Last issue Digital Output outlined three different printing practices associated with printing textiles—dye-sublimation (dye-sub) transfer, dye-sub direct, and direct digital print. All three are making headway in the fabric segment of the graphic arts.

Like any technology, textile printing comes with its own challenges and rewards. If a print service provider (PSP) succeeds through both, they will contribute to a growing niche that is quickly becoming indispensable to various design markets—including home furnishings and fashion.

Finding the Right Fit
Color management and pairing media with the correct print process is a constant concern, regardless of the technology used. “It is not an easy task to describe all of the challenges related to textile printing,” admits Avedik Izmirlian, president, DigiFab Systems, Inc. “In essence, for quality output you need the right RIP and coloring software, a properly pre-treated inkjet fabric, reliable printer, and quality ink.” DigiFab Systems develops and manufactures pre-treated fabrics for digital printing, sublimation paper, ink, CAD RIP software for textile and graphics applications, heat presses, steamers, and printers.

Media handling is sometimes an issue when printing on fabric. “One of the biggest challenges in textile printing is the ability to feed fabrics, maintain constant tension, and print without banding regardless of how stretchy and dimensionally unstable the fabric might be,” says Keith Faulkner, president, Splash of Color. The company incorporates a system of rubber-coated rollers and weighted dancing rollers on its HeatWave direct to fabric dye-sub printers to maintain constant tension. The system is also equipped with a cork-covered roller for printing on athletic mesh, spandex, and other stretch fabrics.

Marie Friemann, marketing, Mimaki USA, Inc. agrees that feeding material through the machine is tricky. “Paper-based materials make feeding easier, however some material—like sheer fabrics or stretchable fabrics—want to shift around during printing. This could cause head strikes or damage to the printhead,” she cautions.

Matching the right print technology with the correct material is a challenge. “PSPs must make a perfect match to achieve good resolution and a sharpness that allows for high dot gain, given the material structure,” states Grad Rosenbaum, VP, North American Signage Business, Hewlett-Packard (HP).

Faulkner also notes that during the sublimation process a consistent temperature is required across the entire bed of the printer. “This is critical because variations in temperature result in variations in color,” he says. Color management on textiles is complicated and requires monitoring many variables.

“Dye-sub transfer possesses the biggest challenge, since the speed and pressure of the transfer press are actual variables in color reproduction. It is very important to be consistent with these settings. This requires preparing color targets, transferring, and then measuring to create profiles—which is a substantial time investment,” explains Andrew Oransky, director of product management, Roland DGA Corporation.

Milene Ribas, marketing/education manager, conVerd, highlights the challenge of achieving proper color on final output. “Printing on fabric is much different then printing onto paper, film, or vinyl. It is a less stable substrate and possesses artifacts in the construction of the material that impact image quality. All of these issues were addressed by screenprinters and we use this knowledge to optimize our digital printing solutions today.”

Eco-Friendly Advantages
Large format technology offers “green” advantages. “Digital printing, because of its just-in-time nature, means only printing what is needed, rather than printing long runs and placing extra in inventory. Digital printing is also less harmful to the environment because there are no screens to image, wash, and store,” notes Patti Williams, consulting partner, I.T. Strategies.

“Generally speaking, water-based dye-sub inks printed on 100 percent polyester offer a very eco-friendly solution,” adds Faulkner. “Printing on natural fabrics—such as cotton—with Sawgrass Technologies, Inc.’s M-Textile water-based pigment inks is a step in the right direction.”

“A primary driver of soft signage is the worldwide movement to sustainable products,” explains Mike McEvoy, director of commercialization, Sawgrass. “Many PSPs want to print signage with natural fabrics and water-based inks.”

HP sees an ever-increasing demand for printing solutions that reduce environmental impact. “Printing on textiles allows customers to use recyclable materials. Textile printing also delivers energy advantages during installation because of the lightness of the material,” adds Rosenbaum. The HP Designjet L65500, which uses latex ink, was designed with the environment in mind.

Gandinnovations’ Aquajet textile printer features printheads that use minimal water-based ink when applied to the fabric, a built-in venting system, and a separate air cleaner unit.

