Hi, would anyone be able to show me how to use the dye submlimation printer in the coming week? I would like to learn to make custom tote bags. This seems a more error proof than screen printing.
What is the fabric content of yout tote bags
They’re cotton canvas
I don’t believe the dye sub setup that we have can adhere to cotton, but i could be competely wrong.
@CaryF300 is our Dye Sub group leader, he should be able to answer
The dye sub wants polyester, it will wash out of canvas over time
Good to know. Thank you!
Dye Sublimation only works with synthetic fibers and specially treated objects (coffee cups, dog tags, mouse pads…)
For Cotton, you need either Silk Screening or Heat Transfer Vinyl (which limits you to one color or a few with great difficulty).
The fabric needs to be at least 50% synthetic for the dye to be permanent. It’ll go on to cotton, but disappear when washed.
All the information provided so far is correct. Cotton fabric is a no-go with dye sublimation without an additional process that provides a polyester layer to bond the ink with. You can get canvas totes made from polyester from Condé (http://dyetrans.com/products.php?webmaincat=sub_prods&websubcat=tote_bags), Johnson Plastics (https://www.johnsonplastics.com/sublimation/sublimation-blanks/clothing-wearables/bags?p=2), and Sublimation 101 (http://www.sublimation101.com/sleeves-bags/tote-bags) that are made specifically with dye sublimation in mind.
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Will a pdf file work to print on the sublimation printer?
Any Windows application that can print can be used to produce a dye sublimation transfer. PDFs work just fine, as long as the image within the file is of sufficient quality.
The quality of the final product is limited by the quality of the starting image. A PDF file can contain an image that is 300 dpi (dots per inch) as easily as it can contain an image that is 72 dpi. A 72 dpi image that is 2 inches square and looks fine on a computer monitor when printed at actual size on a printer that prints at 300 dpi will be less than 1/2 inches square. If you force it to print at 2 inches square, then every individual pixel becomes a square of pixels that is 4.1666 pixels on a side. The computer extrapolates the fractional pixels by using surrounding pixels to try to smooth the image. For example, the following image shows what happens when a image is blown up and printed:
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