Impressions - June/July 2016 - 50

screen-printed transfers
The science of binders also applies to screen printing, a process that
does not fall under the heading of digital printing. Plastisol transfers
are screen-printed transfers in which the binder has not been activated. When you order them, they are completely dry, but not fully
cured. Applying them with a heat press activates the binder so that

Sublimation is used
in many applications
beyond apparel, such as
photography and fine art.

the graphic fixates to the garment's surface.

Ink chemistry for sublimation is
such that it can produce a wide
range of brilliant colors at an
amazing level of detail.

Desktop inkjet transfer systems
replace the office ink with a pigment
ink designed specifically
for apparel applications.

with polymers and polyester, so it will
not bond with every surface, similar to
standard digital inks.
In reality, sublimation is a dye, which
means it has different chemical properties than ink.When applied to a suitable
product, sublimation dye penetrates the
surface and recolors it from the inside out.
If you rub your fingers over a sublimated
surface, you can't feel it because it's a subsurface application.With digital transfers
and DTG printing, the ink bonds to the
surface, so you can feel it if you touch the
image.This also makes it more susceptible
to cracking and peeling.
Another unique characteristic of sublimation is that it's considered a high-definition
(HD) printing process.The ink's chemistry
is such that it can produce a wide range
of brilliant colors at an amazing level of
detail.Thus, it is used in many applications
beyond apparel, such as photography and
fine art. It also is commonly used to apply
high-resolution graphics to a variety of
unique products, including signage, promotional items, souvenirs, awards and more.
All of these products must have a polymer coating, but with more than 1,000
different blanks that are sublimation-ready,
there is virtually no limit to the types of
products that can be created.
Because sublimation is a subsurface application, it won't scratch, crack or peel
after being applied to non-apparel items
such as (polymer-coated) metal, wood,
glass, acrylic, slate, ceramics and more.
This makes sublimation ink perhaps one
of the most versatile types available for
product decoration.
So the next time you are evaluating
printing processes, keep in mind that what
you don't see may be just as important as
what you do see, as the chemistry that
occurs beneath the surface is what defines
the quality and longevity of what you
see on it. 
Award-winning author and speaker Jimmy Lamb
has more than 20 years of apparel decoration experience. He currently is manager of communications
for Sawgrass Technologies, Charleston, S.C. For
more information or to comment on this article,
email Jimmy at jlamb@sawgrassink.com.

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