The rise of fabric usage in large format applications can be attributed to the green movement. “It is a result of the industry’s desire to move away from PVC-based materials,” claims Oransky. “Fabric derives from natural and environmentally friendly materials including cotton and bamboo. Most synthetic fabrics are recyclable.”

Government regulations continue to push PSPs into using media free of PVC, phthalates, phosphates, formaldehyde, and glycol-ether.

Growing Niches
The roll-to-roll sector of textile printers is driven by signage, which is about 70 percent of the total square feet printed, according to I.T. Strategies. As more designers and creative sectors are educated on digital printing, apparel and decorating markets will permanently use digital textile printing.

Currently, digital printing on fabric for fashion and interior design fabrics is more popular in Europe than in North America. Williams says this is because it is challenging to find new customers, who previously purchased from textile mills, to adapt to this type of technology.

“Bringing together digital print shops and customers is a critical component for success. It is something that the digital print community needs to work on. The need to come together is not limited just to print shops and buyers, but also to designers, photographers, and others who should be participating in the creation of digitally printed products,” she says.

“Garment manufacturers and other industries are immersing themselves in digital printing,” says DigiFab’s Izmirlian. “Reasons include short run production and the appearance of new, faster, and reliable textile printers.” The company’s StampaJet high-speed textile printer utilizes a self-cleaning adhesive belt transport system and two hot air infrared dyers. It prints with all acid, reactive, disperse, pigment, and sublimation inks via a large capacity bulk ink feed system, and is equipped with Evolution Textile RIP software.

Mimaki’s Friemann predicts that fine art, fashion, and design will soon embrace digital and dye-sub textile printing. “The art world is always looking for new concepts and ideas. It is easier to make a prototype or one-off garment using a digital machine. As custom interiors become more popular so will digital print in interior design,” she adds.

“With the latest ink technology, digitally printed or sublimated fabrics have passed many of the industry standard tests for durability, and should last as long as most traditionally printed fabrics,” says Roland’s Oransky.

Fisher Textiles Inc. offers a new apparel fabric line for sublimation printing, which consists of jersey and mesh fabrics that have a moisture management chemical for wicking. “These fabrics are ideal for athletic wear,” says Jeff Cheatham, director of sales, Fisher Textiles.

According to Cory Brock, director of marketing, Gandinnovations, the wearability and comfort of printed fabric is no different than wearing a polyester shirt. “Ink adds no discomfort to wearing the product and the durability is significant.”

A conVerd customer supplies organic, cotton-based apparel designed for children. “The colorants used in digital textile printing are very similar to those used in conventional printing methods such as screenprinting, except they are formulated for inkjet. The characteristics of the printed fabrics are very similar in wearability and durability,” Ribas reiterates.

Fabric Flag Store
American Flag Store is a provider of flags, flagpoles, and other flag accessories. The company employs six people and operates out of a 5,000 square foot building in Mauriceville, TX. American Flag Store’s client orders mainly come from the Internet, and include corporate logo flags, real estate flags, and message banners for businesses and organizations. The company invested in a direct to fabric dye-sub printer to bring production in-house, lower the cost of flags and banners for customers, and speed up delivery.

The store uses FuZion fabrics and prints with a Velotex Xpress direct dye-sub system, both from US Sublimation. “Our main reasons for purchasing a textile printer were to lower cost to customer, speed up production time, and develop more control to lessen outsourcing,” states Christopher L. Baugh, president, American Flag Store.

The Velotex Xpress is for indoor and outdoor applications. The printing width is 64 inches and the maximum resolution is 1,440 dpi. It uses dye-sub disperse, acid, and reactive dye; and textile pigments.

Direct fabric printing is a growing opportunity for the company. “We believe the quality to be equal to paper machines. We base the quality on customer comments and so far they all are positive.” A recent set of fabric banners was used on a parade float for a seafood company. “The customer was extremely pleased. He called to tell us his float won first prize,” says Baugh.

Advanced Production
Monroe, NC-based Advanced Digital Textiles’ 35,000 square foot facility offers printing and finishing solutions for virtually every type of textile fiber available, including polyester, cotton, silk, linen, nylon, rayon, bamboo, hemp, lycra blends, and spandex blends.

