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What Equipment do I Need for Sublimation? |
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If you want to start a sublimation business or add sublimation to your current operation, here are the items you need to hit the ground running. 1. A supported Epson or Ricoh printer— Epson has been the standard for a very long time when it comes to desktop sublimation. However Ricoh printers have just been introduced into the sublimation market. They have larger cartridges than smaller Epson printers and seem to be more reliable for users who aren’t printing every single day. The Ricoh GX5050 is a great starting point and the Ricoh GX7000 is the next step up. Remember...only certain models of Epsons and Ricohs are supported, so make sure you know which ones are supported before you go out and buy a printer. 2. Sublimation Inks—Sawgrass Technologies has the patent on desktop sublimation so they are they only manufacturers of desktop sublimation ink. SubliJet IQ inks are great for beginners because they come with a great free color management tool for getting superior final results. Be prepared...SubliJet IQ ink are not cheap! The prices for sublimation inks vary based on printer and ink delivery system. Read more on is a bulk system right for me? You will find rogue sublimation ink for sale on the internet for far less, but its usually made in a far off country where quality isn’t their biggest priority. If you buy Korean desktop sublimation ink, don’t be surprised if the color is horrible and inconsistent. Although the price of the SubliJet IQ inks is a little shocking, you have to think of it in terms of cost per print not cost per cartridge. You can’t compare SubliJet IQ inks to regular Epson ink because its not an apples to apples comparison. They are two entirely different formulations of ink and sublimation provides depth in application for profit. 3. Sublimation Paper—Basically a coated stock of paper so the ink doesn’t penetrate the page. It helps to get more of a release from the inks when the proper heat is applied. 4. Heat Press—Don’t buy a cheap heat press! If you spend $400 dollars on a cheap heat press from eBay, I guaranty you will be buying another one within one year. If you spend the right money on a heat press, it will be the only one you ever need to buy. Keep in mind that you will probably want to get a swing away heat press if you want to decorate thicker items like plaques. Clamshell presses can not decorate thick items effectively. 5. Sublimation Blanks– There are hundreds of sublimation blanks out there on the market. Remember you can only decorate items with a bright white polymer coating that can accept sublimation ink. Unisub makes an entire line of high quality sublimation blanks. You will be impressed with the results of Unisub blanks. Starter Kits are a great way to practice making sublimation and develop sample kits for customers. Its also good to get a wide variety of products to test which products will do well before committing to cases of one particular blank.
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The basic building blocks for a successful sublimation business |
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What is sublimation? |
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Your everything sublimation resource! |
