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Michael Syverson has been in the printing industry for almost 20 years, at the fore- front of the pivotal time of analog to digital conversion. Syverson worked for EFI- VUTEk for 10 years and was instrumental in the development and rollout of five indus- trial inkjet printing devices, helping to create and refine many techniques that were critical to successful print through digital methods. Marilyn Davenport is the Public Relations director for Global Imaging Inc. D ye sublimation is the next big surge in the digital textile printing industry. Quick to take off in Europe, dye sub is becoming the choice technique for end- users because of the efficiencies in fabric shipping and handling, as well as the rich, high-quality results. Fabric is beautiful, but printing on it can be challenging. With this issue, we are launching a five-part series that will explore the in- tricacies of dye sublimation with guest expert Michael Syverson, Director of Special Projects at Louisville, Colo.-based THE HEAT ON Dye Sublimation Why it’s a hot trend in the sign and graphics industry and what you need to know about it BY MICHAEL SYVERSON, COMPILED BY MARILYN DAVENPORT 40 • July 2012 • SIGN & DIGITAL GRAPHICS To get into dye sublimation printing, you basically need a printer, some sort of heat press to sublimate the ink and some finishing equipment. Breaking Down Dye Sub, Part 1 DIGITAL PRINTING AND FINISHING DIGITAL GRAPHICS

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Michael Syverson has been in the printing industry for almost 20 years, at the fore-front of the pivotal time of analog to digital conversion. Syverson worked for EFI-

VUTEk for 10 years and was instrumental in the development and rollout of � ve indus-trial inkjet printing devices, helping to create and re� ne many techniques that were critical to successful print through digital methods. Marilyn Davenport is the Public Relations director for Global Imaging Inc.

Dye sublimation is the next big surge in the digital textile printing industry.

Quick to take off in Europe, dye sub is becoming the choice technique for end-users because of the ef� ciencies in fabric shipping and handling, as well as the rich, high-quality results. Fabric is beautiful, but printing on it can be challenging.

With this issue, we are launching a � ve-part series that will explore the in-tricacies of dye sublimation with guest expert Michael Syverson, Director of Special Projects at Louisville, Colo.-based

THE HEAT ON

Dye SublimationWhy it’s a hot trend in the sign and graphics industry and what you need to know about it

B Y M I C H A E L S Y V E R S O N , C O M P I L E D B Y M A R I LY N D A V E N P O R T

40 • July 2012 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S

To get into dye sublimation printing, you basically need a printer, some sort of heat press to sublimate the ink and some fi nishing equipment.

Breaking Down Dye Sub, Part 1

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • July 2012 • 41

PrinterEvolution. Syverson has more than 20 years in the printing industry and was an applications specialist on the VUTEk project team when it unveiled the first dye sub printer in 2001. Let’s begin with an overview of the dye sublimation process from inks to equipment, but in subsequent articles we will further exam-ine such topics as substrates, inks, heat setters, finishing, marketplace econom-ics and workflow. Although there are many different approaches and variants to sublimated fabric printing, we will fo-cus primarily on transfer dye sublimation because that is more widely used in the U.S. grand-format arena. We asked Mike the following questions:

Q. What is dye sublimation?A. Dye sublimation is the process of

converting solid dyes into a gas without going through the liquid stage. Heat and pressure are used to infuse colorant into a polymer material (usually polyester). There are two basic methods for print-ing with dye sublimation inks, direct and transfer. Transfer is the most com-mon method in the U.S. and consists of printing an image on a transfer paper and sublimating the image onto a polyester-based product, usually a textile. The di-rect process differs from transfer printing in that the image is printed directly on a coated fabric and then sublimated with-out the use of paper.

Q. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the direct and transfer processes?

A. Both methods require heating the fabric in order to infuse the ink into the fabric, but both have their pros and cons.

There are really three types of printers: all-in-one units with a built-in fixation heat press; printers that just print either transfer or direct; or in some cases, both.

Aqueous dye sub printers, such as this Evo33 from PrinterEvolution, are in demand because of the green benefits of using water-based inks over oil-based or solvent-based inks.

Customers in the soft signage, trade show, retail, P.O.P., event and entertainment industries are really enjoying the benefits of dye sublimation textile printing and a huge opportunity exists in these areas from small to large sign shops.

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Transfer printing allows the most flex-ibility in terms of substrate range. You can basically sublimate to any polyester textile (or other polyester coated product for that matter). Transfer printing is very efficient, as you only need to profile and set up the printer for the one transfer paper you are using. Setting changes for the different fabrics are made at the heat press calendar. And printing on pa-per means you don’t have to worry about the fabric moving, stretching or wicking thereby giving you a clearer, more per-fected image with sharper color “pop.”

Direct print has been around for sev-eral years and many pieces of equipment have been designed specifically for this application. An advantage of this is you can eliminate the need for transfer pa-per altogether, which can simplify the process in some ways. Direct printing also increases strike-through, making the image apparent on both sides of the fabric. In some applications this may be desirable.

On the downside, you need to charac-terize the printer for each fabric (separate ink limits, profiles, etc.) Additionally, you need coated fabrics to provide the best possible output for direct print. This can add cost, sometimes mitigating the cost of transfer paper. Also, there isn’t as wide an array of direct-coated fabrics available as uncoated fabrics. Finally, in many cases the output from direct print is not as sharp as a transfer printed piece. The best print equipment offers both, giving you the ability to produce graphics with either the direct or transfer method depending on the client need.

Q. What are the different dye sublimation inks and coatings?

A. There are three popular variants of dye sub ink: solvent-based ink, oil-based ink and water-based ink. The transfer ap-plications for each of these ink types are roughly the same, using coated transfer paper to release the ink effectively. The main difference with these inks is the me-dium in which they are carried.

Water-based ink is the most common formulation of ink for dye sublimation

Dye sublimation allows for a wide variety of substrates, including silk. (Photo courtesy Mimaki)

Some of the reasons dye sublimation is a growing market is because of the efficiencies in fabric shipping and handling, as well as the rich, high-quality results. (Photo courtesy Fisher Textiles)

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • July 2012 • 43

and by far the most eco-friendly. With green printing growing in popularity, water-based ink offers outstanding at-tributes. Printers that print with water-based ink range from in-home consumer converted printers to grand-format in-dustrial inkjet printers. Solvent-based and oil-based units are primarily seen in the grand-format space.

Historically, oil-based and solvent-based inks were used because of difficul-ties with water-based inks, availability of water-based compatible print heads and a compatible transfer paper. As paper gets wider (10 feet or 3 meters) it can become unstable during print, in terms of wrinkles (or cockles), which can cause print arti-facts or head strikes. Additionally, when the first grand-format dye sublimation printers were designed, there were not many print head choices that were able to run water-based inks. Responding to demand, paper manufacturers have cre-ated papers that run smoothly through a printer, even with high ink loads at in-dustrial level print speeds. Also, there are many more print head choices that are aqueous compatible.

Coatings vary depending on the manufacturer and ink. Different papers all have their own characteristics to hold and release inks. Clay coated paper seems to work best with water-based inks.