The production scale inkjet printing facility employs an array of proprietary, custom-made, water-based inkjet printing systems. Their systems include direct disperse printing for polyester fabrics; dye-sub for polyester fabrics; direct reactive printing for cotton, silk, and linen fabrics; as well as direct acid printing for nylon fabric.

The company works closely with domestic and international fabric mills to provide woven and knitted fabrics. Fabrics are pre-treated in-house to provide optimal print quality and color vibrancy. The shop is also able to apply post-treatments to provide effects such as fabric softening, UV protection, flame retardant protection, and soil/water repellency.

The shop’s ability to print various fabrics with a variety of treatments labels them as a unique supplier. “It provides us with the opportunity to service an abundance of industries with a practical and environmentally safe product,” states Nicholas Del Verme, owner, Advanced Digital Textiles.

For a recent NASCAR race project, Advanced Digital Textiles partnered with Luxury Tec to produce an innovative broadcast media stage using digitally printed fabric. Advanced Digital Textiles utilized water-based eco-friendly inks using both a direct disperse and a dye-sub printing process onto polyester-base fabrics. To enhance the performance of the graphics, they applied a post-treatment for UV protection and soil/water repellency.

A Multifaceted Process
There are many variables that must be successfully instituted to ensure a color-accurate, high-quality textile print. Media handling, heating systems, dot gain, and ink type all play a role.

Next month, the final segment of our series on digital textile printing focuses on fabrics. More specifically the article discusses the benefits of this type of media.

Aug2009, Digital Output

Velotex Xpress™ Revolutionizes Textile Printing for the Sign Industry

With the introduction of the ultra easy and very affordable Velotex Xpress™ direct dye sublimation system for textile printing, US Sublimation is doing for the dye sublimation industry what the digital camera did for photography.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) January 29, 2009 -- PrintVillage, Inc. and its digital dye sublimation division, US Sublimation, introduce the Velotex Xpress™ direct dye sublimation system for graphics, flag and banner production. A self-contained, single-step, affordable textile printing system designed specifically for the trade show graphics, sign and flag industries, the Velotex Xpress™ creates products that cannot be made with conventional printers, such as table coverings, double-sided flags and drapes.

The Velotex Xpress™ is easy to operate and as safe as an aqueous wide-format printer, with all the outdoor benefits of a solvent printer. The Velotex Xpress™ offers high quality, low cost, high margins, and environmental friendliness that is unprecedented in the outdoor/indoor market. With the Velotex Xpress™, you no longer have to choose among price, color quality and environmental concerns as you do with vinyl. The Velotex Xpress™ creates products that have a better look and feel, a lighter weight and better wind resistance, making it the perfect display material.

Dye sublimation has been used in the textile industry for years, but it is relatively new in the digital sign and graphics markets. With dye sublimation, an image is printed using special inks on a carrier media, such as coated paper, and then infused onto polyester fabrics or a polymer-coated material via a heat press. Unfortunately, the technology remains the domain of a few pioneers who have invested significant time and money in learning the complicated process and purchasing the equipment. Common products manufactured through dye sublimation include customized sport uniforms, garments, fashion T-shirts, casino gaming tables, banners, trade show booth graphics displays, lanyards and flags.

In the signs and graphics markets, dye sublimation remains a premium offering that most shops outsource to wholesalers that specialize in this technology. However, the lighter weight, versatility, better appearance, and environmental friendliness of polyester fabric are making it the media of choice for trade show booths, pop-up displays, flags and banner production. More and more consumers are requesting polyester fabric, making it an indispensable offering for modern sign shops.

Two factors prevent most shop owners from bringing dye sublimation in-house. The first is the long learning curve and dye sublimation's reputation for being a complicated process to master. Horror stories abound about paper cockling, head strikes and tremendous waste. The second factor is the cost, since a typical textile printing system, including the necessary curing equipment, easily costs more than $65,000 - about twice as much as a good solvent-based system including the necessary peripherals, such as air purifiers and dryers.

"With the Velotex Xpress™ , our objective is to knock down the barriers of using dye sublimation and make textiles available to the whole wide-format industry," says Ken Bach, US Sublimation's channel sales director. "Why settle for less? We have a product that provides all the features that a sign shop requires, such as low price, high profit, high quality and green attributes, all in a system that is easy to use and doesn't need specialized labor. Considering the limited output of a typical printer, the Velotex Express™ has endless possibilities for the sign industry."

