SubliJet and ArTainium UV Ink: A Comparison

Anyone who has visited the EnMart website knows that we sell Sublijet ink.  What you may not know is that we have access to and can sell ArTainium UV Ink,  which is also manufactured by Sawgrass and is also suitable for sublimation.  Both inks can be used in the same types of printers and with the same sorts of substrates.  If you’re wondering which ink you should be using,  here’s a breakdown of some of the key features of each ink.

ArTainium Ink is only available for Epson printer models.    This ink delivers vibrant color and is perfect for professional photographers or anyone who needs precision and fine detail in the images they produce.   This ink is designed to interface with a variety of ICC profiles,  so it can work well in any production environment.  ArTainium Ink is a great solution for those who are familiar with and comfortable using design programs like Corel Draw and Adobe Illustrator,  since ICC profiles must be used through one of these programs.   If you prefer to rely on your own color management rather than a print interface that manages color,  this ink is the one for you.  While EnMart currently does not stock this ink,  we do sell it and can stock it at customer request.  If you are interested in purchasing ArTainium Ink from EnMart,  simply contact us for more information.

Sublijet Inks are the inks that EnMart currently has in stock.  These inks come with Sawgrass’ PowerDriver Software, which guides users through the color management process.   Sublijet inks are a great choice for those who want a little more assistance with their color management, or perhaps aren’t as familiar with graphic software.    Epson printer users can purchase Sublijet IQ ink,  while Ricoh printer users can purchase Sublijet R.    Both inks are currently available on the EnMart website.

For more information on ArTainium UV inks and the SubliJet Inks,  please visit the following links:

SubliJet IQ

SubliJet R

ArTainium UV

Technical Support

Knowledge = Power (and a Good Supplier)

Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that I often talk about the fact that EnMart’s parent company, Ensign Emblem,  was instrumental in bringing inkjet sublimation to industrial laundries.    In fact,  Ensign has been involved with sublimation in some form since the early 1990’s.    Later this week, I will be writing a post about Ensign’s history with sublimation, but today I wanted to talk about why that history matters and what it means for EnMart customers today.

First of all, for those who are not aware,  EnMart is part of the Ensign Group,  which was created by Ensign Emblem.   The Ensign Group was formed so that Ensign Emblem could create subsidiary companies and bring quality products and the benefits of the knowledge Ensign had accumulated to new markets.   EnMart is the first company in the Ensign Group and sells machine embroidery and sublimation supplies.

When EnMart was created,  it automatically had access to all the knowledge Ensign Emblem had accumulated over the years.    We could speak knowledgeably about the best paper for sublimation because we’d tested many types of paper until we found what we felt was the best.    EnMart’s sublimation experts could give advice on sublimation ink because we’ve worked with Sawgrass for years and had seen the development of sublimation ink.  We know how to get the best sublimation prints possible because we’ve created tons of sublimated emblems, and we’ve developed systems that allow Ensign’s industrial laundry customers to do the same.

In the end,  what all this means is that EnMart customers have access to a large database of sublimation knowledge.  Whether it’s a consultation about  which printer or heat press to buy,   or tips on how to get the most from your sublimation ink,  or advice that helps you figure out a problem,  we’re very likely to have the knowledge you need.  Best of all, becoming an EnMart customer gives you access to that knowledge, any time you need it,  every time you need it.

Pick Your Sublimation Printer

It’s the time of year when a lot of people are making their lists and checking them twice,  trying to figure out what to buy this year and what to buy next year.    If you’re thinking of adding sublimated goods to the products you offer,  or if you already do sublimation but are thinking of upgrading your system,  you might be wondering which printer is right for you.     I thought today would be a good day to discuss each printer and point out some features of each.  Hopefully, this information will be helpful to those of you making a decision about which system to purchase.

If you’re just starting out,  and aren’t really sure what size your particular market will be,  the temptation may be to start out with a really inexpensive printer.    EnMart does carry the Workforce 30 printer, at a cost of under one hundred dollars,  but we don’t recommend that printer for anyone but those people who are creating sublimated goods as a hobby.    The Workforce 30 is a decent printer,  but it’s not really designed for sustained production.

An alternative would be to purchase a Ricoh GX e3300N as part of our QuickStartR package.   The Ricoh GX e3300N is a great basic printer.  The biggest limitation that the printer has is the fact that it cannot print paper bigger than 8.5 x 14.   The Ricoh printers tend to be less temperamental than the Epson printers,  so this is a great printer for someone who is just starting out and not printing every day.   The QuickStartR package also makes starting out quite affordable.  For under $500 (adding in shipping costs) you can get everything you need to create a sublimation transfer.   Add some sublimation blanks and a heat press and you’re in business.

