sublimation transfer paper

Heat transfer paper is a specialty paper that you print on and the image can be transferred to a garment or hard surface with a heat press. There are two types of heat transfer paper: inkjet and laser. For each paper type you need its respective printer type. Laser transfer paper cannot be used with inkjet printers and vice versa. Heat transfer paper can work with most office printers. However, you will get the best quality and results out of a white toner printer, such as an OKI. These printers are specifically designed for garment decoration and lay down a layer of white toner to allow vibrant, full-color prints to be transferred to colored and dark garments. Sublimation vs Heat Transfer Paper: Which is Better? There are multiple ways to decorate garments and often people make the comparison of sublimation vs heat transfer paper. We can’t necessarily tell you which is better because that depends on your business needs and what you’re trying to achieve and/or decorate. However, we discuss the differences and compare the two process to aid you in your decision-making process. What is Sublimation? Sublimation is a similar process to heat transfer paper in the sense it requires you to print an image or design on a special paper, then use heat to apply it to a substrate. However, there is one major difference- the science of how the process happens. Sublimation ink is a dye-based ink that when heated, turns from a solid into a gas. This gas dyes the fabric. Due to the ink actually dying the fibers of the garment, sublimation is only ideal for white and light garments.Sublimation Process What is Heat Transfer Paper? Heat transfer paper is a specialty paper that you print on and the image can be transferred to a garment or hard surface with a heat press. There are two types of heat transfer paper: inkjet and laser. For each paper type you need its respective printer type. Laser transfer paper cannot be used with inkjet printers and vice versa. Heat transfer paper can work with most office printers. However, you will get the best quality and results out of a white toner printer, such as an OKI. These printers are specifically designed for garment decoration and lay down a layer of white toner to allow vibrant, full-color prints to be transferred to colored and dark garments.Heat Transfer Paper Differences Between Sublimation and Heat Transfer Paper Aside from the science of the transfer process, there are many differences between sublimation and heat transfer paper. These differences range from the type of substrates you can transfer on, the feel, durability, weeding and startup costs. Garment Colors One of the biggest differences between the two methods is the color garments you can transfer to. With heat transfer printing, you are not limited to the color substrate you want to transfer an image to. You can transfer on any color, dark or light. Alternately, with sublimation, you can only print on light-colored garments. This is due to the science behind the process. Since sublimation dyes the fabric in the transfer process, you cannot sublimate on dark colors. Although there are workarounds for this, such as using a heat transfer vinyl that you can sublimate on to after pressing it to the shirt, it is still the biggest limitation of sublimation.