Q. Who uses dye sublimation and what are its applications?

A. Customers in the soft signage, trade show, retail, P.O.P., event and en-tertainment industries are really enjoying the benefits of this type of textile printing and a huge opportunity exists in these areas from small to large sign shops. Typical applications include banners, stretch graphics for exhibitions, flags, T-shirts, retail point of purchase, tents, even hot air balloons. Also, imprintable items such as coated ceramics, wood and metals use this method, but it is impor-tant to note that dye sub is designed only for polyester based materials. In the case of solid substrates, like a coffee mug for example, the mug must have a polyester coating, usually a liquid that is baked on. If the substrate does not have a polyester coating, then the process will not work. Natural fabrics such as cotton and silk require different processes, such as an acid or reactive ink.

Q. Why use dye sublimation as opposed to other printing methods?

A. Overall, dye sub’s advantage over UV-curable, latex or solvent printing is the ability for the fabric to have the same feel, or “hand,” which adds to the high-end perception of the product. Put simply, the end result is by far better in

Transfer printing is very efficient, as you only need to profile and set up the printer for the one transfer paper you are using.

Use Info # 97

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look and feel because the ink is infused into the fibers of the substrate itself, as opposed to a pigmented ink that builds up on the fabric. This level of saturation produces superior output. Another im-portant benefit of the ink being infused directly into the fabric is that without any additional surface protection, the image is now permanent and cannot be washed away, rubbed off or otherwise removed from the fabric.

UV, however, is the most versatile of these other ink technologies. It adheres well to a wide variety of substrates, in-cluding fabric, but it does change the feel of the material. Latex is similar to UV except that it can produce better, brighter color on textile than most UV printers. It can change the hand of the material, but not to the extent that UV does. However, a latex printer must be slowed down and print many more passes to achieve the same color as a dye sub-limation print. Solvent inks (pigmented inks not to be confused with solvent-based dye sublimation ink) require the material to be coated with a receptive layer for the solvent ink. This can change the hand of the material as well. In addi-tion, solvent output generally produces a less saturated image than the same print with dye sublimation.

Q. If someone wanted to get started in dye sublimation, what equipment would be required?

A. Basically you need a printer, some sort of heat press to sublimate the ink and some finishing equipment. In the U.S. you will find about six manufac-turers offering printers. There are re-ally three types of printers: all-in-one units with a built-in fixation heat press; printers that just print either transfer or direct; or in some cases, both. The all-in-one units are designed for direct print only. Some of the separate printer/press units are transfer only and some separate printer/press units can produce graphics with either the transfer or di-rect method, depending on application and the type of output required. Then

Although the dye sublimation field is growing, there is a perceived high cost of entry and steep learning curve because of the complexity of the process. (Photo courtesy Dave King)

Inks for dye sublimation can be water-based,

oil-based or solvent based.

(Photo courtesy Sawgrass)

The end result of dye sublimation is a high-quality look and feel because the ink is infused into the fibers of the substrate itself, as opposed to a pigmented ink that builds up on the fabric. (Photo courtesy Tex Visions)

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • July 2012 • 45

there are a variety of � xation units, from small clamshell heat presses where pres-sure is applied manually (think T-shirt shop), to industrial sublimation calendars for roll-to-roll grand-format machines. Lastly, there is the � nishing equipment such as sewing machines. We are going to get into this in more depth in the fu-ture, but basically those are the three big components.

Q. Why do you think adoption of this process has been slower in the U.S. than in Europe? What are the barriers to trial?

A. In my opinion there are two rea-sons: First, the perceived high cost of entry and steep learning curve because of the complexity of the process. Secondly, � nishing. On the � rst point, equipment and materials are expensive but the mar-gins are much higher. Because of the complexity of producing dye-sublimat-ed graphics and the cost of the materials themselves, the selling price of fabric per square foot can range from $7-$10, which is greater than vinyl by a dollar or two. In other words, printing businesses stand to make a lot of money and the dye sub market remains on a healthy upswing. It is less competitive than say banner printing, which has become somewhat commoditized. In the long run, transpor-tation, handling and overall management of fabric is less costly as well, which is attractive to end-users. On the second point, � nishing takes people out of their comfort zone. There is a general lack of education in our industry about sewing, appropriate setups for sewing equipment, supplies like needles, threads and the various types of sewing machines. This has left many in our industry apprehen-sive about taking the � rst step into the dye sublimation business. However, the market is wide open with great oppor-tunity for print shops to increase their margins, differentiate themselves, and remain competitive. SDG

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Amanda K. McGrory is a Denver-based free-lance writer. She can be contacted at www.AmandaKMcGrory.com.

Brand Imaging Group, a visual com-munications provider and FastSigns

franchisee in Antioch, Tenn., first got its start in 1994 as a vinyl sign company, says owner Scott Snoyer. By the late 1990s, Brand Imaging Group became an early adopter of digital printing technology, and the company has gone on to include a wide variety of signage applications, such as engraving, architectural signage and ADA signage.

Around 2007, when Brand Imaging Group was ready to once again increase its product offerings, it decided to look into dye sublimation printing, Snoyer says, but the shop couldn’t find the right machine at the right price at that time. However, that all recently changed when Brand Imaging Group found the Evo33, a solvent VUTEk machine re-built into a dye sublimation printer, by PrinterEvolution, a provider of wide- and grand-format printers with after-market enhancements. Brand Imaging Group brought the Evo33 into its shop at the beginning of 2012, which has al-lowed the company to expand its reach.

The trade show market, in particu-lar, is an area where Brand Imaging Group can increase its presence, Snoyer says. While Brand Imaging Group has dabbled into the trade show market in the past, it hasn’t been able to serve the market in the same way that it can now with a dye sublimation printer.

“We did a lot of trade show applica-tions before, but it was always on a coated fabric that would wrinkle if you folded it, or we were limited by the fact that it had to be on a coated fabric thrown into a latex or UV printer,” Snoyer says. “So it’s opened up that part of the market for us. These prints just look so much better because of the color pop.”

Brand Imaging Group recently took on a large project for the Nashville Predators during the NHL playoffs that

Diversifying Your ServicesEntering the dye sublimation market

B y A m A n d A K . m c G r o r y

The PrinterEvolution Evo33 has helped Brand Imaging Group break into new markets. (Photo courtesy of Brand Imaging Group)

46 • July 2012 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • July 2012 • 47

it could not have completed without the new dye sublimation equipment, Snoyer says. To support the team, Brand Imaging Group decorated a large Musica statue in downtown Nashville with T-shirts fea-turing the Predators’ “Stand With Us” slogan. Brand Imaging Group printed the T-shirts, which were 6 feet by 7 feet, on stretchable fabric, and Velcro was sewn underneath the arms and all the way down the sides in order to get them over the statue’s heads.

“We couldn’t have done that project with direct printing because we had to use a stretchy fabric,” Snoyer says. “It’s really helped us offer a better product and do different projects that we couldn’t do before.”

Of course, entering a new market presents its own challenges, especially when it comes to learning a different technology, and this was true for Brand Imaging Group when it brought the new dye sublimation printer into its shop, Snoyer says. Although Brand Imaging worked with the transfer process in the past, it took some time to learn the machine’s speci� c intricacies. The dye

sublimation process on the Evo33 is sim-ilar to standard lamination, but it does take some practice to make sure the ten-sioning and loading are done correctly.

“It is a lot of skill, but it’s also a little bit of art,” Snoyer says. “These are the things you talk about while you’re get-ting trained, but it takes a little practice. That’s where the skill and the art form come in.”

Snoyer � nds that fabric manufactur-ers are more than willing to provide sign shops with free product rolls as they mas-ter their dye sublimation skills. Fabric manufacturers understand that there is a learning curve, and mistakes are bound to happen during this process.

