uksignboards.com | Direct Dye-Sublimation

Sublimation Printing

Direct Dye-Sublimation

Posted by ChrisBroad on 20 January 2009 at 15:26

Hi Guys,

I’ve been with the forum a few years now and it has been a great source of help and information. I thought maybe it was time I could try and share some (limited) knowledge I have with new technologies in our field.
As we all know, Dye-sublimation printing is getting more and more popular with home/small business desktop setups now very affordable (transfer method).

We have just branched into Dye-sub on the larger scale with the fairly new and still developing world of direct to fabric sublimation, where a dedicated heat press is no longer needed.

The machine is a converted Roland XJ-740 bolted onto an ATP calender and control unit. This has enabled us to print directly to specially coated fabrics that sublimate when fed through the calender (heater).

Has anyone here had any experience with this technology or is anyone wishing to branch into it?
Any questions? Please discuss!

Byron Villegas replied 16 years, 6 months ago 5 Members · 13 Replies
13 Replies

Lorraine Clinch

Member
20 January 2009 at 15:33

Hi Chris

Do you have a photo? I can’t quite envisage what you are describing.
Sounds interesting though.

Lorraine
ChrisBroad

Member
20 January 2009 at 17:02

Hi Lorraine,

Yes, just found one from my phone of our installation.

It’s essentially an XJ-740 sat on top of a framework which has a number of rollers for holding the fabric in place and directing it through a heated drum (the Calender) post printing. This sublimates the dye directly in the fabric with no pressure.
The machine is controlled by the ‘box of bits’ in the right bottom corner and only uses the Roland clamp when printing to transfer paper. Otherwise the ATP machine has full control of the media feed, heating and take-up.[/img]
Lorraine Clinch

Member
20 January 2009 at 17:22

Wow, that is some machine!

So you print onto un-finished fabric, then have them finished later?

Do you buy in the fabric already treated? Presumably this is a polyester coating sprayed on?

Sorry, lots of questions….

Lorraine
ChrisBroad

Member
20 January 2009 at 17:31

Yes it is a brute!

Fabric comes polyester coated as you suggest which allows the process to work. By finishing, if you mean hemming, hot knife, stitching etc yes these are all done afterward.
The materials come on rolls that are loaded onto the feed roller which is situated at the bottom rear of the ATP machine.
The route which the fabric takes really is something else. It has a diagram to make sure you load it through the correct rollers at the right points and you use between 3-5m of material just setting up!
Robert Lambie

Member
20 January 2009 at 19:50

why make one with risk of it not being 100% when you can buy these types of machines from the likes of B&P and MC Link?

see signextra link from early last year:
http://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=26778

or am i missing the obvious?
Paul Humble

Member
20 January 2009 at 19:56

I know we cant afford one yet but what kind of money do they go for Rob?
Robert Lambie

Member
20 January 2009 at 20:14

honest;y not sure mate… there are also a few small flat bed printers available that are purpose built to print directly to the likes of t-shirts etc
seen these for around £7-£9k
Paul Humble

Member
20 January 2009 at 20:27

Ive seen the flatbed DTG ones but never for under 10k (inc VAT)
Robert Lambie

Member
20 January 2009 at 21:01

im not 100% mate but whatever i was looking at, it was about those prices, but i could be wrong obviously…
signworld magazine also did a feature reviewing several of them.
ChrisBroad

Member
21 January 2009 at 09:59

quote Robert Lambie:

why make one with risk of it not being 100% when you can buy these types of machines from the likes of B&P and MC Link?

see signextra link from early last year:
http://www.uksignboards.com/viewtopic.php?t=26778

or am i missing the obvious?

We didn’t make it.
They are professionally constructed by an Italian company called ATPcolor and Roland supports them in doing this conversion. They are commercially available to buy in this country from a company called i-sub.
Robert Lambie

Member
21 January 2009 at 10:39

quote chrisbroad:

The machine is a converted Roland XJ-740 bolted onto an ATP calender and control unit. This has enabled us to print directly to specially coated fabrics that sublimate when fed through the calender (heater).

Sorry, it was your comments above that made me think you did the conversion on your own.

quote :

Has anyone here had any experience with this technology or is anyone wishing to branch into it?
Any questions? Please discuss!

you say "wishing to branch into this?" do you mean you are selling this product? again, just asking as top the way you have worded.
ChrisBroad

Member
21 January 2009 at 12:16

Rob,

Sorry if my wording was confusing.
I’ve described the way the machine is put together and by installing this new machine at our site we now have the ability to sublimate directly to fabric.

I was curious to see if anyone here was considering this relatively new technology as a next step or if anyone already has experience of it. Purely because we are fairly new to it ourselves, though because we have ‘some’ experience already, we may be able to offer help/advice.

We are not a machine supplier and we’re not trying to sell anything, just interested in discussing this technology and helping others if possible.
Byron Villegas

Member
26 March 2009 at 15:22

Chris, may I ask what type of applications are you using these sublimated fabrics for? What are the kinds of fabrics/textile have you been using? Is it still necessary for a polyester fabric to be pre-treated before you can print directly on it? Have you tried some of those 100% polyester fabrics used for sportswear, mesh fabrics for basketball jerseys, moisture wicking fabrics, etc.