Designed to be operated like solvent-based, wide-format printers, the Velotex Xpress™ eliminates or automates the steps and procedures that are usually required for traditional dye sublimation and textile printing. Fabric is loaded onto the printer very much like paper would be. Then the image is processed through the RIP software that is included with each system. The information is sent to the printer and the printed fabric that results has already been cured, with no need for subsequent processing, because a curing unit is seamlessly incorporated into the printer, just like a dryer is part of a solvent printer.

The Velotex Xpress™ offers the ability to print double-sided flags and banners in one step with a nearly perfect pass through. The integrated direct sublimation system eliminates the need for a second step and quickens the process, since inks are cured while the printer is running rather than after the job has been finished. The greatest advantage of the Velotex Xpress™ is that it eliminates the costly waste of paper that occurs in the traditional dye sublimation process.

The Velotex Xpress™ is a complete, integrated system that includes the direct dye sublimation system, RIP software and a wide selection of pre-profiled media. The printer operates like any solvent printer and the curing device is just as easy to use as the dryers on a solvent printer. The RIP software includes sophisticated color management tools that allow operators to do easy spot-color replacements, automatically create color books for easy color matching with a few clicks of a mouse, and use variable data printing with a low-cost optional software module. The system's footprint is very similar to that of a regular wide-format printer, making it the perfect solution for shops of any size. The Velotex Xpress™ direct dye sublimation system includes everything that is needed to run the printer, with no hidden fees or costly extras. It is priced comparably to a wide-format printer, far less expensive than a textile-printer-and-heat-press combo, and

The Velotex Express™ is available only through select dealers and is supported by a nationwide team of field engineers and dye sublimation/printing specialists. For more information, visit US Sublimation or see it in action at booth 4743 during SignExpo 2009 from April 16th to the 18th in Las Vegas Nevada.

About US Sublimation: US Sublimation is an internationally recognized brand of dye sublimation printing supplies and equipment designed for industrial manufacturing environments. Quality inks, specialty papers, and state-of-the-art equipment with a full team of technical support and production specialists ensure the efficient application of dye sublimation and textile printing technologies that are environmentally friendly, of superior quality and cost effective.

About PrintVillage: PrintVillage, Inc. is one of the top giclee fine art reproduction facilities in the U.S. With interests in all areas of digital printing and imaging technologies, PrintVillage stays on the cutting edge of research and development through its subsidiary, US Sublimation, which is a leader in the dye sublimation industry. PrintVillage distributes sublimation products, Mimaki printers, and Monti Antonio heat presses. PrintVillage is also a Master Distributor of Sensient specialty inkjet products and distributes professional ink and printing solutions for photographic and fine art print professionals.

12/02/2008

US Sublimation launches a classifieds Section on www.ussublimation.com

Fort Lauderdale, FL - December 9th, 2008 -- Today US Sublimation, the leading supplier of industrial dye sublimation solutions at www.ussublimation.com , unveils their new online classifieds section for connecting business buyers looking for used dye sublimation equipment or dye sublimation contract services with business sellers looking to sell used equipment or dye sublimation contract services.

The new dye sublimation classifieds leverages the existing high volume of traffic generated by the www.UsSublimation.com website of people already interested in dye sublimation instead of going through ad by ad on a printed newspaper or paying the high fees charged by other services such as e-bay. Users can save time by only looking at ads that interest them and take advantage of advanced search functions. Some of the benefits to users are:

For Buyers
Instead of going through ad by ad on a printed newspaper or endless web searches, users can save time by only looking at ads that interest them. Registration is free.

For Individual Sellers
Sellers benefit by having their listing appear on a site already visited by people already looking for dye sublimation equipment or supplies. To increase visibility, users can add pictures and there is no charge to list a product or post images. Finally there are no transaction fees and sellers can post their own contact information so buyers contact them directly.

The Dye Sublimation Classifieds are offered as a service to the dye sublimation community and is not exclusively limited to US Sublimation customers. Dealers and brokers are also encouraged to add their own listings for used equipment at no charge

For more information about "the Dye Sublimation Classifieds" please visit the website at www.ussublimation.com or contact classifieds@ussublimation.net .

