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As you explore inks and printing technologies, you’re likely to find terminologies such as ‘inkjet’ and ‘dye sublimation ink. These printer inks might look the same to the untrained eye; after all, they’re both in liquid form and used in inkjet printers. But the similarities end there. You can’t use inkjet and dye-sublimation interchangeably or buy compatible ink cartridges as a substitute for one or another.
But what exactly is the difference between inkjet and dye-sublimation printing? To understand this, we need to go back to the basics.
Inkjet printer ink is based on the color spectrum known as CMYK, which stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. The printer sprays color in fine dots, typically at 300 dots-per-inch (dpi) and average at 1440 dpi.
What happens during inkjet printing?
In inkjet printing, the ink is printed on the surface of the medium (such as vinyl).
um (such as vinyl). It clings chemically onto the surface of the material to dry by airflow and heat or with an ultra-violet curing system, which is either added to or comes with the printer.
What about dye-sublimation?
In the dye-sublimation printing process, the inkjet printer doesn’t require a high dpi print to create high-resolution graphics because the dye goes on treated paper (transfer paper) as a mirror image. When the image is printed, the dye quickly dries and is joined with a polymer-based fabric (typically polyester). From there, it moves to a heated pressure roller.
As the paper and material are fed carefully through the rollers, the following things happen in this order:
- The dye becomes gas while the heat makes the cells of the fabric or coating expand and open.
- The pressure from the rollers makes the gaseous dye enter the open pores to sublimate the dye into them. That’s why the printing process is called ‘dye-sublimation.’
Dye sublimation ink
essentially integrates with the fabric, so even strong chemicals won’t make it come off the surface. Colors are diffused as gas, so instead of seeing a dot pattern on digital prints, you’ll notice a continuous tone print much like a photograph. That’s because the dots on transfer paper become gas and stop retaining the dot pattern. Then, the color transitions smoothly into the next tone. This is why dye sublimation printing is widely used for producing attractive prints on synthetic fabric banners, clothing, and displays.
Applications of the dye-sublimation printing process
Whether you’re using original or compatible ink cartridges for dye sublimation printing, make sure you have appropriate substrates. Polymer-based fabrics, wood, metal, and anything else that can go through the flatbed heat press are great materials. Avoid using natural fiber fabrics like bamboo, cotton, and linen. Remember that dye sublimation isn’t meant for direct-to-fabric printing.
Get the right inks
Whether you’re doing inkjet or dye sublimation printing, you’ll find affordable compatible ink cartridges at STS Inks. Our dye sublimation ink products are manufactured in the US and will work with wide-format printers from major brands like Mimaki, Epson, Mutoh, Roland, and Kyocera.
