Sublimation printing is one of the most advanced computer print methods. This is because it can produce high quality and vibrant prints, even at a low cost. However, this method can be very hard to use, and the pros and cons of using a sublimation printer can be daunting to any beginning computer user. Here are some of the basics you should know before deciding whether or not to purchase a sublimation printer.
There are four basic types of sublimation printing machines in operation today, including the monochrome printer, polyester fabric printing machine, the toner sublimator, and the dye sublimator. Each of these has its own pros and cons. While there are pros and cons for all four types, the toner and dye sublimation machines seem to have the least amount of cons and benefits when compared to the rest.
The monochrome printer is the easiest to use, and the least expensive. Basically, it is a printer that uses dye sublimation technology, which means that the printer absorbs pigment from the image, or paper, that is printed. The printer then releases the colored dye through an injection port in the printer head. This dye then rolls across the surface of the print area and stains the paper. After the stain has been removed, the paper will need to be reprinted several times, or it will begin to flake and shred.
Another pro to this type of sublimation system is that the machines are very easy to clean. All that is required is that the print quality on the dye-subbed paper is close to perfect. If the print quality is off slightly, the machine is easy to fix. Also, because the printer only uses dye sublimation technology, the quality of the printout will always be better than with a traditional printing press, because the printouts from the machines are much cleaner. The printouts will always have that crisp, bright image that you are looking for, especially with a desktop machine.
A final pro to the use of a sublimation printing machine is that they are very economical. Even though the initial setup may be more expensive, in the long run the machine will actually save you a lot of money, especially if you have many projects. The fact of the matter is that the printer usually costs more to operate than the average printer. However, because it is so much more affordable to use, the cost of the machine itself is definitely more economical than the operating costs of many printers.
Another pro to the use of the dye sublimation printing process is that the final print is very smooth. When you use a screen printing process, there is a chance that you will have some areas that will not come out as you would like them to. However, with the dye sublimation process, the entire image will come out as smooth as can be and every single part will be perfectly smooth and level. It is always possible that you will have areas that are off set slightly, but this is a very minor issue and the chances of it happening are slim to none.
Finally, it is very easy to use the dye sublimation printers when you are doing an online job. These printers work extremely well when you are doing an online proof of your product. The reason why it is so easy to use the machine is because it is connected to the computer through a USB port. In most cases, all you have to do is plug the machine in, turn it on and simply allow the picture to be printed, without having to deal with any extra issues.
As you can see, there are numerous reasons that the dye sublimation printing process is the best way to create high quality t-shirts. However, before you purchase one of these machines, you are going to want to make sure that you know exactly what you are looking for. For example, are you going to be doing online color printing? If so, then you may want to consider purchasing a printer that is capable of doing both types of printing. This is especially important if you are looking to do an online job, because you do not want to have to wait an extremely long time for the t-shirt to be completed. Therefore, it will be very important that you know exactly what type of t-shirt you are looking to have made, whether it be color or black and white.