In Snoyer’s experience, the image-focused clients are more likely to be interested in dye sublimation printing, he says. Because of the way dye sublima-tion ink embeds itself into the fabric, the graphics are more vibrant and intense.

“It’s really easy to sell dye sublimation to those clients that want a sophisticated look,” Snoyer says. “You can show them that they can have vinyl graphics or this brightly printed, sharply colored image on fabric; it’s just a much richer look.”

P.O.P. signage is an area that espe-cially focuses on high-quality images, and while Brand Imaging Group hasn’t yet targeted that sector for dye sublima-tion printing, it plans to start in the near future. Moving forward, Snoyer expects his new dye sublimation printer to help his business grow.

“We’re very happy with it,” Snoyer says. “Our business is growing because we’re always adding services, and this has helped us break into new applications and markets, so life is good.” SDG

This banner was created by the dye subli-mation method. (Photo courtesy of Brand Imaging Group)

Brand Imaging Group created this dye sub-limated T-shirts to promote the Nashville Predators during the NHL playoffs. (Photo courtesy of Brand Imaging Group)

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SBJUL.indd 47 6/15/12 9:29 AM

Michael Syverson has been in the printing industry for almost 20 years, at the fore-front of the pivotal time of analog to digital conversion. Syverson worked for EFI-

VUTEk for 10 years and was instrumental in the development and rollout of � ve indus-trial inkjet printing devices, helping to create and re� ne many techniques that were critical to successful print through digital methods. Marilyn Davenport is the Public Relations director for Global Imaging Inc.

Continuous advancements in fab-rics, inks and printers, have made the

wide-format textile printing market one of the fastest growing segments in digital printing today. It is estimated that the volume of graphics printed on fabric will more than double from 2011 to 2014. And most of that printing will be done through dye sublimation.

This is the second in our five-part series that explores the intricacies of dye sublimation with guest expert Michael Syverson, Director of Special Projects

SO MANY FABRICS,

So Little TimeIn the world of dye-

sub printing, choosing the right fabric can be

daunting

B Y M I C H A E L S Y V E R S O N , C O M P I L E D B Y M A R I LY N

D A V E N P O R T

Breaking Down Dye Sub, Part 2

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Fabrics are versatile, lightweight, have a wide range of applications and provide a high quality look and feel.

S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • August 2012 • 33

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at Louisville, Colo.-based PrinterEvo-lution. Mike has been in the printing industry more than 20 years, and was an applications specialist on the VUTEk project team when it unveiled its first grand-format dye sub printer in 2001. In this article, we will delve into the world of substrates, primarily fabric, from poly-ester to natural fibers to other materials.

Subsequent articles will address heat presses, finishing, marketplace econom-ics and workflow. We asked Mike the fol-lowing questions:

Q: Aside from fabric, what are some other substrates that can be used?

A: Most anything can be sublimated, but it has to have a polyester coating. Dyes are formulated to penetrate poly-ester. When polyester gets heated, the molecules expand, allowing the dye to seep in. Poly-coated mugs, ceramics, wood, glass, specially prepared mouse pads, and many other similar types of products can be printed with dye sub-limation technology. There are several websites dedicated to providing these coated “blanks” for companies producing these types of products. By far, fabric is the most widely used, offering the indus-try many textures and finishes, versatil-ity and flexibility that provide customers with high quality results.

Q: Tell us about the different types of fabrics and their applications.

A: Basically there are two types of fabric, woven and knit. Woven fabric is more stable in terms of its stretch char-acteristics, but tends to fray making fin-ishing more difficult. Woven fabrics gen-erally do not have much stretch unless they are woven with elastic or spandex type thread. Knit fabrics will have a bit more stretch by nature than a woven fabric and they do not fray which eases the finishing, but knitted fabrics can be more expensive because they are more labor intensive.

A very common material for hang-ing signs and banners that need weight is poplin. Poplin is usually a knit fabric, although some manufacturers have a

With the Evo33 from

PrinterEvolution, fabric images

can be created printing direct or via transfer

paper using environmen-tally friendly AquaSub33

water based dye sublimation inks. The unit features

10pL, variable drop, greyscale printheads, and

offers production speeds of up to 1,200 sq. ft/hr.

Recent advancements in fabrics, inks and printers, have helped grow the burgeoning wide-format textile printing market.

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woven version. Poplin drapes nicely and tends to be slightly heavier. Soft knits are typically of a lighter weight and have more stretch to them, making them ideal for overhead signage, tension fab-ric applications like exhibition graphics, and framed signage for a smoother look and feel. Flag material has an open weave so air passes through it. Flag is typically used for outdoor applications, such as a teardrop display or actual � ags. Gener-ally, this material is printed so that ink will pass through to the back side (strike-through) so the graphic is mirrored on the reverse side for double-sided appli-cations. Because of the need for strike-through, it is usually printed directly to the fabric as opposed to transferred. If a customer wants a lightweight double-sided sign or banner, this would be a good choice.

Satin is a closed, tighter weave with a gloss or sheen to it. It drapes beauti-fully but can be expensive. Satin is most often used for P.O.P. displays and indoor applications. PolySilk is a versatile, light weight material that is growing in popu-larity for its translucent, draping applica-tions. It can be bold and bright but it’s not as durable as the heavier materials due to its lightweight weave. Gaming felt is another type of fabric used for specialty applications like pool tables or poker tables with graphics.

This is only a small sampling of the different fabrics that are available. There are several manufactures that make many different products for virtually any appli-cation (see chart, page 38).

Q: What are the trends in new fabrics?A: The macro-trend in general is a

fabric that is becoming the preferred choice over rigid or vinyl substrates for large and grand format applications. Fabrics are versatile, lightweight, have a wide range of applications and provide a high-quality look and feel. They are easier to install and remove and they are more cost effective to ship. Fabric man-ufacturers and suppliers are continually evolving their products to meet customer demand for environmentally friendly,

� ame-resistant fabrics that have excel-lent stretch and recovery characteristics and little to no shrinkage.

Some fabricators are actually design-ing fabric for clients based on how they want it to look and feel, stretch attri-butes, shrink level and opacity. This is

especially true in the big box retail arena where companies want eco-friendly � bers woven into their fabrics with cus-tomized specifications. There’s also a growing trend in specialty upholstery projects and interior design elements. Everyone from architects to hotels to

Fabric manufacturers and suppliers are continually evolving their products to meet customer demand for environmentally friendly and � ame-resistant fabrics.

Use INFO # 103

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36 • August 2012 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S

mom-and-pop interior decorators are using fabric for custom-printed furni-ture, draperies, shades, wall hangings and other indoor applications.

Q: What are some tips for working with various fabrics?

A: The endless fabric choices make working with them confusing. They all have different characteristics that need to be addressed when printing and sublimating through the calendar. For example, fabrics with a great amount of stretch need special attention on the setup of the printer in order for the mate-rial to � ow through the machine with consistent surface tension. Flag materials are typically direct printed to maximize the strike-through to the reverse side of the material. When transferring to � ag, it is virtually impossible to get over 50-75 percent strike-through. By print-ing direct, you can easily achieve 90-100 percent. It is important to control the amount of ink printed on the fabric as too little will not penetrate deep enough and too much can cause the ink to bloom on the fabric (dot-gain).

