With the culmination of better products, wide format textile printing is reaching new levels and opening new possibilities in the digital printing market. There has long been a requirement from the textile industry to use ink jet but was prevented from doing so mainly by the printers that were available. Now this is being addressed with the introduction of dye sublimations inks and so along with innovations with the textile and inks a whole new market has opened up.
The process is a relatively simple process of transferring dye onto a substrate using heat. The process of fixing the dye sublimation ink to the fabric however involves a process of turning a solid into a gas bypassing the liquid stage. The molecules of the sublimation ink bind to the substrate through the vapour phase so leaving a colour image which is infused into the fibres unlike more traditional methods of ink jet printing which would sit more on the surface.
The advantage of this process is a durable product that can be washed time and time again. These dye sublimation inks are ideally suited to printing onto Polyester fabrics (mixed synthetic fabrics with a minimum polyester content of 60%),Spandex ™ and Lycra™. The disadvantage is this process cannot be achieved with natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, or wool.
You can print directly to the fabric or in a two stage process whereby you initially print the image onto a transfer paper and then transfer to the substrate and set it by using a heat press. The colour and density can be adjusted by pressing longer and changing the temperature. The fabric and transfer paper can also play an important role in what colour and strength you achieve.
The main features of our sublimation ink is that they deliver a bright, vibrant print with outstanding fastness properties. We are sure that having used our dye sublimation inks you will benefit from superior release characteristics giving superb transfer definition.
Markets which have benefitted from this type of printing process are soft signage used in banners, flags and sports apparel. It is now being used in home furnishings for wall and floor coverings.
To install our dye sublimation inks it is important to ensure that the printer has been fully flushed with our specially developed solution prior to installation. Failure to carry out this process could lead to inferior print quality and print-head blockages.
For more information on safety precautions please consult our relevant MSDS.
Think Ink Solutions takes every precaution through the development process to ensure that we offer a first class ink. With regards to the fastness durability of products designed to be used outdoors due to the many factors beyond our control we are not able to provide a guarantee to the inks performance or suitability for outdoor applications.
We provide all technical information and advice on the use of our products in good faith, but it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that the inks meet their requirements and are fit for the application intended. Any liability associated with the use of this product is limited to the value of the product purchased from Think Ink Solutions Limited.