3 Things You Should Know About Sublimation Paper Transfer (3)

Heat presses are available that vary in size and application. Despite these variations, they all function the same way; at 400 degree Fahrenheit, they simultaneously heat the ink on the sublimation paper and the polymer fibers within the substrate, enabling the transfer of ink-to-media. After about a minute, the heat is removed and the sublimation transfer paper is peeled off, leaving behind a permanent, full-color graphic on the substrate.

Although this may sound daunting to some, it’s really a simple and effective method to apply graphics to fabrics and other media. In comparison to traditional print methods, it saves hours and even days of print work and with the right machine, the quality results are comparable to screen-printing.

Once you’ve spent around $20,000 on a dye sublimation printer, you have to consider at least matching this price for your press if you plan to create large format signs and graphics for the long-term. A reliable large format press should last decades and fulfill an increasing sublimation output as your business and printing machinery grows. Invest in reliable quality heat press and plan for business growth.

Of the heat press devices available, there are four main types:

Small Format Heat Press

If you’re planning to sublimate on t-shirts and small items such as caps, mugs, plates, and shoes, then you might not need to spend a great deal on a heat press. Expect to pay around $1,500 and upwards for a decent 16”x20” full-size shirt press from brands such as Geo Knight and Hotronixthat have heat and pressure controls.

Calender Heat Press

Heat presses such as the Klieverik GTC Series are large format presses that are built for flags, large exterior banners, and other large soft-signage applications, as well as day-to-day soft signage and fabric sublimation. With the addition of table attachment to your calender unit, users can cut and sew apparel pieces.

Flatbed Heat Press

Although they can’t effectively manage the kind of rolls and fabric sizes that a Calendar heat press can, flatbed style heat presses such as the Geo Knight Max Press are versatile presses that can heat transfer onto fabric as well as aluminum, hardboard, floor mats and other unique media.

3D Vacuum Heat Press

A 3D vacuum heat press is a compact desktop machine that allows heat transfer onto materials with a curved edge or shape. Sublimation blanks and pre-treated objects, such as smart phone covers, mugs, ceramic plates, picture frames, sporting goods, buttons and others are available for sublimation by this handy device.

These are just three of the many facets of dye-sublimation printing to consider. As you can tell, it is a versatile application with growing appeal to sign and graphics businesses – representing a convenient solution that not only enables apparel and product printing but also allows for sign output that is easy to transport and simple to put-up. Invest in a quality device like the Texart™ RT-640 Dye-Sublimation Printer with Texart inks and transfer paper to open up a whole new category of custom graphics and profits.