1. What is digital sublimation transfer?

In digital sublimation transfer an image is printed with an inkjet printer onto transfer paper (Jetcol). Using heat and pressure from a standard heat press, the image is transferred to a substrate. Digital sublimation transfer requires special inks (J-Teck). These inks contain disperse dyes, which have the property to sublimate (phase change from solid to gas) when heated. The sublimated dyes will bond to polyester in particular. This means that substrates must contain polyester or polyester blends to give sufficient results. Transfer can also be done on other materials like metal, glass, ceramics a.o., if coated with polyester.

Sublimation transfer is often mistaken for cold or hot peel transfer. In cold or hot peel transfer one prints with normal inkjet inks on a special transfer paper. This paper is coated with a polymer layer. This layer along with the image is transferred to the substrate, providing adhesion and a degree of protection. Contrary to sublimation transfer the stability of cold or hot peel transfer is relatively poor.

2. Why should I use Jetcol instead of a regular inkjet paper for digital sublimation transfer?

Jetcol is especially designed for digital sublimation transfer. The coating on top of the paper is designed to receive inks at printing, but also to release the inks during transfer. This explains the high transfer yield of Jetcol as compared to a regular inkjet paper. A regular inkjet paper is developed to receive and bind the inks to the paper after printing. Advantages of using Jetcol: saving on ink costs and producing deep shades at reasonable ink costs.

3. Can I transfer onto cotton?

In sublimation transfer disperse dyes are utilized. Transfer with these dyes works best onto polyester or polyester blends (min. 60% polyester). These transfers have high UV and washing stability. Sublimation transfer onto pure cotton will give poor results, because of the chemical properties and physical behavior of cotton.

4. Can I transfer onto materials other than textiles?

Without special treatment of the material sublimation transfer to materials like metal, wood, ceramics or glass is not possible, because the disperse dyes have no or less possibility to fixate. When a material is coated for instance with a polyester film fixation of the dyes is possible and sublimation transfer will give good results. The transfer result depends also on the quality of the coating used.

5. What are the best transfer conditions?

The transfer yield is influenced by two factors: transfer time and temperature. Onto textiles a temperature of 210ºC and a time of 30 seconds is generally used. On other substrates temperature and time should be adjusted, depending on the nature of the substrate. An increase in temperature will give more sublimation of the dyes, and a higher yield. An increase in time will give a higher transfer yield.

6. When printing deep colours the paper starts cockling and sometimes touches the printhead. What can be done about that?

Suggestions to decrease cockling:

Apply only the amount of ink that is necessary to reach the desired colour depth through colour management. Because of the high transfer yield of Jetcol much less ink is needed in comparison to standard inkjet paper.

Increasing the distance between the printhead and paper (if possible).

Installation of guiding strips to keep the paper down, at the sides of the paper web (after printhead).

Lead the printed paper downward and away form the printhead as much as possible.

Apply light tension on the printed paper by attaching for instance small weights to lead the paper away from the printhead.