ricoh – Page 2 – Coastal Business Current

Sublimation Explanation

First off, what really is sublimation? Sublimation means that a solid is changed into a gas while skipping the liquid phase. Dye sublimation is the process in which heat is used to transfer ink to an item by way of a special ink and paper. Through this process the ink on the paper becomes a gas and then a permanent part of the substrate or fabric instead of being printed on top of the surface. Because of this process the image will not crack, fade, chip, peel, etc.

First off, what really is sublimation?
Sublimation means that a solid is changed into a gas while skipping the liquid phase. Dye sublimation is the process in which heat is used to transfer ink to an item by way of a special ink and paper. Through this process the ink on the paper becomes a gas and then a permanent part of the substrate or fabric instead of being printed on top of the surface. Because of this process the image will not crack, fade, chip, peel, etc. Continue reading “Sublimation Explanation”

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 Neither Epson or Ricoh printers were ever manufactured for sublimation; the ink originally made for Epson is actually specialized for printing photography.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”

Small Format vs. Wide Format Sublimation

Wide format sublimation is defined by using any printer that is 42” and wider. Small Format is considered any printer that is smaller than 42”. Digital sublimation printing and transfer is the same whether you use small format or wide format printers to make your transfers. You can still print the huge myriad of substrates with either process.

Small Format:

Current Ricoh printer models that are supported for small format printing are Ricoh GX 7000 and the Ricoh GXe3300N. Epson printer models that are supported for small format sublimation are the Epson C88+, Epson Workforce 30, Epson Workforce 1100, Epson 1400, Epson R1900, and the Epson 4880. Deciding which printer is right for your business depends on your budget and the size and quantity of the sublimation transfers. Continue reading “Small Format vs. Wide Format Sublimation”