Laptop Lids have Flair

3-D dye-sub is used to outfit Sony Vaio lids with personal prints.

In late 2006, computer-manufacturer Sony was introduced to the 3-D dye-sub capabilities of Kolorfusion International. “Sony became interested when they saw that we could print any image and that the image covered the whole laptop lid,” says Steve Nagel, president of Kolorfusion. “Other technologies weren’t as durable, nor could they get around the edges like our process. Further, we could print images on demand and in any quantity.”

What would become an ongoing project began in late 2006 when Kolorfusion began producing the laptop lids for the electronics giant’s Vaio computers. Today, Sony provides the graphics and Kolorfusion prints the orders weekly—orders that range from 100 to thousands—and offers a 2-day turnaround on most orders.

Production
Using its 74-inch dGen Teleios printers and water-based dyes formulated by US Sublimation, the company images 1.5 square foot per laptop onto its proprietary Kolortex custom pre-treated media, at speeds reaching up to 500 square feet per hour. In the meantime, the laptop parts are prepared for dye-sublimation using a baked-on powder coating.

The inks are dye-sublimated onto the 3-D product using Kolor-fusion’s patented process. Basically, the printed Kolortex and the laptop lids are matched and carried through an oven on a conveyor belt system in various-sized batches. In the oven, the dyes become heated and vaporize onto the treated lids; the Kolortex is discarded after transfer. No other finishing is required. “The finished product looks as though it was painted with the image as an original piece,” reports Nagel.

The challenges for this project are the customer’s high standards: “The Sony quality standard is the highest we’ve ever had to deal with,” says Nagel. “This ongoing project has increased our own quality standards.” Additionally, Sony requires each of its manufacturers to be a “Green Partner.” For Kolorfusion and its suppliers, this mean testing and updating records to ensure that no material on the product is considered hazardous, which would include cadmium or lead.

Of Note
Currently, Kolorfusion is working with Alcoa to print images onto wheel rims. “We started working with Alcoa imaging a camouflage pattern for the hunter market,” says Nagel. “We worked with them over the past year and a half on using our new digital capability, which required dye development and coating development for taking digital dye sublimation outdoors.”

The Client: Sony

The Players: Kolorfusion International (www.kolorfusion.com)

Tools & Supplies: dGen Teleios, US Sublimation ink, Kolortex media.

Posted on www.BigPicture.net 2008-08-26 Click here for original posting

Velotex™ Series of Direct-to-Textile and Dye Sublimation Inkjet Printers Introduced by US Sublimation

US Sublimation introduces the Velotex™ series of affordable wide format direct-to-textile inkjet printers for direct fabric printing with one-step curing using dye sublimation or aqueous textile pigment inks. Velotex™ prints and sublimates without the need for a heat press and allows for production speeds of up to 581 square feet per hour of printed fabric at 540-by-720 dpi, making it the fastest high quality direct-to-textile printer in its class.

I instructed our distribution division to search for cost effective and innovative products that reduce waste, improve productivity and give customers a competitive edge against foreign competition for the largest growing segments of the industry, which are textiles, tradeshow, flags and banner markets. The Velotex™ direct to textile system has exceeded my expectations.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) September 13, 2007 -- PrintVillage, Inc. and its digital dye sublimation division, US Sublimation, introduce the Velotex™ direct to textile and sublimation system for digital printing on textiles. With the latest advances in inkjet print head technology and a patented system of synchronized stabilization rolls, this ultra-fast textile inkjet printer allows users to print water-based dye sublimation or textile pigments directly on fabric and cure the inks in one step with an in-line sublimation/curing unit. The Velotex™ DS 6400 will be introduced at the IFAI Expo October 3-5, 2007, in Las Vegas and SGIA October 24-27 in Orlando.

"Dye sublimation equipment and consumables are an important part of our business. Production speed, trouble free manufacturing processes and innovative applications are the key to competing in today's textile industry," says Michael Choo, CEO of PrintVillage, Inc. "I instructed our distribution division to search for cost effective and innovative products that reduce waste, improve productivity and give customers a competitive edge against foreign competition for the largest growing segments of the industry, which are textiles, tradeshow, flags and banner markets. The Velotex™ direct to textile system has exceeded my expectations."

