How to make sublimation brighter: a detailed explanation

How to make sublimation brighter? Shirts, mugs, cellphone cases, and other products may all be printed with high-quality, durable images using sublimation printing. Fortunately, there are a few procedures that you should consider to achieve brighter sublimation prints. This article will guide you through the most efficient techniques on how to make sublimation brighter.

Necessary tools for high-quality sublimation

The application of sublimation ink on a specific kind of paper requires the utilization of certain specialist machinery, which is frequently converted during the sublimation printing process. Sublimation is the process by which a solid material transforms into a gas without first becoming liquid.

You’ll require items like sublimation inks, transfer paper, a pre-printed image, butcher paper, and a special kind of ink. Your finished sublimation projects will significantly differ depending on the quality of the supplies you purchase.

A simple and enjoyable crafting method, sublimation produces final products that are vivid and full of color. Just keep in mind that cotton and dark colors won’t work with it.

Why are my sublimation prints not bright?

The most effective thing you can do to guarantee you consistently make sublimation printing brighter is to continually try new printers and materials, as well as to frequently verify the printer settings to ensure everything will operate as it should.

One of the other things that you’ll require is a bit of expertise so you can determine whether the issue with your printouts is with the printer or with the ink and paper.

You should spend a while learning about sublimation printers and techniques before starting a DIY project because so numerous individuals are unaware of how to make sublimation brighter by selecting a bright color or dark color mode on their machines.

If you want the best results, experiment a few different ways, and then stay with the one that produces the most efficient results. If you don’t try, you’ll never discover which method is most effective for you.

How do I make my sublimation colors brighter?

You ought to become proficient in sublimation printing whether you work in the t-shirt industry or wish to print crafts as a means of relaxing. You ought to become an expert at the tactics and strategies for making the prints brighter if you want to give the ideal printing outcomes while employing the sublimation approach.

You don’t want to deliver things that appear faded, right? As a creator, your top priority should always be quality. Creating vibrant colors and vibrant sublimation prints are two ways to do this. Below are techniques on how to make sublimation brighter.

Purchase an exceptional sublimation printer

If you’re new to the world of sublimation printing, you should be aware that purchasing an outstanding sublimation printer is essential. But which printer model comes in first? What to look for in the right sublimation printer is listed below:

Better sublimation Ink Tank Color Variety

As you are aware, printers can have no fewer than four tanks and a maximum of eight tanks. Printers with more sublimation ink tanks typically perform better. Why?

You can only print a small range of color tones with four-color printers. For example, magenta prints as red whereas colors like teal appear as blue.

Do not misunderstand. CMYK printers can also generate prints of excellent quality. The finest quality is provided by six- or eight-color printers, nevertheless.

Although eight-color printers are more expensive, they are worthwhile, particularly if you receive orders with intricate color tones. Eight-color printers are what the majority of the company’s printers use.

Selecting an inkjet printer

There are both laser and inkjet printers, as you are aware. While laser printers use toner made of laser and heat rather than ink, inkjet printers use ink. An inkjet printer is crucial because sublimation inks are liquid refillable inks! No substitutions are allowed.

It’s justified if you currently own a sublimation printer and lack the money to purchase a new one. Utilize the sublimation equipment you already own! The additional advice you’ll learn here will help you make sublimation even better.

Verify that the image is properly mirrored

The method of sublimation printing requires mirroring the image. You won’t achieve the expected outcomes if you omit this step. Either use the sublimation printer settings to mirror the picture, or mirror the image in the editing program.

Employ an adhesive spray to hold the paper or cloth in place and make sure it is positioned centrally to avoid Image Ghosting. This is the secret to avoiding image ghosting and obtaining clear, colorful output in the end.

High-quality sublimation paper

The quality is impacted by low-quality sublimation paper. Various kinds of coatings are available for sublimation paper. The best printing outcomes can be achieved by using the poly-coated side of the paper.

While printing on the incorrect side of the sublimation paper results in duller prints, it additionally interferes with the heat transfer process. The majority of the brand’s top sublimation papers feature a coating on the paper that is intended for printing.

If you desire brighter prints, the quality of the sublimation paper is equally crucial and should not be disregarded. Use the finest sublimation paper available rather than a typical, inexpensive one.

Steer clear of “Ghost Sublimation Printing”

If you’ve attempted sublimation printing before, you could have run into the issue of getting a result with a ghost print that appears faded. The appearance of a ghost print is similar to a shadow that encircles the real sublimation print. The sublimation print appears faded and less bright when viewed from a distance.

The sublimation paper must be secured with heat-resistant tape before printing to prevent ghosting when implementing sublimation printing. Furthermore, it’s ideal to press sublimation paper while it’s covered in butcher paper.

These two procedures guarantee that the sublimation paper remains stationary when you open and close the heat press.

Employ a lint roller

You are unlikely to receive bright, vivid sublimation outcomes if there is an excessive amount of lint on the fabric surface. The ink can’t stick to your object because of the lint. The lint may be eliminated using a lint remover.

Verify fabric quality

100% polyester fabric is advised for bright sublimation print. The polyester fabric above 65% is the optimum level for sublimation.

Sublimation won’t work if you attempt to print on 100 percent cotton.

You may sublimate non-polyester textiles with the help of a good sublimation coating spray.

The sublimation spray is simple to manufacture at home. If that isn’t possible, invest in a quality sublimation spray to make your sublimation more vibrant.

