HOW DIGITAL DYE-SUBLIMATION WORKS

Digital dye-sublimation is the process by which water-based dyes (or inks) are printed onto a release paper, and then transferred onto a substrate, or surface. These can range from fabrics to ceramics, metals, timber, leather and many other materials - as long as they are treated with a polymer, or acrylic coating.

Sublimation simply means a change from a solid to gaseous state and back to a solid without becoming a liquid. Thus the dye particles migrate from the paper as a gas, to bond with a polymer - the fabric or other material- and become solid again.

The transfer is affected using high heat (205°C) and pressure thus guaranteeing that the image penetrates and becomes an integral part of the substrate.

TOTALLY GREEN AND CLEAN

You can't get a more green or clean printing process than dye sublimation. We use only water-based dyes that are so environmentally friendly they can be safely poured down the sink. Traditional screen-printing involves large amounts of wasted water, first to expose the screen by washing away the emulsion, and then to clean the screen of excess inks.

DIGITAL QUALITY

Digital technology, being computer driven and controlled, ensures that there are no set-up costs and that just one item can be printed successfully and economically. It also means vibrant, sharp, reliable and repeatable print results.

We use the latest large-format equipment capable of printing to 158 cm wide by up to 100 metres long, and the software will tile an image into individual panels, which are then sewn together where larger prints are required. This process is known as panelling. Our largest print to date is a theatre backdrop measuring 15 m by 7 m (illustration). Print resolution is 720 dpi.

The original image to be reproduced may consist of flat colours (or vector art as used in Illustrator®) or a continuous tone image such as a photograph (also known as bitmap or raster images, as used in Photoshop®) or a combination of both image types.

All cutting, sewing, pattern making and grading, insertion of rods and eyelets, packaging in cardboard tubes, are done in-house to guarantee quality and fast service.