Laser Heat Transfer Printing 101

laserpaperLaser transfer papers have some really unique abilities, like the possibility of ‘no weeding’ transfers, but many people are unprepared for the challenge that PRINTING with heat can sometimes become!

You may have run across one of the many issues below when printing and using laser transfer papers:

– Toner streaking, pooling, and spotting all over printed sheets in a large mess

– Toner brushing off surface of paper when transfer paper is handled or peeled off backing

– Transfer paper jamming inside printer

– Transfer paper leaving printer fusing unit covered in toner

– Transfer papers fading after washed, but only one color fades

– One sheet of transfer paper will print fine, but multi-copy prints subsequent copies jam

All of the above issues are caused by one of the following two primary issues:

Either the printer is running too hot for transfer paper, and is causing it to soften and jam inside the machine.

OR

The printer is running not hot enough to fully fuse the toner powder and is creating an incomplete or messy print to the transfer sheet. Continue reading “Laser Heat Transfer Printing 101”

Tracy Takes On…“I’m Confused, Tell me What I Need?” Part IV

We’re going to now move into the world of sublimation….everyone thinks this is a gift to fix all. Don’t be so sure! Sublimation is the process of an ink turning into a gas, penetrating the fibers in the garment when … Continue reading

The post Tracy Takes On…“I’m Confused, Tell me What I Need?” Part IV appeared first on Blogging with Coastal – Transfer Paper, Sublimation, Heat Press, Vinyl and More!.

tracytakesonWe’re going to now move into the world of sublimation….everyone thinks this is a gift to fix all. Don’t be so sure!

Sublimation is the process of an ink turning into a gas, penetrating the fibers in the garment when heated, becoming a permanent part of that item and then sealing into the fibers of that item once it’s completely cooled. Sublimation was originally thought to be a process to apply images onto hard surface items only, such as ceramics, metals, certain plastics, and hardboard materials but it’s become very popular with large format users who are doing customized garments. Anything from jerseys, t-shirts, swimsuits, towels, blankets, floor mats/car mats and tote bags are just some examples of the growing industry.

Small desktop printers range from 8.5” x 14” systems up to 13” x 19” with optional bypass trays that are available. Epson and Ricoh are the main brands of sublimation printers (see all of our small format sublimation-compatible printers HERE). Epson printers are equipped with a Piezo print head technology. Micro Piezo print heads feature microscopic piezoelectric actuators that are built behind the print nozzles. When an electrical charge is applied to them, the piezoelectric elements bend backward, drawing precise amounts of ink from the ink chamber into the firing chamber. When the electrical pulse is reversed, the piezoelectric elements bend the opposite way very rapidly, propelling the ink out of the nozzles at high speed. This helps with clogging issues since sublimation ink is a little thicker than regular OEM inks. A handful of Epson printers are also able to be equipped with bulk refill systems, which use bags of ink instead of cartridges. This will drastically cut down your cost per print as we all know how small some inkjet printer cartridges can be!

Ricoh printers aren’t equipped with these types of print heads, but the sublimation ink used in Ricoh printers is gel-based. The ink flows more smoothly, therefore you’ll experience less clogging (if any). Although there are no bulk hookups for these printers, they are able to house a much larger cartridge size over its Epson friends.

There are also floor models on the market that are still considered smaller format (under 24”) and can run rolls of paper. Then you get into the wide format equipment, which is a whole other blog in its own. Heck, maybe we will see a wide format blog in the upcoming future!

Some CONS are, sublimation is a bad idea if you need to do dark garments! The only way to get a sublimation image onto a colored garment is if the image (ink you’re laying down) is darker than the color of the shirt. For instance, you can do black images or prints on red garments, orange, yellow, pink, blue… (make sense?)

Another downside is if you’re wanting to use a cheap ole’ shirt – nix that idea. Sublimation requires 100% polyester to get the best image and the best washability possible!

The PRO about sublimation is that it is a permanent image on your substrate! What can get better than this? No washing away, fading or cracking to worry about!

The post Tracy Takes On…“I’m Confused, Tell me What I Need?” Part IV appeared first on Blogging with Coastal – Transfer Paper, Sublimation, Heat Press, Vinyl and More!.

A Quick Review of Summer’s Hot New Products

It’s been a very busy summer here at Coastal. In between all of the tradeshows and the construction of our brand new demonstration room (it’s almost done!), we’ve introduced an abundance of new products and equipment that you may have missed. Here are just a few of our favorite hot new products:

Sippy cups – Every parent will LOVE the chance to create a personalized sippy cup for their child. Add the child’s name, a special photo or a personalized design – this will be the hit of the playground! Plus, our sippy cups come in three different vibrant colors.

Mug Master Pro – We carried the Mug King mug press for many years, but recently realized it was time to offer something that is multi-functional and allows our customers to get more bang for their buck. The Mug Master Pro mug press (priced similarly to the Mug King) includes additional attachments that allow you to press not only regular 11 oz sublimation mugs, but 15 oz mugs, 12 oz latte mugs and 17 oz latte mugs. This is the MUST-HAVE mug press for anyone looking to explore or expand a mug-making business. Continue reading “A Quick Review of Summer’s Hot New Products”