Much like everything else, printers are not all created equally, thus you should do some research using a scientific approach rather than just pouncing on the cheapest unit you can find. Your first step is to identify which printers are capable of processing sublimation dye, so that you aren’t considering any non-supported printers. Sawgrass produces three sublimation solutions and lists the supported printers for each one online: SubliJet IQ, SubliJet-R and ArTainium. Continue reading “Choosing The Right Sublimation Printer”
Tag: printing
Sublimation Transfer Paper – Which Side Is Up?
Most sublimation transfer papers have a right side and a wrong side, which are easily identified by the words “This Side Up”…right??? … WRONG! Unfortunately, most transfer papers do not have an easy identifying mark to designate which side should be printed on.
In most cases, there are markings on the package as to which side is up, but if you are one of those who likes to rip things open, there is a good chance you will either miss or obliterate the necessary information for paper orientation. But have no fear, in most cases one side is slightly brighter than the other and that is the correct side for printing. Continue reading “Sublimation Transfer Paper – Which Side Is Up?”
Epson vs. Ricoh & the Wonderful World of Sublimation
Since I’ve been here at Coastal I think that one of the most frequent questions I’m asked is “Which sublimation printer is right for me – Epson or Ricoh?” Well, I thought I’d share my experiences with all those curious entrepreneurs out there.
For starters, you’ll need to gauge how much business you do in a month or year and how fast your production times need to be. Neither Epson or Ricoh printers were ever manufactured for sublimation; the ink originally made for Epson is actually specialized for printing photography. Epson’s prepackaged ink is very highly regarded in the fact that is it smudge and fade resistant. Most Epson printers come standard with six to eight printer cartridges, so by having the additional light cyan and light magenta you’re getting a wider color gamut and noticeably better tonal qualities in your photographs. As far as sublimation goes, when looking at the same finished product done on both systems it may be hard to tell the difference with the naked eye. Continue reading “Epson vs. Ricoh & the Wonderful World of Sublimation”