The sublimation printing technique might have caught your attention among the many available mediums for custom shirt business and methods in transferring your digital design into actual wearable apparel. And for sure, you are wondering what equipment is needed for such a technique. Well, let me help you with this because in my experience in the custom t-shirt business, I was able to set-up my own sublimation printing business that creates successful design transfers based on client requirement.
What equipment is needed for sublimation printing business? To start your own sublimation printing business, you will basically need a fully functional computer with design software, a sublimation compatible printer equipped with sublimation inks, and a heat press machine with complete accessories such as thermal gloves and Teflon sheets.
Looks very basic, right? The shortlist might have encouraged you to push through having a custom shirt business in this type of printing method. But every business entails meticulous preparation, and every equipment must be operated with extreme care. So let’s discover more about the equipment, let’s learn more about its functions and its part in building your dream business.
The Mediums and Surfaces You Can Sublimate
Having sublimation printing in mind, you may be thinking of creating designs on wearable garments only. But did you know that you can sublimate on other materials as well? What medium do you have in mind now? Mugs? Smartphone cases? Yes! But what else?
Why don’t we discover more possible substrates to help you determine what other custom prints you may include in your future business?
Sublimate On Apparel
Initially, what you have in mind is to create custom shirts using the sublimation technique. Shirt or garments technically falls on this section. Clothing garments are the primary medium that is basically the best surface and most common to use in sublimation printing technique.
You can print your designs on shirts, jerseys, bags caps and more. The opportunities in sublimation printing using this medium is continuously growing in the custom apparel market.
Sublimating Fabrics
The possibilities are now endless because you can now even print on fabrics that are made from Clothing garments are% polyester. Your printing won’t be limited to cotton or cotton mix fabrics anymore.
Fabrics are commonly distinguished in two different types, the woven texture for the banners, upholstery and exterior signage, and the knit material for custom apparel, flags, and backdrops.
Sublimation of Rigid Substrates
Who would have thought that sublimation will also be available to materials such as glass, fiberglass, aluminum, acrylic, hardboard, and plastic? These materials can accommodate the sublimation printing process as long as the surfaces are treated with a polymer.
These designed materials may be used as decors or as household accents. Why not? A customized material always creates a personalized ambiance.
Rigid Product Sublimation
The range of available materials that can accommodate sublimation prints is ever growing and offer wider opportunities for a brand to create merchandise on virtually any surface. Key chains, phone cases, mouse pads, and pet accessories all fall under this category.
Sublimate Soft Signage
These are interior signage typically used during events and trade shows for interior design and signage. Sublimation process accommodates the time sensitive requirement of promotions without compromising quality.
Sublimation of Ceramics
Decorating your own space with a more personal touch is now possible with sublimation printing on ceramic tiles which will accentuate your kitchens, restaurants, and offices. Designed ceramics may also serve as event souvenirs or as gifts with a personal touch.
Related Items and Accessories
Before getting into the shortlist of equipment needed for sublimation printing, it is also important to know more about the related items and accessories that will play significant roles in creating a successful digital design transfer to your preferred medium.
Sublimation Transfer Paper
Perhaps you are assuming that simple paper would work on transferring your designs. No, it won’t work. Only the sublimation transfer paper can transfer your designs onto substrates. This specialty paper is specifically designed to release much of the printed image from the sheet to the medium.
There are two types of sublimation transfer paper – the light and dark transfer papers. Well, it actually pertains to the fabric where the design will be placed. The sublimation ink greatly relies on a white background to produce accurate color production.
The light transfer paper is intended to be used for light colored garments. It is transparent in nature and blends well with white and other colors that are not too dark such as gray, yellow, pink, light blue and more.
The dark transfer paper, on the other hand, is intended to be used for dark colored garments. It is translucent in nature and creates a solid color that will make color vibrant over dark colors such as black, navy blue, and other dark shaded colors.
Teflon Sheet and Thermal Tape
Although basic disposable parchment paper will help in preventing direct contact of the heat plate with transfer paper and substrate, a Teflon sheet will practically save you from overhead expenses caused by frequent parchment paper replacement.
A Teflon sheet is an essential tool that will prevent direct contact of the heat transfer paper and substrate with a press heating element. Teflon sheets can last up to 200 presses before disposal.
The thermal tape, of course, holds transfer paper on the substrate in place during the heat pressing process. Stock up because thermal tapes are lifesavers during times of demanding production run.
Heat Resistant Gloves
Having a sublimation business will expose you to risks of getting burnt due to direct contact with heated plates during the pressing process. During quick production runs, a heat resistant glove will be your best tool in finishing your load without getting hurt.
A Fully Functional Computer and Design Software
Above all, you will need a computer that is fully functional and in a very good working state. Why? Will a second-hand computer or an old unit not work on this? Well, primarily, it will work. But the question will be, will it work flawlessly?
Your computer will be used in executing the first phases of your project. The option to use a PC or a Mac is always in your hand. Just put it in mind that the unit will not only serve as your tool in keeping transaction records but as well as the creation, execution, and development of designs.
If you are not prepared to have a unit with quite good specs, there will be a tendency to processing lags and errors. Essentially, your computer will not only be used to host the design software but it will also be utilized as storage for files and designs with quite heavy storage requirements.
Here’s some specs suggestion for a computer that will work optimally with a design software:
- A processor of Quad-core and up
- 3 GHz CPU
- RAM minimum of 8 GB
- A Solid State Drive
- A Graphics Processing Unit of at least 2GB
Now that you already have the idea of what to have in a good running computer, it is time to find the perfect design software to match your specs up. The software will be the primary tool that will process your digital designs from creation to enhancement to actual printing.