Adhere to the advised heat press settings

If you’ve observed, printing equipment/sublimation blanks typically include instructions for the ideal heat settings and duration. They exist for a purpose. Firstly, you shouldn’t go overboard with it since this could scorch the product and produce discoloration. Furthermore, don’t skimp on it because that could make the finished product appear faded.

Irrespective of the product being employed, always adhere to the suggested heat press settings. When it pertains to sublimation prints, the proper timing, temperature, and pressure are always important, regardless of the item being printed on.

To be clear, heat pressing does indeed contribute to sublimation’s increased brightness. Examining the instructions guide that is included with the product when purchasing sublimation blanks, is a necessary piece of advice.

You could additionally look at the recommended settings that some heat presses offer for various product types and printing methods.

If a product doesn’t have printing directions, you may always look for it online. In essence, medium pressure is advised when using sublimation to obtain a brilliant color.

The main rule to keep in mind is that temperature decreases with increasing time and vice versa. Of course, practice makes perfect. You might wish to take an experimentation technique in the sublimation process.

Pressure

Putting too little or too much pressure ruins the prints. Over-pressurizing the heat press causes the substrate to burn, while under-pressurizing will cause the results to fade. To achieve flawless outcomes, it is essential to apply appropriate pressure.

We advise utilizing an automated heat press machine for clothing if you’re a newbie and don’t know how to use a Cricut Easy Press on which you provide the manual pressure. This is because an automatic heat press applies the pressure by the substrate.

Upkeep of the printhead

The ink in the cartridges tends to deteriorate if you’re utilizing an outdated printer or if you haven’t utilized it for a while, which leads to printhead clogs. Faded prints are frequently caused by clogs. To ensure that the printouts are clean, it is advised that you carefully clean the printhead.

Cartridge replacement

If the ink runs out in the cartridges without being measured, the printer creates faded and void images. You are simply required to monitor the sublimation ink levels to maintain the print quality.

Employ a printer that makes use of the free cartridge system instead if you wish to save time. The enormous volume of the sublimation ink tanks ensures that the ink levels won’t run out quickly.

Employ the proper temperature

With sublimation, your artwork or writing is printed on fabric by being heat pressed to transfer the image to the material. As a result, an additional crucial consideration to take into account while seeking sublimation prints with more brightness is the temperature of the sublimation process.

Premium sublimation ink

Purchase high-quality sublimation ink to use with the sublimation process. If you have a sublimation printer, make sure to always use compatible sublimation ink. Most of the time, because they are incompatible with the printer, third-party sublimation inks and cartridges result in poor print quality.

When dye sublimation printing, ink quality plays a significant role in generating vibrant colors.

It’s normal for solid sublimation ink to seem dull, so don’t panic if your sublimation prints appear dull on the sublimation paper after printing.

On the other hand, it comes to life and reveals its true color when it is converted into a gas and applied to a surface.

Frequent mistakes

Because of a variety of reasons, including mistakes made by us or the sublimation printer, and other factors, sublimated prints frequently become dull and fuzzy. Understanding what you are doing incorrectly or missing is essential for making the necessary corrections to make sublimation brighter.

Below are frequent mistakes that prevent you to make sublimation prints brighter:

Incompetent sublimation printer

Your sublimation printer likely produces prints of poor quality, making the finished product bland and drab.

Outdated printer or ink cartridge

Frequently, after the printer stays idle for a while, the ink particles become stuck and dry, producing dull, blotchy prints.

Consider purchasing a better one if your prints aren’t of good quality or aren’t bright enough. This is a last resort.

Older printers, whether they were designed for sublimation printing or converted, tend to accumulate an excessive amount of dust. Despite your best efforts, if they aren’t thoroughly cleaned, they won’t be able to give you a bright sublimation.

Many inks have a vibrant appearance and abundant pigmentation, but they give little to no fabric resilience. Incredible printing ink keeps its brilliance and cannot be scraped from the finished product.

Lack of heat and pressure

Since the entire process of sublimation involves heat pressing the fabric to transfer high-quality prints, insufficient heat or pressure yields fuzzy and dull results.

Wrong printer settings

Most present-day sublimation printers enable you to configure certain printing requirements to achieve the desired outcomes, however, if you don’t know how to do this, your prints can come out unsatisfying or dull.

Unsuitable template

The sublimation paper used to transfer images may be just a standard, inexpensive sheet that doesn’t precisely reproduce the patterns and vibrant colors.

Image ghosting

This is the term used when you see the shadow of the picture that is to be printed on the fabric. This occurrence happens when the paper becomes unsteady while the heat press is being opened or closed.

Precautions to make sublimation prints brighter

There are certain actions you ought to avoid to make sublimation prints brighter:

Do not apply excessive heat. The colors may become subdued and less bright when the temperature is excessively high.

Never utilize outdated transfer paper. The likelihood that the paper may absorb the ink and fade the colors increases with age.

Sublimation ink of inferior quality should not be used. Lower-quality inks frequently contain fewer pigment particles, which can lead to colors that are flat and uninteresting.

Can I use heat transfer vinyl for sublimation?

A special substitute that enables sublimation on materials other than white polyester is sublimation heat transfer vinyl. This is due to the direct printing of all color inks onto the sublimation blank.

Conclusion

How to make sublimation brighter? You can make sublimation prints brighter by adhering to the necessary procedures and avoiding certain frequent blunders. You may make stunning brighter sublimation prints that last for years by utilizing top-quality transfer papers and substrates, high-quality sublimation inks, and the necessary amount of heat and pressure.

Practice and directions are necessary to comprehend how these elements interact. We hope that we were able to give you just what you needed to make detailed and the brightest sublimation prints.