If you know you’re going to be wanting to print on larger size paper,  you may want to consider our Epson Workforce 1100 sublimation package.    This printer allows you to print 13 x 19 paper right out of the box.   Improved technology over previous entry level Epsons, faster printing speeds, HUGE 13 x 19 prints, and efficient, economical printing with a much improved Quick Connect CISS bulk system all combine to make this entry-level system a great choice for those looking to enter the sublimation market.   This package is also a great option for those people who are currently using a C84, C86, C88, C100, or C120 sublimation system with a bulk feed.  You can upgrade to a Workforce 1100 and use the same Cyan, Magenta and Yellow refill bags you are currently using.

For those looking for a mid-range sublimation printer,  the Epson Stylus Photo 1400 is an excellent choice.  This is a 6 cartridge printer,  and can print up to 13 x 19 prints.  If you’re a photographer who prints a lot of pictures of people,  or if you create a lot of artwork with pastel prints,  this printer may be exactly what you need.

Finally, we have the printers for the shops that are creating sublimated items, and lots of them, on a daily basis.   If you create a wide variety of items and print sublimation transfers in a variety of sizes,  then you may want to consider purchasing either a Ricoh GX 7000 or an Epson 4880.  Both these printers can print larger prints,  and offer faster print speeds.    These systems are designed to be fast and efficient.

Because the Epson 4880 is an 8 color printer, it can also be used as a hybrid printer,  with Sublijet ink in one side and ChromaBlast ink in the other side.   This may be an ideal option for those who print equal amounts of sublimation and ChromaBlast transfers.  It is not ideal for those who print more of one kind of transfer than the other,  because the printer will deplete both kinds of ink when you run cleanings.   If you tend to print more of one than the other,  you may be better off purchasing a QuickStart R package and a ChromaBlast package and using one printer for each ink.

Think Ink

Many times when we talk about sublimation,  we talk about the printers or the blanks or the paper.  All of those items are important and necessary for sublimation,  but none are quite so vital as the sublimation ink.   Without the ink there is no printed transfer,  and without the transfer there is no image to place on your shirt or mug or mousepad.    The ink is where everything begins.

Dye sublimation is a process by which an ink is turned form a solid to a gas without going through the liquid state.    The conversion from one state to another occurs when the ink is heated  and is controlled through time and pressure.   When the ink is used with the proper paper and transferred to a polyester or poly coated substrate,  the result is a vibrant print that is sturdy enough to withstand washing and sun.

Sublimation ink is manufactured by Sawgrass Technologies,  and is available as Sublijet for Epson printers and Sublijet-R for Ricoh printers.    Both formulation and cartridge size can differ based on the make and model of the printers you are using,  so please be sure you select the correct ink category for your printer.    You should also keep in mind that sublimation ink is designed for printing on polyester fabrics or poly coated items.  If you attempt to use transfers printed with Sublijet ink on any medium other than polyester,  your transfers will not print correctly.

If you would prefer to print transfers for use on cotton garments,  the ink option you should explore is ChromaBlast Ink.   Like the Sublijet Ink,  ChromaBlast ink is available in formulations suitable for Ricoh or Epson printers.    ChromaBlast is for use on cotton fabrics only,  and is suitable only for white or light colored fabrics.   For some people,  ChromaBlast Ink and paper offer an alternative to direct to garment printing.

Finally,  we can’t forget that EnMart also offers ink for those who print directly to garments using a Brother GT-541 printer.  EnMart sells NaturaLink B from Sawgrass.  This ink is color matched with the Brother OEM inks, and is available at a less expensive price.    For more information on NaturaLink B and Brother, please read our in-depth FAQs on the subject.

Whatever your ink requirements,  be it sublimation,  ChromaBlast or direct to garment printing with a Brother GT-541,  EnMart has the supplies and ink you need.   If you’ve been looking for a one stop shop for sublimation,  or for a quick and efficient shipper for your ChromaBlast or NaturaLink B inks,  look no further than EnMart.    We will be happy to assist you in finding the ink you need for your particular printing requirements.

What We Use, What We Sell

Those of you of a certain age, what age I won’t say,  probably remember Victor Kiam.  Mr. Kiam was the owner of several things, one of them being Remington Products.  He was, for a time, the spokesperson for the company, and the slogan he used was “I liked it so much I bought the company.”  In its time, this slogan and advertising concept was quite popular, and it has been used since when companies want to signal that they really believe in the products and services they offer.

In the case of EnMart, we can’t say we bought the companies that design and manufacture the products that we sell.  Some, like Hilos Iris, or Sawgrass Ink, are companies with whom we work closely.  Other companies for whom we distribute products are simply that, companies who make the products which we sell.  Given that, we can’t really use the old slogan ourselves, since  it wouldn’t be strictly accurate to say we liked the products so much we bought the companies.  It would, however,  be strictly accurate to say we like the products so much, our company uses them.  It may not be as catchy a slogan, but it does have the benefit of being the truth.

Ensign Emblem, our parent company, creates sublimated emblems using Sawgrass Ink.  We work with the printers and sublimation paper we sell.  Were you to look, you could find the inks and papers being used by employees in our plants.  We sell the things we sell because we use them ourselves.  We know these products work.  They work for us every day.

