Sublimation printing on promotional gifts 

 Single or multi-colour sublimation printing transfers are produced on a digital printer attached to a computer.

Alternatively, short-run transfers are created on an offset litho machine but, in this case, the process will still require the usual plates and colours to be run as separate colours.

Therefore, if four colour process is required four individual plates are needed hence a yellow plate, cyan plate, magenta plate and a black plate...more commonly referred to as CMYK.

Sublimation printing transfers are applied to a product at a temperature of about 180°C/200°C. The intense heat causes the dye to change from a solid into a gas and impregnates the substrate before reverting to a solid.

Superior sublimation results are obtained from a 100% polyester  product or, alternatively, the product is coated with a 20-25 micron polyester lacquer.

Sublimation transfer printing is excellent for short run business gifts and produces spectacular results on metal, ceramics, plastics, glass and textiles promotional items...which means that a single personalised business gift printed in full colour is now possible. Some organisations use no other process and on specific applications are almost unsurpassed being especially strong on aluminium used in the manufacture of identity badges, name badges,  window badges, promotional coasters, award plaques, paperweights and  desk name plates.

However, there are some applications where sublimation printing is not the personalisation of choice.

Sublimation printers struggle to print on dark textile substrates. Indeed, many have given up trying, preferring to use sublimation on the  more unforgiving substrates. On light coloured textiles, coated aluminium, ceramics and glass, where the results are almost always spectacular, the Sublimation Printing process is without parallel but on black and dark coloured substrates there is a significant problem for the sublimation printer...although not always insurmountable.