You might have considered dye sublimation printing to customise various objects. It could be any material like custom T-shirts, sentimental mugs, keepsakes or other knick-knacks, or even professional-quality and bespoke items to showcase your work.
There is a difference between dye sublimation printing and laser transfer for various reasons. The first reason is that being the printer, the paper or the ink used for them is different.
The following are the advantages and disadvantages of the system:
Reading guide
Printing with a Laser Transfer Printer
If the item is not for frequent use, a Laser transfer printer is excellent. Laser Transfer Printing is not for making something with a quality look, or for something intended to last. The reasons for the choice of a laser transfer printer by many professional firms include:
- It is re-usable and re-purposed to meet general office needs.
- It applies a thin sheet of plastic to your product. The ink does not stick to the product but to the plastic sheet. Hence, it is possible to print onto darker materials with this, even black, and have the colour show up.
- There is no need for speciality-coated products like paper for laser transfer printing.
The major disadvantages with laser printers include
- It gives lower print quality as compared to sublimation printing because it applies the print to the top of the target surface, meaning that the transfer will not stick if there are any folds.
- There is no death of the fabric itself, making it feel plastic with a slight sheen to it.
- It is most likely to notice that your product doesn’t hold up well, even after the first wash cycle. It lacks the ability to handle rough treatment or high temperatures and tends to crack quickly.
Printing with a Dye Sublimation Printer
Dye-sublimation printing is mostly used for quality items. Some mugs have their print erode into pieces in a dishwasher and the reason is a method. Dye-sub inks the object itself with the pigments entering the molecules of the item. It does not wash out or scrape off.
The following are the advantages of dye sublimation
- The object can stay in a dishwasher, washing machine and microwave since the dye infuses with the material. This does not change for highly durable materials.
- It provides vivid and realistic colours because the transfer in laser printers is the only thing to be dyed.
- The texture of the material does not change because the dye infuses with the material. This is particularly valuable for clothes.
The disadvantages of Sublimation include:
The material itself is dyed and one cannot dye a darker colour into a lighter one. This is why some dye sublimation products that are unbroken, clear white exist. Reputable suppliers are in North Wales and beyond.
You may also like: 5 Tips to Choose the Best and Professional Resume Writing Service