Rigid Products – The rigid “blank” products that are widely available include, mouse pads, key chains, smartphone cases, pet bowls, light switch plates and more. New polymer treated materials have been developed specifically for dye-sublimation applications that include aluminum, brass, glass, fiberglass, acrylic, plastic and hardboard sheet materials. Rigid Substrates – No longer limited to just fabric substrates, there is a wealth of variety in product and promotional possibilities available. Here are some of the material possibilities you have with dye-sublimation: Images on hard substrates will not chip, peel or scratch. Images on fabric won’t fade or crack even after multiple washings. Man-made materials such as nylon, certain plastics, and polyester fabrics contain polymers that when heated, enable the bonding of ink.ĭye-sublimation printing yields beautiful and permanent colors that are embedded in the substrate or fabric, rather than printed on the surface. However, dye-sublimation of both fabric and rigid materials is now possible thanks to wide-format printers such as the Texart RT-640 that enables the cost-effective customization of everything from large banners to ceramic tiles.ĭye-sublimation works by penetrating the surface of the substrate with ink.

When people use the phrase “dye-sublimation”, I’m sure that snowboards, metal sheets, and floor mats are not the applications that naturally come to mind. There Are Many Profitable Items You Can Sublimate If you’re considering adding this type of technology to your graphics business, here are three things you should know about dye-sublimation. For many sign and graphics businesses, this quick and effective digital print method is replacing traditional screen-printing practices for shorter production runs and for output that requires multiple colors and photographic imagery. Our Texart dye-sublimation series of printers allow users to digitally add custom graphics to clothing, chairs, snowboards, fabrics, promotional products and more. We saw this type of industry adaptation happen with the emergence of eco-solvent printers, and we can see it now with dye-sublimation printers.

By Lily Hunter, Product Manager for Dye-Sublimation Technology at Roland DGA.ĭigital printing technology has improved rapidly, and as a result, it’s merged and diversified industries so that screen printers are now offering digital printing and sign shops are able to offer apparel.

Sublimation clothing design software