Many knit fabrics are relatively easy to print, whether transferred or direct. Again, ink load is critical for direct print. When sublimating fabrics, it is impor-tant to have your settings dialed in at the calendar (contact time, temperature and blanket pressure). Once these settings are in place, make sure they are maintained as changes in these calibrations can alter how the dyes are sublimated and affect color.

Q: Are there certain media transport systems that work better with differ-ent fabric types?

A: There are different philosophies as to media transport, each with their own advantages depending on the application. Many systems use a single nip for the material as it is loaded into the printer. This is a very sound system and can handle a wide array of fabrics and paper, but it lacks the robustness of larger, more industrial systems.

When selecting transfer paper, you must fi rst make sure the paper’s coating is compatible with the ink technology being used. Different papers that are compatible with either oil, solvent or water based inks.

(Left) The newer water- based, eco-friendly textile inks offer improved depth of color and consistency.

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • August 2012 • 37

use a dual pinch roller system with ten-sion applied to the material so it can feed very evenly and consistently through the printer. When direct printing to fabric, these systems can have some difficulties.

A third system utilizes a flat sticky belt (similar systems are seen on some flatbed UV printers). This works great for direct-to-fabric solutions, but often times cannot be used with the transfer method of sublimation as the sticky belt can tear the transfer paper.

Q: What are the most important con-siderations when selecting fabric?

A: The most important thing in choosing a fabric is to understand how it will be used. What’s the application? Do you need it to be translucent? How will it be lit? Will it be hanging, draped or stretched? You want to avoid fabrics that curl and consider the shrinkage factor. Suppliers should have a good consistent shrinkage rate for their materials and it shouldn’t exceed 1-2 percent. Cost is another factor and sometimes buying the less expensive option could end up cost-ing more because the quality of the fabric may be inferior. There may be more dirt spots, or runs in the fabric. In addition, it may not be pre-shrunk or flame-retar-dant. Finally, lower cost options could have much more unpredictability from lot to lot.

Q: How does printing equipment affect fabric selection?

A: Your equipment can also influ-ence the choices in fabrics. If you have a printer that can only print direct to textile, for example, you need to be very aware that some fabrics may not print well, (especially at wider widths) even though they may be available with a direct to textile coating. It is important to speak with your suppliers about your applications and your equipment so they can recommend the best solution for your needs.

Q: Are there specific inks that work better with fabric than others for both direct and transfer printing?

ATL 888-530-3988 BOS 888-530-3986 CHI 888-530-3985 LA 888-530-3987EMAIL INFO [email protected]

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38 • August 2012 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S

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A: Dye sublimation is designed to work around polyester materials. When printing to a different material, such as silk, cotton, nylon or linen, other ink technologies need to be considered.

Cottons and linen for example, require reactive dye-based inks. The chemical properties in the dyes and the cotton or linen fibers create a very strong bond for wash fastness and color fast-ness. After printing, the fabric needs to be steamed and washed for the ink to bond to the fabric.

Silk, nylon and wool require acid dye inks. These are printed in a very similar fashion and also require steaming and washing after printing to affix the colo-rant to the textile. Both of these tech-nologies yield very good results in terms of color brightness and maintaining the hand of the fabric. An alternative to these technologies is printing with a pigment-based ink (such as latex, UV curable or solvent-based pigmented ink). Pig-mented inks provide great flexibility as you can print on most any of the fabrics,

however, some of them may need to be coated (in the case of solvent, for example). Additionally, pigmented inks will change the hand of the final product, which may be very important, especially in the case of a stretch fabric application.

Q: What should a print shop owner look for in choosing a dye sub trans-fer paper?

A: There are several things to consider when choosing a transfer paper. First, make sure the coat-ing is compatible with the ink technology being used. Many manufacturers make different papers that are compatible with either oil, solvent or water based inks. The goal of coating is to minimize ink absorption in the paper by holding as

Company Fabric Types Web Site

Aberdeen Fabrics, Inc Made in the US: BannerLux, pop up display, table cover, soft knit, flag and more www.aberdeenfabrics.com

Arlon Poly banner, blockout and poly mesh banner www.arlon.comAurora Specialty Canvas, Chintz, sateen, muslin, poplin, taffeta, more www.auroratextile.comBainbridge Int’l. polyester and nylon, banner, mesh www.bainbridgeint.comBerger Textil flag, satin, canvas, banner, and stretch fabrics www.bergertextil.comCalifornia Combining Lam Tex Supersmooth, doubleface www.californiacombining.comCooley Group Coolflex, Enviroflex, WeatherTyte www.cooleygroup.comDAF Products Screen, MaxVue, Frontlit, Mesh www.dafproducts.comDazian Celtic, Eco, heavyweight Celtic, stretch, blackout, more http://dazian.comDHJ International Rang of poly-based fabrics, tent and stretch materials www.dhj-international.comFisher Textiles billboard, stretch, duck, poplin flag, canvas, more www.fishertextiles.comGlen Raven Poly Oxford White www.glenraven.comHerculite Products Bantex, banner, flag, mesh TruColor, canvas, more www.herculite.comIbena Flag, blockout, DyeSub, GlossyFab, PES Deco www.ibena.deMarChem CFI Holiday, Odyssey, Softouch, Top Gun, Top Notch www.marchemcfi.comMehler Texnologies polyester-based banner and industrial fabrics www.mehler-texnologies.comNaizil Inc. woven polyester banner materials www.naizilcanada.comNeschen Americas DirectTex flag, poplin, satin heavy, banner, more ww.neschen-accutech.comObeikan Cybertex, Obeflex blockout, frontlit, mesh, more www.obeflex.comPacific Coast Fabrics Denier Poly, Corsair brushed, flag, taffeta, more www.pacificcoastfabrics.comSeattle Textile Co. Digitex, Tex banner, eco, banner, blockout, more www.seattlefabrics.comSerge Ferrari North Am. Decolit, mesh, Exploit, Sign-it, Vision mesh www.ferrarisign.itSuperTex Fabrics Sylutex frontlit, mesh, tight weave www.supertexpvc.comUltraFlex Artex, BioFlex, blockout, banner, mesh, poplin, more www.ultraflexx.comValue Vinyls Ad-Flex, EcoLogic, Freedom, Grand-Flex, mesh more www.valuevinyls.comVerseidag Seemee US Insight, Medallion, Poly heavy/light, flag, more www.seemeeus.com

Polyester-Based Fabric Sources

The large number of fabric choices make working with them confusing. Each has different characteristics that need to be addressed.

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • August 2012 • 39

much ink as possible in the coating. The better coatings can hold more ink dur-ing printing and release more of that ink into the fabric when sublimated. Gener-ally this yields more color vibrancy, but it is somewhat subjective.

Another thing to look for when choosing a paper is how it runs through the printer. You want a paper that doesn’t cockle and will run through the printer smoothly. If the paper cannot absorb much ink, it will tend to cockle, poten-tially causing a head strike. Large shifts in humidity can also cause problems with the paper by making it unstable on the printer and more prone to wrinkling on the heat press. It is important to keep humidity levels stable within your facil-ity. Most of the printer and heat press manufacturers have a lot of experience with different papers. When choos-ing one, they should be able to help by

recommending products they have tested on their equipment.

Q: How have printing and ink tech-nologies contributed to the growth of digital textile printing?

