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Sublimation Aluminum - what color to use

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When printing pictures onto sublimation aluminum, how do you know when to use white, silver or gold?

We are trying to print vibrant pictures for a photo contest for some 4-H members.

We have printed some on white coated aluminum and they are okay, but not as nice as we would like.

Any helpful suggestions would be great.

We have a Sawgrass printer, fyi.

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Depends on what you want. White will be a normal looking picture with white background. Gold will have a sepia look with gold borders. Silver will give all colors except black a chrome look with silver borders.

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If you want the best possible color representation in your photos, then white is really the only option.

 

Either Silver or Gold is going to modify the colors - essentially replacing white with whatever color metal you're using and giving you a "stained glass" over metal look.   Black & White images look good on colored metal, but full color photos usually look like crap - IMHO.

 

I think the best example of why not to use colored metal for color photos is found by looking at the sample product photos from the Conde website.  They don't even bother to put a photo on the silver metal heart necklace - only on the one with the white surface...  How many other items on their website do they NOT show you a sublimated version of?

 

post-24492-0-51890700-1453267127_thumb.j post-24492-0-70514800-1453267126_thumb.j

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I bought some silver metal Zippo style lighters and tried to use them and was thoroughly dissatisfied with the way they turned out.

 

On the left, a simple 2" Unisub hardboard tile with a white surface - on the right, a silver metal lighter with no white surface.  The picture was taken with a cell phone camera in a low light situation, and the original artwork for the tile was also low resolution, so it looks extra-extra grainy in this pic, but you get an idea of how colors turn out on silver metal.

 

post-24492-0-24375800-1453267339_thumb.p

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White is the best for photos the question is what brand of Aluminium blanks are you using? IAre the blanks your using recommended for sublimation, I ask due to if you buy on the auction site you might not be getting it or not covered correctly. What are your settings on time, temp, and pressure?

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Thanks everyone!  You answered my question.  We are using sublimation aluminum from one of our suppliers.

We ordered more white. 

Just haven't gotten the pop we want, but that could also be due to picture quality.

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