About Sublimation
The Basics - The Process - The Possibilities
Note: This is the first
page of your guided tour. The link to the next page, and previous page is always
at the bottom.
The Basics
There
is no single color, imprinting method that will print text (especially with names)
and single color graphics, on metal plates and many textiles, faster or more economically
than dye sublimation toner cartridges, in an ordinary desktop laser printer, using
plain copier paper. Added to this is the fact that the graphic "look"
of sublimated products are widely accepted and bought, all across the United States.
Add
low start-up cost to the above and it is easy to understand why this process is
a great addition to an existing business and even a great start-up venture by
itself.
Many companies already have most or all of the simple
equipment needed. A basic computer, almost any type of graphics or desk top publishing
program (or even Microsoft Word and Word Perfect), any one of hundreds of laser
printers, a flatbed heat press (there are specialized heat presses for ball caps
and coffee mugs) and a plate cutter, to cut metal plates, is all that is needed.
Add a sublimation toner cartridge to that list and you are ready to make some
serious money.
With this equipment you are ready to produce plaque plates,
trophy plates, badges, door signs, direction signs, desk name plates, ID plates,
legend plates, or hundreds of other items that need a lettered plate. Also, many
textiles, such as T-shirts, ball caps, mouse pads, and other items with at least
a 65% polyester content, can be sublimated.
Include an inexpensive scanner
along with a simple to use illustration program, like Photo Shop, and logo's can
be easily be added to your artwork.
Sublimation allows a dozen
items to be imprinted much cheaper than silk screening or thousands of items to
be imprinted much, much faster than engraving. Unlike the old days of hand lettering
and engraving, the power of the computer, and a sublimation cartridge, can turn
anyone into a sought-after, skilled artist.
While lasering, computer
engraving and full color sublimation ink (for color inkjet printers) lettering
methods fulfill important roles, the sublimation toner cartridge method remains
a favorite of enterprising entrepreneurs wanting to add to their bottom line.
Compared
to other imprinting methods, startup costs are low, (part of the tour, in "helpful
hints" page under Equipment), the learning curve simple, supplies
inexpensive and productivity very high. These pluses can create a bottom line
that leaves you chuckling all the way to the bank.
If you would
like to receive sublimation samples, sample transfers you can test, our free newsletter
"Toner Times" and other information, just contact us.
The Process
Dye Sublimation
Toner- Refers to a specific type of toner, loaded into a laser printer cartridge,
that allows you to sublimate. Ordinary printer toner won't work. The term is very
specific. Sublimation Ink, for inkjet printers, is a totally different
animal. Sublimation inks print full color transfers. They work very nicely on
white. On almost every thing else, especially gold metal, the image looks faded.
To
Sublimate or Sublimation- Refers to the specific ability or work needed to
print a transfer onto a suitable polymer coated item. For example, "I sublimate
metal plates and some textiles" or "Sublimation is a fast way to imprint
things." Since sublimation must be done with a heat press, the most common
word used to describe the actual work is "burn." For example, "I
burned over two hundred plates this morning."
A Transfer
- is the actual piece paper that has been printed using a dye sublimation
toner cartridge. For example, "Have you printed the transfers for that job
yet?"
Dye Sublimation Toner Cartridge - is the
formal name for a laser printer cartridge that holds sublimation dye and has been
re-engineered to deliver it correctly. The word toner identifies it as a carbon
based powder rather than ink which is basically a liquid, with a suspension of
toner. "Toner cartridge" is the most commonly used industry term. As
in, "John, the low toner light came on the printer this morning. Better order
another black toner cartridge."
Re-Engineered Cartridge
- refers to the fact that a great sublimation toner cartridge requires better
and different parts than what are found in a standard "off the shelf"
cartridge. Sublimation toner is much coarser and more abrasive than regular toner.
It also goes on the drum much heavier and won't deliver optimally, unless re-engineered.
"Get
A Roll Going" - The sweetest term sublimation professional's use. The
actual work of producing sublimated products is so simple and efficient that even
the novice very quickly "gets a roll going."
The
science and process of sublimation is a very technical subject, used in many other
industries and closely studied and researched by scientists. The following is
our layman's attempt to explain the process with ordinary terms-
Subliming
(sublimation) is a phase transformation process whereby a gas or solid changes
to the other form without any middle steps. For example, heated ice goes to a
liquid and then to a gas. "Heated" dry ice goes directly to a gas. Heated
sublimation toner powder goes to a gas. When cooled it goes back to a solid.
When sublimation toner is put next to a polymer-coated substance and both
are heated, in a heat press, a wonderful transformation takes place. At about
250 degrees (F) the solid toner starts turning into a gas and at about 320 degrees
the polymer "pores" start opening up and the gas starts going into it.
At the 350-360 degree transfer temperature we recommend, this takes place in a
few seconds. The other 28 seconds of press time is to allow for good saturation
and penetration. Almost as soon as the heat press is opened, the temperature drops,
the gas goes to a solid, the polymer molecules close up (this is why sublimation
print doesn't wash off) and bingo! You have a completed transfer print on the
metal.
What the above dry sounding scientific explanation
really means is that you can produce the look of a Rembrandt without any artistic
skills - except your imagination and a computer!
As part of
your tour, specifics of production are covered later under Production Tips.
The Possibilities
Endless!
Whatever can be printed on a sheet of copier paper can be transferred to a polymer
coated metal plate with dye sublimation toner. Tens of thousands of attractive,
personalized and profitable plates are produced, every day, for hundreds of items,
using a dye sublimation toner cartridge.
While a dye sublimation
cartridge can not produce process printing (you can't produce chartreuse, for
example) the standard colors of black, blue, red or green is what the overwhelming
majority of customers buy.In fact, 95% of the sales are black on gold.
Offering
sublimated products is an ideal addition to an existing business and a very viable
business by itself. One of our customers sells over $300,000 a year in only sublimated
products. Granted, we think there is a lot of "business smarts" and
hard work going on with that track record but the point is, it can be done.
Let's
take a look at some profitable sublimated examples
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