Dye Sub questions

[Poot25 9]

Hey guys, I am really looking into amking the leap into Dye sub. printing.Couple questions I have, How imperitave is it to use a swing away press vs. a clamshell( I currently have a 15X15 clamshell) what about printers,how important is having a printer capable of printing bigger that 81/2"x 11"? and also should I spend the money for a CISS from Cobra or get a printer with refillable carts? I ask because I know I will get honest and truthful feedback. Thanks in advance!

[djque 246]

Well Its personal preference if you want a swing or clam shell. I personally like Swings or Drawer. No Burnt knuckles But Either will work. the best thing about swing or drawer is that for HTV it don't get hot and start folding.

 

As For printers I use Epson and like them. I like the bigger printers. I have a Epson 4800 pro 17" and a wf7510. going 13x19 comes in handy when your doing shirts and the design is bigger. most of what I print shirt design size is 11 x 11 or bigger and a 8.5 x 11 wont cut it. Also If if get into doing sub sock then your going to need a 13x19 printer.

 

Ciss is good but I don't use one I use refillable cartridges only cause Im not to happy with wires hanging out the printer and going back and forth. Also its easy to switch from dye sub to pig if needed to cause you dont have to flush the lines. I always heard good things about cobra Ink but I dont use them. I Have a few close buy that sells sublimation inks and I prefer to pick them up. But I took a sample of one of my prints to the iss in long beach and the Epson rep said it look really crisp. So I haven't tried cobra but I will one day.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

I went from a large printer to a letter size and so far only one product I do once every 2 years is affected.  used a clam doing sub for a couple years before the swing away - it is more about protecting the knuckles as thicker stuff you will use a nomex pad for anyways and the clams usually have a tilting top platen anyways

[OWJones 1,981]

For doing thin, flat surfaces like t-shirts and license plates, a clamshell is OK.  For thicker items, like ceramic tiles, they strongly recommend a swing-away as they provide more even pressure across the entire surface, and sublimation is all about evenness - even pressure, even temperatures, etc.

 

Printer size preference boils down to what you want to make - you can print and press a majority of dye sublimation items with a letter sized printer.  If you want to get into larger items, like cake pan lids, lanyards, etc., then you'll obviously need a bigger printer.

 

I'm a big fan of the CISS kits from Cobra Ink, but there is nothing wrong with refillable cartridges if you don't mind getting messy every once in a while.  I like the ability to see my ink levels without having to open the printer.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

while I get the point ow - I used to do tiles on my sunie clam - with a nomex pad and the platen pivets to make it even pressure - I never had a problem other than burn knuckles.  now if the platen doesn't swivel like one with rear pressure adjustment it might be more of a problem

[jaybyrd 3,770]

All I can say about the printer is get the biggest your budget allows.

[Poot25 9]

Hey guys. Thanks for the reply's. Always value your advice. Only thing on printer is that I'm not planning on T-shirts w/ sublimation now so didn't think of anything else that would justify the bigger printer at this point. But wanted to ask in case there was a big seller that would need to be used with the bigger printer.

[jarrotto 78]

Hey guys. Thanks for the reply's. Always value your advice. Only thing on printer is that I'm not planning on T-shirts w/ sublimation now so didn't think of anything else that would justify the bigger printer at this point. But wanted to ask in case there was a big seller that would need to be used with the bigger printer.

 

 

If you want to do license plates make sure the printer you choose can support 8.5" x 14" paper.  I imagine most would, but it is something to consider.

[Poot25 9]

Thanks that's what I'm asking about as liscense plates are a consideration so I will definitely look into that. That's why this is the best forum on the planet!