Sublimation is a fantastic printing alternative to inkjet because it allows you to print full-color images directly onto fabric or other materials that require heat for application. However, the cartridges used in sublimation printers are very different from inkjet cartridges.
Sublimation printer cartridges are filled exclusively with dye crystals. Inkjet cartridges may have a small amount of dye in the cartridge, but mainly they’re filled with pigment. Here are some reasons to buy printers like the Epson sublimation printer:
1. The Quality is Higher
With pigment-based inkjet printers, you can get a beautiful print that has true colors — that’s great if you’re printing something to hang on the wall or for display in your home. But when it comes to textiles, nothing beats sublimation! Thread count measures define the quality of textiles, so a higher thread count equals better quality.
Sublimated dye is pressed into the fabric while pigment inkjet is poured onto the fabric like paint, making it thicker and stiffer, especially in dark colors. Because of this, sublimation gives your printed textiles a better hand-feel that people will value more than they would with an inkjet printer.
2. Your Prints Will Last Longer
Sublimation printers like the Epson sublimation printer can achieve high-quality prints that will last much longer than an inkjet print on textile, especially if your garment is dark. You’ll have to treat the garment with care, but the printed image will not fade or bleed after time even though it rests against the skin.
3. The Full-Color Range is Better
While inkjet inks are pretty bright, they don’t offer the full spectrum of colors that dye does. That’s because they use pigments to achieve different brightness levels beyond pure black and white.
However, when these pigments mix, it often creates muddy colors or makes certain parts of your image darker than you’d like.
A dye can achieve a much more extensive range of colors that reproduce the same shade every time.
It’s also a purer form of color which means it will mix more entirely and produce an image with more excellent brightness and contrast overall.
4. The Prints Are More Durable & Harder to Smudge
Sublimation printers lend themselves well to creating lightweight, thin, and flexible prints. This is the reason they’re so famous for making high-quality t-shirts and other apparel.
With this type of printable media, there’s less chance that the ink will smudge or fade over time because it stays bound to the fabric instead of soaking into it. Inkjet prints are more likely to run or absorb into other materials that they’re applied to, especially if the print is on dark fabric.
5. The Full-Color Output is More Flexible
With sublimation printing, you can use your full-color range without splitting up the images on one page or buying hundreds of pages to print an entire book.
You can also edit or change your images with precision because you have more control over the color palette in your design without it being limited by the number of colors available on a page.
6. The Possibilities are Endless
Sublimation is not just for textiles. You can do many other things to make your logo or design into a product that will be cherished by clients, customers, and fans of your brand.
You can use this printing method on many types of clothing, and it also works on things like glassware, candles, mugs, and more. You can even make personalized phone cases.
Final Thoughts
Inkjet is a great way to print out photos from your computer in a hurry with good quality, but in most other applications, there are better solutions available if you have the budget.