Velotex™ is a breakthrough in inkjet textile technology, thanks to its patented system of synchronized cylinders for controlled media feeding and a unique built-in heat fixation module that, based on the ink used, either sublimates or cures the color on the fabric as it exits the printer unit. Both treated and untreated fabrics can be printed directly using a new generation of print heads that allow for production speeds of 581 square feet per hour in four color modes at a sharp 540-by-720 dpi resolution.

Velotex™ will be available in DS and DP versions. The DS version will use US Sublimation's LFP dye sublimation inks for polyester and PES-type materials that are typically used for the production of flags, banners, trade show displays and custom short run fabrics, among other things. The DP version will use aqueous textile pigments, developed in collaboration with Sensient Tecnologies, which are suitable for direct printing on cotton and linen, but can be used on virtually any material, including viscose, silk and poly blends. The DP version is ideal for sampling and short run or custom textile productions.

US Sublimation's Velotex™ uses water-based inks that, unlike solvent or eco-solvent-based equivalents, are harmless to humans and the environment. The elimination of paper from the process further reduces the impact on the environment, making Velotex a viable and economic green alternative to solvent and UV printing.

The new Velotex™ printer allows for continuous unattended printing of textiles, eliminating the need for transfer and blotting papers or the need for separate post treatment of the fabric with a heat press or steamer. For dye sublimation manufacturers, this means a reduction in defects such as ghosting and various "waves" or "lines" caused by out-gassing of glycol or fabric shrinkage.

Both the Dye Sublimation LFP and Pigment DTX ink sets are manufactured to comply with Oeko-tex 100 standards for human ecological safety of textiles and have been tested for color fastness based on ISO 105 standards.

Dye sublimation is a process by which typically an image is printed on transfer paper using sublimation inks, which are then infused to poly fabrics or a polymer coated material via heat and pressure. Common products manufactured using this process are custom sport uniforms, flags, casino gaming tables, banners, snowboards, tradeshow booth graphics and custom designed ceramic and glass tiles.

The Velotex™ DS 6400 is expected to retail around $89,000. For more information about US Sublimation or Velotex™, visit http://www.ussublimation.com

About US Sublimation
US Sublimation is a national brand of dye sublimation printing supplies designed for industrial manufacturing environments. Quality inks, specialty papers and state of the art equipment with a full team of technical support and production specialists assure the efficient application of dye sublimation and textile printing technologies that are environmentally friendly, of superior quality and cost effective.

About PrintVillage
PrintVillage maintains status as one of the top giclee' fine art reproduction facilities in the U.S. With interests in all areas of digital printing and imaging technologies, PrintVillage remains on the cutting edge of research and development through its subsidiary, US Sublimation. PrintVillage distributes LFP Digital Dye Sublimation inks, JetTran™ transfer papers, Mimaki printers and Monti Antonio Heat Presses. PrintVillage also distributes professional ink and printing solutions for photographic and fine art print professionals.

US Sublimation Named Readers’ Choice Top 50 Companies for 2006 by Digital Output Readers

For the second consecutive year, US Sublimation is selected as a Top 50 innovator by Digital Output Magazine's readers.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (PRWEB) November 1, 2006 -- Each year, Digital Output, the leading publication for digital printing professionals, names 50 companies as top innovators in the field. The award recipients are chosen based on reader interest in those companies and products showcased in the magazine.

In 2005, US Sublimation made the winners’ list, thanks to the introduction of reliable and cost-effective bulk ink delivery solutions for printers such as Mimaki, Roland, Epson, and Mutoh.

In late 2006, US Sublimation introduced UV MAX, a new line of UV-resistant digital dye sublimation ink that uses an advanced molecular formulation that improves fade resistance. UV MAX features a wide color range and offers the same non-clogging features as the original LFP formulation (formerly known as Rotech Digital USA) from which it is derived. This innovative ink formulation is compatible with all wide-format Piezo printers such as Mimaki (JV22, JV3 & JV4), Epson Stylus 9000, 9600, 9800, 10000, 10600, and most Roland and Mutoh models.

