Big Picture - September 2016 - 17

On the large-format side, most sheet goods come in 4 x 8or 5 x 10-foot dimensions. Because many shops now have router tables, sheets can be cut to customer specifications, but they can also be cut with less-expansive table saws. What most shops don't have is a large-format, flatbed heat press that would allow them to sublimate full-size sheets. At our shop, we have three small heat presses and one largeformat, dual-platen hydraulic heat press. The dual platens allow us to stage on one platen while we are pressing on the other. Thus, we can have serious production volumes. We have found dye sublimating rigid products more challenging than sublimating fabric, but we continue to get better at it. We have produced some stunning products and therefore have had satisfied customers. The learning curve includes mistakes and products that take multiple tries to meet our exacting standards. The issue with that is some sheets can cost well over a hundred dollars, so we can end up with some expensive waste. MARKET POTENTIAL I will make a bold statement, without reservation: In all of wide- and grand-format printing, if you select the right printer, ink, paper, and substrate, there is no combination of print technology and media that can produce large images that rival dye sublimation to rigid media. It's simply the best. This superiority is consistent across all qualitative measures. The colors are the brightest, most vibrant, and most saturated. Because the image penetrates the surface with dye gasses and not ink drops, the result is a continuous tone look. This feature also allows the sheen to remain unchanged. Whether the substrate is a matte, luster, gloss, or super-gloss, the print process does not alter it. Also, the latest and best dye-sublimation printers output amazing sharpness because of their ability to print variable drop sizes down to single-digit picoliters at resolutions over 1000 dpi. For most of us, UV-cure printing is the de facto method for printing rigid media. Sublimation printing is unlike UV-cure deposition printing, where the ink builds up a physical texture on the surface of the media and alters the sheen of the substrate. Dye-sublimated images are as abrasion-resistant as the coating they're sublimated into. So, if you're sublimating into some of the most durable paints, like polyester powder coat or a coating with aluminum oxide, the image is as durable as that paint or coating. With deposition printing, the image is as durable as the adhesion of the ink to the surface. It can be very good or it can be awful. Is dye-sublimated rigid media the best choice for every purpose? No, and the word "dye" in its name tells you why. If you need color light-fastness outdoors, you must print with pigments. For example, if you plan to direct print to metal or wood for an outdoor application, UV-cured flatbed or hybrid printers are still your best bet. What are some of the potential markets for dye-sublimated rigid media? We sell large aluminum and hardboard prints to a photographer for his high-end gallery. We produced the back wall for a show kitchen on the Vegas Strip using polyester-powder coated sheet metal. We have made clear-coated maple sublimation wooden prints for a fine artist. We provide small, sublimated prints on various media for a pet photographer. We have produced phenolic door skins to change the look of doors without removing them. We currently have a large order for fine art prints on coasters, and we are about to launch our own retail line of products. If you select the right printer, ink, paper, and substrate, there is no combination of print technology and media that can produce large images that rival dye sublimation to rigid media. It's simply the best. So, if you currently own a high-resolution, large-format inkjet printer for fabric sublimation, you're an inexpensive T-shirt heat press away from sublimating small, rigid materials. If you like the results, you can start shopping for a large-format, flatbed heat press. We traded three decommissioned printers for our large, used unit, so we added largeformat capacity on the cheap. If you are looking to branch out and expand your print offerings with the most amazing, jaw-dropping prints in our industry, you should give dye sublimation to rigid materials a try. BOLD NEW IDEAS THAT CATCH YOUR EYE bigpicture.net CONNECT WITH THE PRINT-PROVIDER COMMUNITY AND GET: * The latest news and trends from across the marketplace * Reports on technology and product developments * Expanded project galleries with more images * Spotlights on intriguing industry developments * Lively commenting and other social-networking tools * Access to all issues in the digital archives http://www.bigpicture.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - September 2016