’s actually very simple. To get started, you’ll need:
• A dye sublimation printer
• A heat press
• Transfer papers
• Disperse dyes (aka dye-sub inks)
• The process is distinctive in that it creates graphics by using inks – disperse dyes – in their gas form. First, graphics are printed onto transfer paper. Using a heat press, the transfer paper is then placed on the item you’re decorating. The heat allows the dried inks on the transfer paper to turn from a solid form into gas and penetrate the polyester fabrics. 

When heated, the polymers in the polyester encourage the inks to bond, which creates permanent graphics that are fully embedded into the material.

What Can I Sublimate?
Anything polyester or with polyester resin coating can be printed on with the dye sublimation process. This includes fabrics and hard goods, such as:

Fabric Items

• Banners
• Flags
• Tablecloths
• Micro Fiber Screen cleaners
• Apparel
• Mouse Pads 

Hard Goods

• Coffee mugs
• Footballs
• Tiles
• Snowboards
• Metal Plates

What About the Disperse Dyes (Inks)?
Dye sublimation printers don’t yet have the capability to print using white ink, so you’ll need to make sure you’re printing on white or light-colored items.

Even with that limitation, the color gamut is still fantastic. Mimaki, for example, has introduced yellow and pink fluorescent inks that can be used as individual spot colors or blended to make a more fluorescent tone of any color.

Why Should I Use This Method?
Dye sublimation is THE process for printing on all things polyester. That’s because the gaseous state of the ink results in a completely washable, smooth image that’s fully embedded into the material. Plus, the quality is high resolution consisting of vivid, vibrant colors. 

The alternative process of UV printing is not effective on polyester fabric items. On polyester coated hard goods, UV prints can feel more textured and look like a label or sticker. With dye sublimation, the texture isn’t rigid or crusty and there’s no threat of scraping or scratching a print.

If you’re strictly an apparel printer, dye sublimation can open up more opportunities to expand your business. Once you have a dye sublimation printer, it’s easy to add hard goods into the mix to broaden your product offering and increase revenue.

How Dye Sublimation Has Evolved
In the early days of dye sublimation, the equipment was expensive and users were intimidated by the multi-step process. Even just a few years ago, the least expensive large format dye sublimation printer on the market was still around $20,000. That’s not even including a heat press, which is an absolute necessity for dye sublimation printing. Around the same time, rotary drum heat presses cost at least $40,000, meaning you’d be spending at least $60,000 to get your dye sublimation operations up and running.

Today, it’s a much different story. There’s more variety in the market and the technology has become less intimidating, making the prices more affordable. Mimaki and Mutoh, two of the top brands for dye sublimation printing, have equipment options running at $10,000 and under. 

Heat presses have also matured, and there are more options available for under $20,000. There’s also a huge demand for niche heat presses, with models available for solely printing on items like coffee mugs, footballs, hats and other products.

So, in just a few years, the cost of entering into dye sublimation production has been cut in half.

What Kind of Dye Sublimation Printers Are Available?
As mentioned earlier, Mimaki and Mutoh are two of the biggest names in dye sublimation printing. The Mimaki TS30 is a great entry model, while the TS300 is wider and faster. Mutoh’s entry level model, the RJ-900, is a great four-color roll-to-roll printer but doesn’t offer fluorescent ink compatibilities. Mutoh’s VJ-1638WX and Mimaki’s TS300P are both eight-color printers with more advanced features like longer and wider print capabilities and faster print speeds. 

Contact ITNH to learn more about the dye sublimation process and to see if it would a good fit for your business!