-
Anyone using Novachrome Sublimation System?
Hi guys
We’ve been doing laser sublimation for sometime and it’s been okay however, the quality of the final product isn’t nearly as good as that produced by the inkjet system and in particular, the Novachrome Sublijet system.
I have the chance to buy an Epson R1800 and I know Novachrome produce a sublijet ink system for this printer, so it seems the way to go.
I was very impressed with the demo they did for us at a show about 12 months ago and in particular, the no hastle setup of the print driver – I think they call it Powerdriver. Having read about all the problems others on the ‘Sublination’ forum (no more) were having getting the colours right, the powerdriver is appealing.
Just wondering if anyone here uses the Novachrome sub system and any comments.
Cheers
John
-
17 Replies
-
I used to use the Powerdriver on the sublijet ink with the R1800. My opinion, best set-up I have ever had. We eventually found one setting that would deliver perfect results for photograhic/block colours/ hard and soft substrates. Blacks were the best I have also had. I have currently got 9600 and 4800 and although far more expensive I can’t get as good a result. Might be just my settings have not found the right levels but this is where Powerdriver was good. You can download it all on-line.
-
Thanks for the reply ADW
Where you located? I’m in Bridgend for my sins.
The 2 things that impresses me about the Novachrome system are:
1. Can use ordinary Epson photo papers.
2. The powerdriver.Presumably, when you print your image the colours look just as they will when pressed to the substrate? I think with other systems, the printed image can look as if all the colours are wrong until pressed.
Cheers
John
-
I’ve been using Novachrome’s Sublijet ink for donkeys years now and can’t fault the quality one bit and as ADW (?) says the blacks are spot on, the only thing to be faulted is the cost 😥
-
Hi John,
I am down in Swansea just around the corner from you.
You can use Epson paper with any sublimation set-up not just sublijet. It is just the case that is what NC use. I used that paper for a long time and it did a good job. I have since changed and did actually find a slight improvement. Much of this type of thing comes down to what you find right for your set-up. Your only problem starting with an 1800 now is that they are obsolete, so if anything goes wrong then you can be left high and dry. We got caught like this recently at a busy time and trying to get a new system working whilst flat out was a nightmare.
Cheers,
Andrew
-
Hi Neil
Is the cost significantly more than other systems i.e. Sawgrass/Rotech?
Is there anywhere online where I can download the step-by-step process so I can see what’s different from our laser sub system?
Are the substrates more expensive and are you stuck with just one supplier – Novachrome?
Cheers
John
-
quote Neil Speirs:I’ve been using Novachrome’s Sublijet ink for donkeys years now and can’t fault the quality one bit and as ADW (?) says the blacks are spot on, the only thing to be faulted is the cost 😥
I would say that NC could be faulted as well. Not always best with their customer service but I did like the Powerdriver. After going elsewhere I think like for like ink costs are roughly the same. Luckily I have gone wide format now so pay about a fifth of the cost.
-
I know xpres inks are cheaper than novachromes and Steves bulk supplier is a shit load cheaper again but I’m not to sure if u can get a profile for his inks for the 1400 (sawgrass patent issue)
-
quote ADW:quote Neil Speirs:I’ve been using Novachrome’s Sublijet ink for donkeys years now and can’t fault the quality one bit and as ADW (?) says the blacks are spot on, the only thing to be faulted is the cost 😥
I would say that NC could be faulted as well. Not always best with their customer service but I did like the Powerdriver. After going elsewhere I think like for like ink costs are roughly the same. Luckily I have gone wide format now so pay about a fifth of the cost.
:appl: yip, there only really interested in selling u the initial set-up then it’s a case of get on with it. Shame really I think they could offer so much more to there customers. 4-5 years ago they talked about having there own forum…..never happened :roll:, I don’t think I’ve even ever had a marketing email from them….mad
-
John – once you get the NC set-up, yes it is only them you can then get the ink from. I believe they are the only UK distributor of Sublijet.
As for substrates, there are loads of suppliers out there and any of the main inks can be used on them. They will tend to be more expensive due to the coatings they have applied. It all depends the things you want to print really as to the best place to get them.
-
It’s a bit off-putting having just ONE supplier of inks, especially in these hard times!
Are you using the Novachrome system with your wide format printers – Epson 4800 & 9600?
I’m not stuck to getting any particular printer but I don’t want to buy a printer only to discover it soon becomes redundant and/or it won’t do all thing we want to do as the business expands.
Maybe I should be looking at the 4800 or even the 9600 – I guess the cost goes up exponentially! What sort of dye sub items require the use of such a wide carriage printer?
Cheers
john
-
John – just got your PM but unable to reply (not allowed access to send or something). You can call in anytime you want if your passing. We are only just off the M4 at Skewen. As I can’t use PM’s my email is adw @ silverlineltd.com or phone 01792 815758. It’s a warehouse/office set-up so we are always in.
Cheers,
Andrew
-
quote John Cooper:Are the substrates more expensive and are you stuck with just one supplier – Novachrome?
Cheers
John
Here’s xpres’s price list to give you some idea on costs
-
Novachrome guy at last years sign show told me his stuff was the best bar none, totally untouchable, nobody was better all this bollox so I went to the xpres stand borrowed a few items and took them back to him, still insisted he was right as they use an R1800 🙄
xpres were only using an R1400 however they both work on 6 colour.
So exact same quality.My point is this, there is certainly not just one decent supplier out there, personally I would give Jan at revolution transfers a call as he sells lyson ink for wide format, I use it and its as good as any out there.
-
quote Steve Underhill:Novachrome guy at last years sign show told me his stuff was the best bar none, totally untouchable, nobody was better all this ( oh i swore ) so I went to the xpres stand borrowed a few items and took them back to him, still insisted he was right as they use an R1800 🙄
xpres were only using an R1400 however they both work on 6 colour.
So exact same quality.My point is this, there is certainly not just one decent supplier out there, personally I would give Jan at revolution transfers a call as he sells lyson ink for wide format, I use it and its as good as any out there.
What do u use as a driver/profile?
-
I use Lyson ink and download the profile from revolution transfers site.
I get perfect colours, I have a black and white photo of the sex pistols on a mug in my window and its as black as the vinyl I use and thats on the 1290.
It all depends on profiles and settings, 3 years ago it took us ages to get it right even threw a set of ink away to sort the problem out but it comes good in the end, it was all down to the profile and colour settings IE let printer choose colours. -
Steve – do you use the Lyson inks in the 1290? Is that desk top or wide format ink? Is it a hush-hush job….. except for the postings on this public forum 😉 . Just had a look at revolution like you mentioned it it did seem good value even by wide format standards. Might try their ink and paper sometime.
-
The small format inks are openly sold by plenty of other companies, so I doubt sawgrass are going to come after me, I actually buy my ink from someone who doesnt actually sell it or know anyone who does,
so even if they came round the ink that was here wouldnt exist.
If you know what I mean.
And yes I use the small format, patented, inks in my 1290, just like I could use Linux on my computer, we should have a choice, all too many big companies want to tread on the smaller ones and have the monopoly about time it stopped, sawgrass may have the patent but whos to say they invented it they may have stole it themselves, or stitched up some clever inventor so Ill stick with the lyson and the 1290/1400 for now
hey never know. with all this money Im saving not buying sawgrass inks I may be able to buy a JV3 to do my sublimation with one day,
LOLOh and if youre using up to A3 you cannot beat Xpres on sublimation paper for the price its 3 times cheaper than anywhere else.
Log in to reply.