Dye Sublimation Printers

What is dye sublimation?

Dye sublimation is a printing process that uses heat to transfer dye into a material. The design is printed in reverse onto sublimation transfer paper using special dye-sublimation inks. The paper is then placed on the item and pressed with a heat press, where heat and pressure turn the dye into a gas that bonds with polyester fibres or a polyester coating. Once it cools, the colour becomes part of the material rather than sitting on top, so the print is smooth, won’t crack or peel, and stands up well to washing.

Dye sublimation works best on white or light-coloured polyester fabrics and on blanks made with a sublimation coating, such as mugs, drink bottles, phone cases, mouse mats, coasters, metal and hardboard panels, lanyards and sportswear. It isn’t suited to cotton or dark-coloured items, because the dye needs polyester to bond with and sublimation inks don’t include white.

An A4 desktop printer is an affordable way to start making personalised gifts and merchandise, while a 24-inch roll-fed printer lets you produce larger transfers for garments, soft signage and bigger runs.