Design software usually comes with sublimation printers when purchased, making it quite easy and accessible for users to start sublimating. But of course, the free software might not be the one you are used to operating in executing your designs.
Do you find it comfortable creating digital designs through software that you are not quite familiar with? You may still get the handy help with the design software that you are comfortable with, such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel Draw.
A Sublimation Compatible Printer and Sublimation Inks
We are all quite familiar with ink-jet printers, and sublimation printers are not much different from those. The primary difference between the two printing process is the involvement of heat. Heat vaporizes colors created by sublimation inks into a gaseous state to permeate the medium’s surface.
The colors created are blended from pixel to another pixel in a very smooth manner. Sublimation prints create durable photographic quality outputs that are brighter and more vibrant than the typical ink-jet printers output.
A sublimation compatible printer is basically a printer that works fine with sublimation inks. A small format sublimation printer which looks like the typical tabletop ink-jet printer costs around $98 to $120 while the large format sublimation printer costs around $2,500 to $16,000 depending on brand and function.
A sublimation printer uses sublimation inks that are also available in the usual cartridge form or in ink bottles or liter containers for printers with continuous cartridge set-up. The sublimation inks are dyes suspended in water and requires heat for color activation.
Sublimation inks come in four colors similar to ink-jet inks, these are the colors Black, Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta and each liter costs from $7 to $26.
The Heat Press Machine
Now that you are familiar with the basic equipment needed for sublimation printing, the next crucial thing to know is the heat press that will eventually transfer your printed design into the medium where you wish to have your design.
Would you choose something that you are totally unfamiliar with? Or more specifically invest in a machine that you are not sure how to operate or if it matches your requirements? Getting into business will definitely cost you fortunes, but conducting thorough research will help you not waste money on the wrong equipment.
Selecting the best heat press machine might buy you some time. Leave it that way and do not rush things up, research and decide properly because the machine that you are about to buy will eventually translate your digital designs into the actual wearable apparels and other stuff.
Sublimation printing business does not only give you the opportunity to print on garments but also to other products as well such as bags, mugs, and many more. Heat press machine may vary depending on its primary purpose, so it is best to determine what primary product you will cater to.
Let’s assume that garment will be your primary medium for your transferred designs. Heat press machines come in different sizes and packaged applications. But nonetheless, these machines function the same way with any other machine.
At 400 degrees Fahrenheit, inks printed onto transfer paper are heated and activated for the process of ink-to-medium transfer. That’s pretty hot, right? Well, this process takes about one full minute only, peeling the transfer paper off while leaving behind the medium a vibrant and permanent design.
But what do we need to know before buying our own heat press machine? I am pretty sure that you would not want to purchase expensive equipment without knowing what it is really for or without having knowledge of its full potential.
Well, heat press machines are available in four main types depending on your purpose. Why don’t we dig into the details so we will be able to know how it differs from one another? Ready?
Small Format Heat Press Machine
The first of the four main types of heat press machine is the Small Format Heat Press. This type of machine suits well your primary plan of transferring or sublimating your designs on garments, caps, plates or mugs.
This type is the most common among all other types. This machine’s plate is 16 inches by 20 inches in size and may cater to the full-size shirt design. One small format heat press machine costs around $120 to $1,500 for the branded ones.
Calendar Heat Press
Basically the large format heat press, a Calendar Heat Press is ideal for flags, exterior banners, soft signage, and large fabric sublimation formats. It is a machine that works on a roll to roll transfer method due to large format printing.
The cheapest available unit in the market is around $1,800 with other units as expensive as $9,500.
Flatbed Heat Press Machine
A Flatbed Heat Press Machine is quite similar to Calendar Heat Press Machine that it is considered a very versatile machine. Aside from its capability to transfer digital designs onto fabrics, its size and function can cater even to surfaces such as aluminum, hard boards, mats, and other media.
One flatbed heat press machine costs around $2,000 to $12,000.
3D Vacuum Heat Press Machine
This heat press type is the most compact among all others. The 3D Vacuum Heat Press Machine is a desktop machine that is ideal in transferring digital designs onto curved surfaces such as mugs, ceramic plates, smartphone cases, sporting goods and many more.
The handy 3D vacuum heat press machine costs around $410 to $2,000.
Preparing Your Way to Start Up Your Sublimation Business
All equipment has been discussed, are you decided to give sublimation a try? Are you ready to build your sublimation printing business? Well, a few words of advice before anything else – research on your preferred brands of equipment before making the purchase.
It won’t hurt to ask your salesperson questions about the equipment. Ask everything about it including its functions, freight, shipping, and warranties. You surely do not want to be surprised by bills due to hidden charges, don’t you?
When everything has been decided, start planning and building your business. Aside from having the required equipment, make sure to secure your workspace where all your machines will be housed, as well as your work and preparation area. Grow your market and start making profits. Your preparation choices will be a big factor in your success as a custom printing entrepreneur.
Related Questions:
How long does sublimation ink last? Sublimation inks have an expiration and it is indicated in each bottle or cartridge. Ideally, sublimation inks must be consumed within 6 months after installing the cartridges. Unlike regular ink-jet printers, sublimation inks when left in printers for too long without any activity will dry up. It will cause head clogs, banding, and even color shifting. To avoid this, you may print up full colored photos every now and then to avoid drying up.
How often do I need to conduct printer cleaning to avoid print head and nozzle clogging? Printer cleaning depends on printer requirements. There are printers that conduct automatic daily cleaning, while most are initiated manually. Daily printing will help prevent clogs. Run printer cleaning a few times in a week to avoid any possible clog build up.
What is the advantage of sublimation printing over screen printing? With heat, sublimation printing lets its ink permeate the garment’s fibers creating a lasting design, while screen printing simply presses its ink on top of its target medium.