Dye sublimation is used for fabric banners, flags, ceramic and glass tiles, surfboards, skateboards, snowboards, and outdoor apparel, all of which are often exposed to sunlight for extended periods of time. "UV resistance is therefore of extreme importance to our customers and their customers alike," says Nick Constable of US Sublimation.

Accelerated weathering tests are currently under way, designed to compare UVMax to a leading competitor and the original US Sublimation LFP formula. Preliminary readings after 250 hours of xenon light exposure suggest that UVMax will double the life of a sublimated image on glass tiles. Metal and ceramic samples are being tested too, and results are due in late December. Similar tests conducted previously have confirmed that UVMax will triple the life of the sublimated image on PES fabrics, compared to the original LFP formula.

US Sublimation specializes in digital wide-format dye sublimation products and equipment. Founded in 2000, the company introduced Rotech Digital Dye sublimation ink into the US market, re-branded in early 2006 as the US Sublimation Digital LFP series. Acquired by PrintVillage, Inc. in 2003, US Sublimation is now the leading independent supplier of ink and media for wide-format digital dye sublimation.

About PrintVillage

PrintVillage is one of the top fine art reproduction facilities in the U.S. With interests in all areas of digital printing and imaging technologies, PrintVillage remains on the cutting edge of research and development through its subsidiary, US Sublimation, which is a world leader in the dye sublimation supply industry with exclusive North American distribution channels of US Sublimation LFP and UVMAX inks, Jetran™ transfer papers, and NanoChrome inks. PrintVillage created InkVillage to service and distribute high-end ink and printing solutions for photographic and fine art print professionals. Products include: NanoChrome™, atelier inks, dual-chambered continuous-flow bulk ink delivery systems, refillable high-capacity ink jet cartridge systems, custom ICC profiling, and media.

US Sublimation Launches JetTran HR Series of High-Release Transfer Papers for Digital Dye Sublimation

Textile printers, custom sportswear apparel manufacturers, and other wide-format digital dye sublimation professionals are raving about JetTranHR™, a line of affordably priced, high-release, coated transfer papers for digital dye sublimation that offer vibrant, sharp, and saturated colors and images.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) June 21, 2006 –- US Sublimation, a division of PrintVillage, announces a new brand of affordable high-release coated transfer papers for wide-format digital dye sublimation called JetTranHR™. Designed to release the highest amount of ink received to the substrate, JetTran HR™ reduces ink consumption while dramatically improving image quality.

JetTran HR™ has a special coating that receives ink but prevents it from penetrating the paper’s inner layers, and therefore facilitates the ink’s migration to the substrate during the sublimation process. With less ink usage, saturated and rich colors can be achieved, resulting in dramatic cost savings and better quality in the finished product. Available product weights include: JetTran HR™ 200 (75 g/m2), JetTran HR™ 300 (100 g/m2), JetTran HR™ 400 (130 g/m2) and JetTran HR™ 500 (150 g/m2). Various wide-format widths and lengths are also available. Problems with cockling are mitigated with the lighter paper and completely eliminated with the heavier version.

“We have tested JetTran HR™ with various digital dye sublimation inks currently available on the US market, including our LFP Series, and noticed dramatic improvements in image quality and color vibrancy with all of them,” says Nick Constable of US Sublimation. “Customers who received samples have noticed the same improvements.”

JetTran HR™ will replace JetCol paper as US Sublimation’s preferred paper for use with US Sublimation’s LFP dye sublimation ink (formerly known as Rotech Digital USA®). Most Jetcol users will find it unnecessary to re-profile, because JetTran HR™ has similar color and transfer characteristics.

Dye Sublimation has been used in the textile industry for years. It is a process by which an image is printed on specially coated transfer paper using sublimation inks and then transferred with heat to poly fabrics or a polymer-coated material. The advent of digital printing has increased the use of the dye sublimation process, especially for short-run productions. Common products manufactured using this process include custom sport uniforms, flags, casino gaming tables, banners, snowboards, tradeshow booth graphics, and customized ceramic and glass tiles.

“In our search for innovative products that improve quality while keeping customer costs under control, JetTran HR™ is the true winner,” says Michael Choo, CEO of PrintVillage.