A: There’s been an increasing demand for printing equipment particularly in the 10ft. wide textile market. Manufacturers have started providing more options to customers interested in direct and transfer printing with equipment that can offer both and is faster and more efficient. Print heads have improved significantly in the past several years. Print heads with a fixed, binary droplet of 80 picoliters (pL) have been replaced with variable drop heads with droplets as small as 6-10 pL. This has resulted in greater sharpness and detail, finer lines, and overall, better image quality with excellent color gamut.

The newer water- based, eco-friendly inks are more widely available for grand format printers. These inks have also improved in depth of color and consis-tency. Advances have also been made in coating technologies for direct printing. There seems to be more communica-tion between the mills and the ink manu-facturers in how they develop effective coatings for fabrics. The various manu-facturers of printers, supporting devices and consumables are constantly innovat-ing in all of these areas as this is a fast-growing segment of the textile printing business. SDG

The newer water- based, eco-friendly inks are more widely available for grand format printers. These inks have also improved in depth of color and consistency.

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Untitled-1 39 7/13/12 5:15 PM

Feel the HeatMichael Syverson has been in the printing industry for almost 20 years, at the fore-front of the pivotal time of analog to digital conversion. Syverson worked for EFI-

VUTEk for 10 years and was instrumental in the development and rollout of five indus-trial inkjet printing devices, helping to create and refine many techniques that were critical to successful print through digital methods. Marilyn Davenport is the Public Relations director for Global Imaging Inc.

In the dye sublimation world, heat is king. In order to fixate the dyes to the fabric, they must first be heated at

400˚F for at least 30 seconds. For that you need a good quality heat press or calendar unit. Any variation in consis-tency of time, temperature and pres-sure can impact color, ruin the job and in the end, cost you more money. Thus understanding the equipment necessary to achieve effective dye sublimation and rich output is one of the most important steps you can take.

Calendars and heat presses are key to

sublimation success

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Breaking Down Dye Sub, Part 3

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40 • September 2012 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S

Understanding the function and applications of the heat press and/or calendar unit is crucial to achieving beautiful dye-sub output such as this. (Image courtesy of Mimaki)

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This is the third in our five-part series that explores the intricacies of dye sublimation with guest expert Michael Syverson, Director of Special Projects at Louisville, Colo.-based PrinterEvolution. Syverson has been in the printing industry more than 20 years, and was an applications specialist on the VUTEk project team when it unveiled its first grand-format dye sub printer in 2001. In this article, we will discuss the heat press and calendar equipment that is used in the signage and graphics industry and other applications. The final articles in the series will explore finishing, mar-ketplace economics and workflow.

Q: What does a heat press/calendar machine do, and why is it important in the dye sublimation process?

A: The primary purpose of a heat press or calendar is to facilitate the sub-limation of dyes into fabric. All of these devices have a heated element and some sort of feature to apply pressure to the transfer paper and fabric to convert the ink to gas (sublimate) and have it per-meate the fibers of the polyester fabric (or polyester coating). This is a required step in the dye sublimation process as the dyes are not fixated until they have been heated at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time.

Q: The terms “heat press” and “calen-dar” are frequently interchanged. Can you explain the difference?

A: Although the function of a heat press and a calendar in dye sublimation are basically the same—fixate the colors into fabric—the fundamental differ-ence is that a calendar is designed for Use Info # 88

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See us at SGIA in the PrinterEvolution BOOTH #900

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42 • September 2012 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S

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roll-to-roll sublimating, typically for rolled textiles and more commonly used in the signage and graphics industry. A heat press is designed for one-off im-ages. Heat presses come in many differ-ent sizes and designs depending on the specific application. There are flatbed-heat presses that can be used for one-off flat prints such as mouse pads, glass or ceramic tiles, or other specialty small graphics. There are also circular heat presses with a curved heating element for imaging on to a mug, for example.

The most common heat presses are clamshell and swing-away units. A clam-shell opens from the rear and the platen opens up at an angle to allow access to your image area. This is good for small imprintable items and garments.

The swing-away style raises and low-ers the platen vertically and swings to one side and is usually used for

rigid surfaces. Some of these presses are automatic in that they will

close and open on a timer so you have precise control of your transfers. Many units are

fully manual. These are much more popular as they require a lower initial investment. Finally, there are units designed for transferring onto t-shirts. These have a shuttle type system so you can stage a t-shirt on a jig while one is transferring. If you are doing short-run t-shirts, this is a good way to produce this type of product.

There are many choices for calendars as well. They are available in several dif-ferent widths and can come with many options, such as a staging table for setting up flexible sheeted goods, multiple rolls, different diameter drums, auto shutdown timers, blanket or belt lengths and a va-riety of other enhancements. There are also beltless calendars specifically for di-rect printing that don’t require transfer paper. You may need protection paper however if you’re working with delicate fabrics. Although these are less expen-sive machines, the results cannot be compared. The transfer paper produces a higher quality image, with sharper, deeper color output.

This beltless calendar is designed specifically for direct dye-sub printing and doesn’t require transfer paper. (Image courtesy of Global Imaging)

Calendar equip-ment, like this

Klieverik model GTC 81/3400, is designed to

transfer sub-limate onto rolled fabric substrates.

Fabric must be heated at 400˚F

for at least 30 seconds in order for dye-sub inks

to fixate into the fabric. (Image

courtesy of Global Imaging)

Smaller clamshell-style heat presses, such as this hand-operated model are ideal for one-off production of smaller imprintable items. (Image courtesy of U.S Cutter)

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • September 2012 • 43

Q: What is a flatbed heat press, how does it work, and what applications is it best used for?

A: Flatbed heat presses are designed for sheeted applications only. The presses can range in size from small 11" x 14" presses to 4' x 8' presses with two full size beds. They usually have a bed where the substrates and transfer paper is laid out. Above the bed is a heated platen that is lowered on the substrate. This bed is heated to approximately 400˚F and is lowered on to the substrate with an amount of pressure sufficient enough to sublimate the inks into the donor sub-strates. The pressure and time can be changed based on the substrate. Some of these devices are manually actuated while some of the more sophisticated devices have electronic or pneumatic systems for raising or lowering the platen. Many of the smaller products, such as gifts, pro-motional items, and specialty graphics are imaged with the smaller units. Some larger shops use the bigger presses for higher volume products. A 4' x 8' press can be used to set up 32 12" tiles with one large sheet of transfer paper to create custom tiled mosaics, for example. The units with two 4' x 8' beds are designed so you are laying out one print while the other is sublimating, creating a more ef-ficient workflow.

Q: What is a rotary calendar and how does it work? What applications is it best used for?

A: A rotary calendar is designed for output onto flexible substrates, such as rolled fabrics. Its operation is somewhat similar to a laminator. There is a continu-ous blanket (or belt) that wraps around a heated cylinder. Fabric and transfer paper are put together and set upon this blanket. The blanket carries the fabric and paper and presses it against the heat-ed drum for a given time to sublimate the image to the fabric. The blanket also has pressure applied to it against the drum to help facilitate the process. The advan-tage of this device is that is can be used for high volume rolled goods (and some select sheet materials).

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44 • September 2012 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S

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Because the material is wrapping around a heated cylinder, items such as coated tiles or other rigid materials can-not be sublimated with this process. For rigid materials, you must use a heat press. Calendars are ideal for the big produc-tion textile industry as well as large-for-mat graphics such as exhibition signage, banners, exterior and interior design displays and upholstery.

Q: What is “protection paper” and why is it used? Is it different than transfer paper?

