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Sublimation Inks – Which to use?
I think this was discussed a while back but I can’t find the thread.
I’ve used the standard CIS bulk systems from Xpres, Listawood etc. but fancy having a go at getting an empty system and sourcing inks myself, hopefully a lot cheaper.
Does anyone have experience of doing this? Setting up profiles etc?
I found this company http://www.proprint.co.uk/cis_systems.htm who seem to have pre-filled systems at a good price but I’m unsure of the quality.
Also, this particular supplier do CIS for printers such as the Epson R360. I’ve never seen them used for sublimation, is there a good reason for this?
Appreciate any input/advice on this.
Justin 🙂
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19 Replies
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i dont think that is for sub inks mate? maybe Im wrong?
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Nope, you’re absolutely right! 😳 teach me not to look properly. They do dye sub inks for large format though and in small quantities of 60ml upwards.
Cheers,
Justin -
buy a bulk system off ebay, then buy your ink from revolution transfers, all the profiles are on there
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quote Steve Underhill:buy a bulk system off ebay, then buy your ink from revolution transfers, all the profiles are on there
.Steve, Do u have a profile for the 1400, cant see one on their site (?)
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Sorry mate not looked yet, its in the box still while my 2 year old 1290 still performs faultlessly lol
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looks like they don’t do one then 🙁 checked all over the website & nowt to be found.
Probably down to PC Sawgrass 🙄
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email or ring Jan, at revolution he will make you one for 25 quid, or if you buy his ink i think they make one for free, not sure though.
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I’m looking at using an Epson D120, you can get empty CIS for those. Like the look of the Lyson inks, far cheaper option.
What results do you get with them?Justin 🙂
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Just been informed by Revolution that they can’t sell the inks for small format due to license restrictions.
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That’s right, it’s large format ink and beyond sawgrass patent. There are ways around it but none really legal. If you are using small format they have you by the gonads if you want to be above board unfortunately.
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but they will sell in 250 mll bottles.
thats small enough surely? -
It’s about the size of printer rather than the bottle though. Anything classed as desk top is small format. I think you can actually use Lyson etc on Epson 7000 series and above although I have heard some claim it to be the 9000 series and above. If Sawgrass see them selling to small format printers then they will jump on them as this is how they make their money by protecting their monopoly.
For this reason Steve, I would keep it quiet about your supply. The suppliers of wide format ink should ask for the serial number from your printer. I know of a couple of printers that have bought what is basically a scrapped version of a 9000 just for the serial number to protect themselves to some degree. If Sawgrasses prices weren’t 4/5 times more than wide format ink then there wouldn’t be such an issue but they do take the p**s.
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Its ok I dont by my sublimation ink from there.
I buy it from a source that doesnt sell it. :lol1:You can use the lyson ink in a D88 if you want to its the same ink, but just not meant to.
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What’s the smallest large format printer then?
Would it be worth investing in a larger printer to purchase these cheaper inks??
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Mimaki JV33 :lol1:
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I have heard of folk running inks such as Lyson in small format printers but I wondered where they got the profiles done. I know some companies offer custom profiles but was unsure if this works for sublimation inks?
Justin
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Justin – all depends on the printer being used but you don’t always need bespoke profiles. Another option is to use the same colour variants of large format ink in a system already set up. There are only a couple of printers that use the less common ink such as Light Cyan and Light Magenta but even these can be bought in large/wide format and all inks are much the same. This would all breech Sawgrass patent so I would obviously advise against saving all of that money and buying ink elsewhere at the fraction of the cost.
I think wide format starts at Epson 7600 size. I have a 4000 which is classed as small format and is A2+ (17") but luckily also have a 9600 which I use for subli due to ink costs. Bizarely enough, none of these give me as good results as the R1800’s we used to have.
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So I’ve now found a company that will sell me wide format sublimation inks that I can try in an Epson D120. I’ve only ever used Artainium/Rotech etc. and need the same results so I guess it’s a bit of a gamble.
Not sure if I’d be better to just go straight back to Artainium or give these cheaper inks a go. I assume if they work well inu wide format there’s no physical reason why I shouldn’t get a god result in the D120.Cheers,
Justin -
Justin – when you make statements like that always start with "I met someone down the pub who told me they use ………" or "A friend of a friend……." etc. Sawgrass don’t like it and have threatened quite a few end users in the US for doing this.
P.s. just because the ink is cheaper i.e. wideformat, it should still be the same quality. It just might take a bit of tweaking but that is the same with any system…… or so I am told 😉
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