About Sublimation

Sublimation Ink is a specialised product used for printing images onto garments or sublimation treated products (i.e. mugs). Once an image is printed onto 'sublimation paper' the image is transferred using a heat press. The application of heat and pressure causes the dyes in the image to convert to a gas. The heat applied to the object being printed causes the 'pores' of the object to open. Rapid removal of the heat causes these 'pores' to close and the gas (now trapped in the 'pores') converts back to a solid, leaving the coloured image.

Precautions

Dye Sublimation inks have a higher viscosity and overall consistency to OEM inks (i.e. Normal ink used in general printing) It is widely accepted that the life of the printer is reduced when using it with specialised inks such as sublimation. It is also recommended to use the printer frequently or run weekly head cleaning cycles to reduce the chance of print head blockages caused by dried ink. It is typically harder to clean a blocked print-head that uses sublimation inks.