A: Protection paper, or tissue paper, is used on a calendar or heat press to pro-tect either the drum/platen or the blan-ket from ink sublimating on to it. It ab-sorbs excess gasses that do not sublimate into your polyester fabric or coating. If, for example, you did not use tissue paper on the blanket of your calendar and ink sublimated through the fabric, there is a possibility the ink in the blanket would offset back into your fabric the next time that spot in the blanket wrapped around and came into contact with the fabric.

This is a very important component to use on the calendar in order to extend the life of the blanket and prevent any unwanted offsetting of ink onto your printed graphics.

Q: What should a print shop owner look for when purchasing a calendar and/or heat press?

A: There are many things to consider when choosing a calendar or heat press.

For calendars you need to consider:The width—The calendar should

match up in terms of width with the output device being used. Calendars are available in sizes from 64" up to 10' wide. Many shops will purchase a calendar that is wider than their current output de-vice in the event they decide down the road to purchase a wider printing de-vice. Companies will purchase the cal-endar and keep it many more years than a printer so anticipated growth should be taken into account when purchasing.

Maximum capacity—Calendars have a cylindrical drum that is heated. The diameter of this drum determines

the speed of the calendar, as fabric needs a certain amount of contact time with the drum to achieve proper fixation. The bigger the diameter, the faster it will pro-duce graphics.

How the drum is heated—Most cal-endar units these days have a drum filled with oil that is heated to approximately 400˚F. You want a calendar that uses oil because it produces a very even heat across the width of the unit and the tem-perature will stay very stable. Calendars with electrically heated drums can cause hot spots in the fabric and some units cannot keep up with the transfer speed in terms of heat. Hot spots can cause color differences and a variance in temperature from the beginning to the end of a print.

The length of the printing blan-ket or belt—The longer the belt, the steadier it runs through the calendar. The belt will tend to wander and move which has to be corrected and different machines have different ways of handling that. Some machines use a pushing and pulling mechanism that tends to damage the belt over time. Others use an electri-cal steering arm that moves up and down which doesn’t damage the belt and ex-tends its lifetime.

For heat presses, the following areas need to be considered:

Size of press bed—How large do you need the press to be? It again de-pends on the application.

Heating element—Most heat presses use an aluminum upper heating element with a heat rod or heating wire attached or cast into it. Make sure the heating element heats evenly and can keep consistent heat. Where many heat presses are one-off type machines, it is

This dual swing-away heat press is designed to sublimate onto larger polyester-coated rigid substrates. (Image courtesy of GraphicsOne)

These illustrations show a schematic of how fabric is threaded through a calendar fixation unit. (Image courtesy of Klieverik)

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • September 2012 • 45

easier to maintain heat as you can let the press heat back while you are stag-ing your next print.

Warranties—You should expect at least a one-year warranty on your pur-chased piece of equipment in addition to training and installation.

Q: What is the Black Box equipment used in direct printing?

A: This type of device is usually asso-ciated with all-in-one units that print and sublimate in one pass. These units have infrared heaters (or similar) that heat the box and start the sublimation process. They have the advantage of not needing a separate device for sublimation, but do have limits. Some of these units cannot sublimate the ink completely and may re-quire the finished graphics to be washed after printing/sublimating to prevent any of the un-sublimated ink running on the finished graphic. Also, due to the nature of these units, transfer printing is usually not possible due to the architecture of the printer/heating element. A calendar or heat press provides the best possible solution for sublimation as it has the ability to apply pressure to the graphics as it goes around the drum (or under a platen). Most of the black box units do not have this ability.

Q: How can a shop owner justify the cost of the calendar versus that of a heat press. What are the particular benefits?

A: The choice between a flatbed heat press versus a calendar unit is fairly simple. It really depends on the applica-tions. If a shop owner is producing soft signage (banners, flags, etc.), then a ro-tary calendar is the way to go. If a shop is producing nothing but small garments, gift and promotional items, then a flat-bed press is more appropriate. Several shops that have rotary calendars may also have a small heat press for proofing small files or testing different applications. The smaller heat presses are relatively inex-pensive and cost much less to operate than a 10' rotary calendar. SDG

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38 • October 2012 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S

Finishing TouchMichael Syverson has been in the printing industry for almost 20 years, at the fore-front of the pivotal time of analog to digital conversion. Syverson worked for EFI-

VUTEk for 10 years and was instrumental in the development and rollout of five indus-trial inkjet printing devices, helping to create and refine many techniques that were critical to successful print through digital methods. Marilyn Davenport is the Public Relations director for Global Imaging Inc.

Most professional fabric graphic printers understand that there’s more to a project than just print-

ing. Once you print it, you have to finish it and oftentimes, finishing techniques can make the difference between a high- end looking product and something that isn’t compelling enough to compete in the marketplace. Finishing procedures

can range from seaming and hemming, to adding pockets and grommets. While the options are numerous, the equipment to perform these tasks is also formidable. Fabric steamers, heat presses, industrial-strength sewing machines, sergers, weld-ers and seamers all contribute to the successful finishing of soft signage and textiles.

In Part 4 of our 5-part dye sublima-tion series, we provide you with informa-tion on the various finishing procedures, the equipment available to achieve the best results and ways to determine if a finishing department can contribute to your business success.

Q: What are the advantages of investing in a dye sub fabric finish-ing department?

A: These days, finishing is seen as a necessary part of the dye sub process and a business should consider it seriously if it’s going to get into the game. Adding an internal finishing production area can help retain customers and build loyalty. It alleviates the cost of outsourcing for these services and in the long run, can make a shop owner more money. It also is added value to be able to offer high qual-ity finishing as part of the entire project, saving time as well as the risk of error as multiple people handle the project if it’s not under one roof.

Q: What should digital graphics and sign shops know if they are just starting to explore offering finishing services?

A: Sign shop owners need to under-stand the equipment requirements for the various finishing techniques, look at

The finishing depart-ment for dye-sub

applications can make the difference between a high-end

fabric graphics job and one that isn’t

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Fabric graphics often require some finishing in order to pres-ent well. These famous album cover designs are printed onto fabric that was then stretched over wooden frames.

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Finishing Touch

the pros and cons of each piece of equip-ment, research the pricing, labor and training involved and determine what types of applications they want to pursue, whether it’s large or small scale produc-tion. Also a shop needs to have enough space to stage graphics for large applica-tions. The application determines if it is sewn or welded. With dye sublimation, sewing is the most common finishing technique. However, both welding and sewing have their benefits.

Q: What type of equipment is used in finishing procedures?

A: Depending on the type of fabric being used, there are required pieces of equipment needed in order to prop-erly finish the printed graphics. Fabrics made of natural fibers, such as silk, wool or cotton, need to be steamed after they are printed. The steaming fuses the dyes to the fabrics. Once that is completed, the finished fabrics need to be washed before final finishing. With dye sublima-tion printing, polyester fabrics need to be heat set or transferred on a calendar or heat press after printing. Once this is completed, then the final finishing can take place.

Most print shops finish fabric graphics by sewing them. There are a variety of industrial level sewing machines on the market today designed for many different applications. The final application and

Stretch frame systems such as the Aluvision Frame shown here, is a great way to stretch-mount fabric graphics.

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Our Brands • Everything You Need for Wide and Grand Format Success

Buying New Equipment?

Contact Global Imaging.

