I am familiar with the process of dye sub transfer but have never had any official training to use the equipment at DMS. I am interested in taking a class so that I can work on some Christmas gifts.
One question is that of what sort of surfaces that the heat transfer will work on. I would like to do some photo transfer to a few canvas tote bags, but they are a darker color fabric. So a 2 part question is 1) is canvas doable, and 2) is there a way to provide a solid white backing, other than within the graphic, so that the image pops better than if it were being absorbed in to a darker fabric background?
Thanks in advance for input you may be able to give me here!
So – without being particularly familiar with dye sub, I understand that it works best on polyester, which it can heat-bond to as the polyester melts ever so slightly. Natural fabrics don’t melt, so they don’t bond well with the dye sub. Hearing that had put me off dye sub…
Although, maybe you could get a panel of white polyester (or nylon?) fabric for the dye sub, and then sew it or bond it to the canvas bag.
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Thanks for the suggestion!
So if you’re looking at some items you can use dye-sub on, check out what Johnson Plastics sells. A lot of dye-sub items have a coating on them that allows it to accept the special ink used. I did a search for a canvas tote and they offer white ones that say they’re dye-sub friendly, so it must have a coating on it because you can’t do it directly to canvas. You also want to do it on a light color, not dark.
Johnson Plastics has a store not too far from DMS that you can buy stuff from. Check out this link to get ideas.
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Dye sublimation has nothing to do with material melting. It has to do with the dyes becoming a gas under heat and pressure and chemically bonding with the polymers of the item being decorated.
Dye sublimation inks are translucent, so there is no white ink. Printing on dark fabrics is VERY limited. There are heat transfer vinyls that you can get to print with the sublimation printer, and then cut by hand, or with the Silhouette, and apply to non-sublimatable (i.e. natural fibers or dark fabrics). The two I know of a Siser’s EasySubli and Specialty Materials’ Subli-Print and Subli-Flock.
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That’s great to know there are heat transfer vinyls we can use for dark items. Do you know of what companies sell it? I’d be interested in checking them out.
I know GSG carries the EasySubli (https://www.gogsg.com/2340153/Product/Siser_EasySubli_Heat_Transfer_Film), but I’m still looking for a local supplier of the Subli-Print and Subli-Flock. I’ve not used any of them, personally, but I know some at the 'Space have.
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I tried it with just regular white heat transfer vinyl, it went alright I guess but it’s non vivid colorwise.
And now I’ve got ads for Johnson Plastic showing up in Facebook…
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