What Makes Up a Sublimation System?
There are three main components to a sublimation system: a supported inkjet printer, specialty sublimation inks and a heat press. There are a number of supported inkjet printers available on the market from Desktop Models (8.5″ wide to 24″ wide) to Wide Format/Production Models (44″ and above). Depending on the printer, decorators can choose from a variety of ink configurations from straight CMYK to eight-color sublimation to a Hybrid system, which includes both sublimation inks and ChromaBlast inks for cotton decoration. Lastly, there is the heat press, which is arguably the most important component as this is the catalyst for sublimation. Many manufacturers produce industrial-grade heat press equipment offering many models from which to choose.
With so many options, how do you narrow your choices down to the system that will work best for you? While you always must take into account budget and space, there are two critical questions that you’ll need to ask when choosing a supported inkjet printer and a heat press:
What products will you be making?
What is your anticipated volume?
If you can answer these questions to the best of your ability, it will greatly narrow your choices to a system that will work for the products you intend to make and the volume you plan to produce. Based on these answers, you will have the option of choosing systems based on the following:
Printer Page Width
The available printing width of your supported printer dictates two things: the largest size product you can make and the number of product images you can print at a time. For example, if you are interested in producing a 12″ x 12″ glass tile, you could not print out this image using an 8.5″ width printer. If you were seeking to produce a large number of products at a time (volume production), you would do well to look at a larger print width that allows you to print more individual images per sheet.
To learn more about the technical specifications of desktop sublimation printers currently on the market, please view the following printers:
Epson C88 (8.5″ Print Width)
Epson WorkForce 1100 (13″ Print Width)
Ricoh GX3300 (8.5″ Print Width)
Epson 1400 (13″ Print Width)
Epson R1900 (13″ Print Width)
Ricoh GX700 (11″ Print Width)
Epson 4880 (17″ Print Width)
Heat Press Size and Style
Just as you would choose your printer based on print width, the platen size and style of a heat press should be observed. If you are going to be producing large items or multiple items at a time, your heat press should be of sufficient size to accommodate these demands. For example, if you will be concentrating on t-shirts, consider that there are great variances in decoration area between a child’s small t-shirt and a men’s XXX-large. Your heat press should be able to accommodate your product in a single pressing (per side). Look for a commercial quality heat press with even temperature distribution, a fast recycle time, an accurate thermostat and a platen designed to accommodate your products.
Other System & Workspace Considerations
In addition to choosing the correct printer and heat press based on products and volume, you will need to consider other needs when setting up your sublimation business.
Computer and Other Imaging Peripherals
For the best results, Sawgrass recommends a current generation computer with a fast processor and plenty of memory. For those working with digital photographs and customer-supplied artwork, you may wish to look into purchasing a scanner and a digital camera (the higher the mega-pixels, the better).
Professional Graphics & Imaging Software Suite
The quality of your end products is a direct result of obtaining good graphics and being proficient in a full graphics suite of software to enhance and personalize those graphics. Sawgrass recommends a newer version of either CorelDRAW® or Adobe® Creative Suite. Both suites provide you with the ability to import expansive color management tools and the ability to manipulate both vector and raster images.
Workspace Considerations
When setting up a workspace for your sublimation business, you have a good opportunity to get it right the first time to help with workflow, prevent technical issues and streamline your business.
Separate Your Sublimation Equipment
This is especially important if you work with other technologies that might pollute your sublimation environment (e.g. fabric dust from embroidery equipment or shavings from engraving equipment). Keeping your printer, press and peripherals separate from your other equipment will also help you in pricing products as you can better determine what percentage of your total business is dedicated to sublimation.
Set-Up/Staging Area
You should have a section of your sublimation area where you can easily prepare products for the sublimation process. Usually, this section contains your pre-press accessories such as a paper cutter, heat resistant tape, tack adhesive spray, lint roller and other essentials. This section should not be crowded; you should have ample room to work with your substrates.
Product Cooling & Packaging Area
Once your substrates are removed from the heat press, many will need to be set aside to cool down properly. Consider a metal worktable or a wire rack combined with clip on fans to circulate air around the products as they’re cooling. Many mug manufacturers recommend dunking the ceramic mugs in a bucket of room temperature water when done to stop the sublimation process. After the substrate is cool, you will need to ready it for pick-up or shipping, and the same area can often be utilized. Setting aside a separate area for cool downs and packaging will allow you to streamline your production process: design the graphic; print sublimation transfers; marry transfer and blank products in staging area; press at heat station; then on to cooling and packaging.
Humidity Levels and Temperature
Sawgrass Technologies recommends the following:
Supported Operating Conditions are 65° – 80° F with 40 – 60% relative humidity
Optimum Operating Conditions are 68° – 75° F with 40 – 60% relative humidity
Ventilation & Lighting
While the sublimation inks you’re using are water-based and very safe, there are a variety of substrates that emit an odor when placed under extreme heat. It is always recommended you work in a well-ventilated area, which will also help with the cooling process. In addition, lighting plays a key role in hitting registration marks and determining color matching. The more natural light you have available, the easier it will be for you to ensure successful transfers.
Note: Thanks to Sawgrass for this all-encompassing look at how to choose a sublimation system and get your workspace set up and ready to sublimate. For more information, visit Sawgrass at www.sawgrassink.com or visit Coastal at www.coastalbusiness.com!