Leading U.S. Distributor for Wide Format Equipment, Supplies and Technical Services.

www.globalimaginginc.com800.787.9801

See us at SGIA in the PrinterEvolution Booth #900

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install location will determine the level of finishing needed for the graphic. For example, if a graphic is going to be mounted in a stretch frame with a silicon bead, then the fabric is usually cut with a hot knife and the silicon bead is sewn into the fabric. This application does not allow the fabric to be hemmed as the hem would make the edge too thick to fit in a stretch frame.

If a graphic is going to be used in a double-sided application (such as a hanging aisle marker for a trade-show), then the graphic is usually printed twice, subli-mated and has a black fabric (or other blockout layer) sewn in between the two facing graphics so no light passes through the finished product. These require some skill during sewing as you are sewing three layers together. Heavier duty applications such as this may require a double stitch. There are sewing machines that have this capability automatically built-in.

A serger sewing machine is also a valuable tool to have for sewing graph-ics with a heavy duty stitch that can have some stretch. A serger creates a stitch with two, three or even four threads and can also cut the edge of the fabric automatically to create a finished edge. They are also very helpful for adding strength to a seam. Keep in mind that while a serger can do a wide variety of applications, it will not replace a standard sewing machine for basic seams, such as zippers or top-stitching.

Fabrics can also be welded, similar to how welded vinyl graphics are created. Although this isn’t as popular as sewing, it can leave a very clean edge for those applications where a sewn edge or seam is not desired. It can also create a very strong bond that can be more durable than the fabric itself.

Another aspect of finishing is the cut-ting of the fabric graphics. Most graphics are trimmed manually with scissors. For high production needs, an X/Y cutter can be very beneficial. Some manufac-turers carry special blades that will cut fabric very easily, such as Zünd’s Driven Rotary Tool (DRT). An important thing to note when cutting fabric is that the system is designed to take fabric stretch into account as it registers the cutting geometry with the actual printed graphic. These flatbed cutting tables are very ver-satile, not only for fabric graphics, but for cutting of all graphics produced in a shop.

Finally, all shops should have a hot knife for cutting graphics that cannot or may not need to be hemmed. A hot knife basically has a blade that is heated above the melting point of the polyester fabric and sears the edges as it cuts the fabric. This can be particularly useful for woven graphics that tend to fray after being cut with a scissor.

Q: What should you look for when buying sewing equipment for dye sub finishing?

A: It really depends on the needs of the company. A shop that only does a few sewn products a day should consider

Although more commonly associated with cutting rigid substrates, an X/Y cutter can be very beneficial for high-production needs. Some manufacturers carry special blades that will cut fabric very easily, such as Zünd’s Driven Rotary Tool (DRT).

Fabrics can also be welded, similar to how welded vinyl graphics are created. Although this isn’t as popular as sewing, it can leave a very clean edge.

The sewing station is an important part of any sign shop that’s serious about tackling dye-sublimation work.

Grommets are not often used with fabric applications, but can come in handy. This tool is commonly used to set grom-mets into vinyl banners.

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • October 2012 • 41

a low volume solution for their sewing needs. A standard sewing machine and serger in this category can be obtained for under $800. If a PSP is a very high- volume shop, then they should consider an industrial solution for their needs. Equipment in this category can cost from $6,000 on up. There are benefits for these industrial machines as they will last a lot longer in a high production environment and can often have features not available in the lower volume seg-ment.

Both automated and hand-action grommet machines are available. Which is the best choice?

Both pieces of equipment are valu-able and again, the choice really comes down to the volume of work in the shop. A high-production facility will more than likely have an automated grommet machine that will automatically punch and grommet the fabric, but a smaller shop with less volume can function just as well with a hand-action, manual grom-met machine.

Q: How can this equipment increase productivity and profit?

A: Higher-end sewing machines are faster and can increase productivity, but you still need talented sewers to provide damage control and produce the high-end finished product that customers expect. Additionally, by bringing the fin-ishing in-house, a print provider can fur-ther control costs, scheduling and man-age the entire project to ensure a high level of quality and increase efficiencies.

Q: What are the various finishing options and their applications?

A: Finishing techniques really depend on the final application and need. Here are some common ones:

Pole pocket—mostly used for hang-ing banners. The poles are inserted in the top and the bottom. Equipment: sewing machine or welder.

Grommets—not often done in fab-ric, mostly used for vinyl. Equipment: grommeting machine.

Hems—for finished edges, seams Our Brands • Everything You Need for Wide and Grand Format Success

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and multiple panels. Equipment: sewing machine, welder.

Stretch Frames—sewing of silicon beads that mount to a channel and snap into a frame. Aluvision makes the frames and sells the beads. With stretch fabric you want to avoid ripple or waves. A lot of the same techniques are used on fabric and vinyl in this application. Equipment: sewing machine and the frame.

Q: What are some of the challenges in running a finishing department?

A: One big challenge is finding skilled labor that can sew. Another challenge is having the space to stage large graph-ics. When bringing in fabric printing (along with large banners in general), it is important to properly plan the space so there is enough room to stage graph-ics for finishing. In addition, if the final graphics are being used on a stretch frame, it is advisable to stage the frame and attach the graphics to the frame for proper fitment.

Many applications are 3-D in nature so time needs to be spent in creating the graphics and the seams the final image lays properly on the 3-D frame. The stretch of the fabric needs to be taken into account, along with the location of the seams and how it will attach to the frame (Velcro, zippers, silicon beads, etc.)

Q: What are some of the trends in the finishing arena?

A: As far as trends go, it seems that many PSPs are continuing to look for ways to minimize the steps in the pro-duction process with equipment that is faster and used for various applications. Shop owners want consistency, reliabil-ity and more and more are bringing fin-ishing in-house to cut down on outside sourcing and fulfillment. Many PSPs are looking at ways to finish graphics more efficiently to improve their turnaround time and reduce labor costs. Equipment such as faster sewing machines, auto-mated x/y cutters with fabric attachments and welding units designed for textile are some of the products shops are looking to invest in for future. SDG

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • November 2012 • 49

Dye Sub Marketplaceand Economics

Michael Syverson has been in the printing industry for almost 20 years, at the fore-front of the pivotal time of analog to digital conversion. Syverson worked for EFI-

VUTEk for 10 years and was instrumental in the development and rollout of five indus-trial inkjet printing devices, helping to create and refine many techniques that were critical to successful print through digital methods. Marilyn Davenport is the Public Relations director for Global Imaging Inc.

When does it make sense to include dye sublimation as a part of your

business? Recognizing the growth in the digital textile industry and the increasing demand for the rich, high-quality appeal of fabric and its efficiencies in shipping and handling, it may be now.

This is the final installment in our comprehensive series on dye sublima-tion, its benefits, intricacies and the technologies associated with it. In this final article we present an overview of the marketplace and it’s economic impact to help you formulate your future plans and make an informed, intelligent deci-sion about the growth strategy of your business.

Taking advantage of the $165 billion

printed textile market

B y M i c h a e l S y v e r S o n , c o M p i l e d B y M a r i ly n

d a v e n p o r t

Breaking Down Dye Sub, Part 5

Less than 1 percent of the $165 billion printed textile market is currently digitally printed. With the improved inks and printing systems available today, textile printing represents an excellent opportunity.

S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • November 2012 • 49

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50 • November 2012 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S

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Q: What are the opportunities in the grand-format textile printing market?

A: According to a recent study by InfoTrends, printed textiles represents a $165 billion market, and demand is increasing for custom and personalized fabric design for home and office, retail soft signage, trade show and exhibition graphics. While the potential is great, less than 1 percent of printed textiles are digi-tally printed today, according InfoTrends. These are all areas of opportunity.

Another very important point is that the digital textile market is not yet commoditized. Printed fabric still com-mands high margins, and the market is not saturated. Competing profitably in this industry is typically achieved in sev-eral ways:

• decreasing operating costs on equip-ment and supplies;

• increasing efficiency with automa-tion, or faster equipment; and

• finding areas to grow that aren’t yet saturated.

Of the approximately 30,000 U.S. sign shops, we estimate that less than 100 are doing industrial grand-format textile printing (we define industrial as 126" or wider on commercial speed inkjet tex-tile printers). According to a recent 2012 SGIA Market Trends report, graphics and sign companies expect a median growth rate of 11.2 percent this year. Of these companies, 60 percent said they will add imaging equipment or technology to their business and 50 percent said they will add post-print or finishing equip-ment. That trend shows an increasingly crowded market.

Q: What are the primary markets for dye sublimation?

A: The soft signage, retail, exhibition graphics, event/entertainment industries and customized fabric are the greatest textile printing opportunities. Typical applications include banners and flags, stretch graphics, trade show graphics, retail point of purchase, and the small niche markets like gaming tables and ceramics. Garments and interior and exterior design are also growing markets.

Typical applications for dye-sub include flags and banners, stretch graphics, trade show graphics, and retail point of purchase. (Image courtesy of Flag Crafters)

The best choice is to find the piece of printing equipment that will allow you to do direct print and transfer processes equally well. The Evo 33 pictured is designed to print using both methods.

Fabric has a high perceived value that is opening many doors into a higher-end appli-cations and clientele. (Image courtesy of Mimaki USA)

It is important for print service providers to understand all of the aspects of the textile print-ing process—from prepress to production to finishing—to ensure a solid product.

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • November 2012 • 51

Q: What are the practical challenges of entering each market?

A: Many of the challenges for enter-ing these markets are similar. As textile printing is still very much a craft, cer-tain aspects need to be considered before jumping headfirst into this market space. For example, when fabric is sublimated to, there will be some amount of fabric shrinkage due to the high temperatures in the sublimation process. It is impor-tant to recognize this before printing graphics so sizing can be appropriately adjusted in the RIP software. It is also important to note that the different char-acteristics of the many fabric options on the market need to be considered. For example the many variations of knits and weaves may have different stretch attributes to them, as well as shrinkage rates. Part of the craft is mastering your materials and equipment so that you can go into true production.

Specific markets have their own chal-lenges that providers need to be aware of as well. If for example, if a company is planning to get into the tension or stretch fabrics segment of textile printing, it is important to realize that there are many other things to contend with beyond the print. Many of the structures and graph-ics in this market space are three dimen-sional by nature. A provider may need to source fabrication for the graphic frames (if they are not already doing fabrication in-house). Additionally, graphics need to be designed and printed with the three dimensional aspect in mind. This may require having someone with CAD expe-rience on hand to ensure graphics are set up properly for this sort of application.

In all cases, it is important for the print service provider (PSP) to under-stand all of the aspects of the process—from prepress to production to finishing —to ensure a solid product.

Q: What are the driving forces for digital textile growth?

A: Profitability and demand for a bet-ter end product are key drivers as digi-tal imagery and printer output quality continue to improve. Fabric has a high

perceived value which is opening many doors into a higher-end clientele and enabling printing businesses to increase their margins and market share.

Transportation, handling, drayage and overall fabric management are less costly as well. In many conventional sig-nage markets, the cost of shipping and drayage can far exceed the cost of the original graphics.

Textile printing has seen growth in Europe for many years. We are only starting to feel the upswing in demand and know-how here in the U.S. As men-tioned before, this is not yet a commod-ity, so margins remain high. The wide-format industry in particular is on the leading edge of textile printing—with faster machines, improved ink technolo-gies, printhead development, high pro-ductivity and quality output.

Q: When does it make sense to move from outsourcing to in-house dye-sub production?

A: This is really an individual business decision based on market demand, inter-nal talent, growth goals and competition. However, the more expertise PSPs can develop in the applications and services they offer, the more successful they will be. This is a way to differentiate their business and remain competitive.

If a PSP is currently outsourcing as a start point for their sales and market-ing efforts, it is a good rule of thumb to say that when your monthly equipment lease rate is close to or more than what you’re outsourcing, it is time to bring it in-house. This model may help explain how to approach the decision.

Printed textiles represents a $165 billion market, and demand is increasing for custom and personalized fabric design.

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Buying New Equipment?

Contact Global Imaging.

Leading U.S. Distributor for Wide Format Equipment, Supplies and Technical Services.

www.globalimaginginc.com800.787.9801

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52 • November 2012 • S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S

Q: What are some industry trends? Is direct print sublimation gaining on transfer?

A: Whether it’s direct print or trans-fer, dye sublimation is the preferred imaging method for soft and retail sig-nage and exhibition graphics because of the rich color saturation and consis-tent high quality results that are pos-sible. Although direct print seems to be increasing in use and popularity, however in my opinion transfer printing is still the optimal way to achieve the sharpest, most superior end product. The best choice is to find the piece of equipment that will allow you to do direct and transfer pro-cesses equally well.

Textile customization, especially for shorter runs, is a rising trend, and here digital printing can save time and money. With new specialty inks and improved equipment technologies, the workflow

can be streamlined and production increased.

An increasing number of printer manufacturers are introducing new flatbed and inkjet systems designed for textile printing which contributes to market growth and innovation. As ink and substrate technologies continue to advance, the experimentation of differ-ent applications in digital printing will expand market demand and increase competition for unique, creative prod-ucts. According to SGIA’s Marketplace study, the industry is on an upturn, and 88 percent of the study respondents are optimistic about the future. Digital imag-ing is the technology of choice and will eventually replace analogue systems and textiles are poised to replace vinyl and other rigid substrates. SDG

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S I G N & D I G I T A L G R A P H I C S • November 2012 • 53

Analyzing Dye-Sub ROIThis break-even point graphic (provided by Global Imaging) is a tool that is used to evaluate return on investment (ROI) of dye-sub systems by examining many variables including monthly equipment payment, employee cost, monthly rent and other administrative expenses as fixed costs per month with sales and marketing as variable costs.

These are for the first year of operation in a five-year lease. The printer consid-ered in this example is a PrinterEvolution Evo33 dye sublimation printer (the “com-plete” cost listed includes a Caldera RIP, Klieverik calendar press and training).

The assumed average sell price per square foot is $6.13. Nationally it seems to vary from $3 to $20 per square foot depending on location, competition etc.

Printer capacity is about 112,839 sell-able square feet per month, operating seven hours per day, 22 days per month at 916 average square feet per hour.

This analysis shows that breakeven is achieved as production reaches approxi-mately 2 percent of machine capacity. Gross margins in the 50 percent range are achieved at approximately 4 percent of machine capacity, and are maintained well above that level at all higher pro-duction levels. Total system payoff is achieved in 23.6 months, if maintaining a 100 percent run rate through that period. Breakeven production is achieved in 0.3 days. These are realistically developed estimates, however as with all estimates, your return may vary.

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Selling Used Equipment?

Contact Global Garage.

The worldwide marketplace for buying and selling used grand format equipment.

www.globalgarage.net800.787.9802

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