As an advertising slogan “We like these products so much we use them every day” probably isn’t going to set the world on fire.   As a rationale for why you should purchase products from EnMart, however, it makes perfect sense.  Ensign Emblem, our parent company, has been creating sublimated emblems for years,  and was the first to bring inkjet sublimation to industrial laundries. In the time we’ve been working with sublimation, we’ve learned a little something about what products work and what products don’t work.  Now, through EnMart, you can make use of our expertise yourself and be confident that you’re getting products that will work well for your business.

After all, they work well for ours.

Create, Print, Press! Is it Really That Easy?

We’ve been doing a lot of trade shows in the last few months, and I’ve noticed a funny thing that seems to happen at almost every show (or at least the ones to which I’ve been).  At some point, one of us working the booth will be telling someone who isn’t familiar with sublimation how the process works, and as the explanation  goes on the person who is listening starts to get the look my Mom would get when I was a kid and explaining something to her, usually something like why we felt it was a good idea to open the front door and the sliding door to the backyard and have a water fight through the house.   It’s the look that says, “I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt, and I know you believe what you’re saying,  but I’m not entirely sure that I do”.  When it comes to sublimation, the look really seems to translate to this question:  can sublimation really be as easy as  1) Create, 2) Print and 3) Press?

Our answer to that question is yes, sublimation really can be that easy, which isn’t to say that it’s simple.  Like anything else, there are skills that need to be mastered and conditions that need to be met to help ensure that your sublimated project will end in success.

Let’s start with Create.   In order to create the graphics you want to print, you either need a source of photographs or a source of clipart or the ability to design graphics from scratch.   You also need a graphic software program of some kind.  What program you use is up to you.   Some people prefer to keep it simple and use something like Hanes SublimationMaker 2.0.   Other people design their own graphics using CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator.   Regardless of which route you choose, you have to have the ability to maneuver a mouse and use a computer, and an understanding of whatever graphics program you choose to use, but that’s really all it takes.

After you’re created your artwork, your next step is to Print.   If you wish to create sublimated items, then obviously you need sublimation ink and sublimation printers.   You need to be willing to maintain the printers and do the proper nozzle checks and cleanings so the printer stays in good working order.  You also need to purchase sublimation paper and to keep that in an environment that will provide optimum printing capability.   You need to understand how the Sawgrass PowerDriver software works and how to use it properly.    Other than that, printing a graphic for sublimation is like printing anything else.

Finally, once you’ve printed your design, you need to Press it onto whatever substrate you’ve selected.  The main requirement here would be a heat press.   You need to make sure that you have the proper size and type of press for whatever it is you want to press.  There needs to be an  understanding of  how variations in press temperature can impact the finished product.  To ensure an optimum result, you need to make sure to follow the instructions given regarding pressure, temperature and time.

Obviously, for the purposes of this post, I’ve only touched on the highlights of the process.  Each person will encounter their own learning curve when it comes to sublimation, and the steepness of that curve will largely depend on previous experience and willingness to experiment.   All things being equal, however, sublimation has less barriers to entry, and less potential issues than other types of garment decoration, with the added benefit of offering the ability to decorate items beyond garments.

Sublimation Tip Sheet 4/15/10

Over the years that we’ve been doing sublimation, we’ve learned a lot.  Some of what we’ve learned needs to be explained in detail, and is best suited to a longer blog post.  Other tips and tricks are just small bits of information that don’t necessarily merit their own post,  but could still be useful.   Because we still want to share these tips and tricks with all of you, I’ve created the Sublimation Tip Sheet.  These posts will appear whenever it seems necessary, and will include various sublimation and ChromaBlast tips and tricks which will help you get the most out of your printers, inks, papers and heat presses.

Tip 1:  Sublimation Paper Storage

Properly storing your sublimation paper is important, and can significantly affect the results you get when you print and press.  Most paper can absorb humidity, and depending on the coating, some absorb a lot more than others.  As a general rule, best practice is to store your sublimation paper sealed either in the original packaging or in a reclosable bag in a dark area in a climate controlled office or other area.  Moderate humidity in the 40% range and temperature around 70 degrees with low or no light, is usually considered ideal storage conditions.  Realistically however, these conditions may not be practical, so just try to get as close to that type of environment as you can reasonably achieve, and you should be good to go.

Tip 2:  Heat Press Temperature

A heat press with an even temperature is a vital part of sublimation success, but not all heat presses heat evenly.  To make sure that your heat press does not have hot spots or cold areas which could have an impact on the evenness of your sublimation print,  check your press frequently with a pyrometer.   Taking a few seconds to check the temperature of your press could save you a lot of frustration and wasted blanks.

Tip 3:  The items you sublimate should be Polyester or Poly Coated

This seems like a pretty elementary fact, but I see this question on forums all the time.   For best results, whatever you sublimate should be 100% polyester fabric or should have a poly coating.  If you sublimate a garment that is some percentage polyester and some percentage of another material, the sublimation ink will only bond with the polyester fibers.   This can lead to a patchy,  faded graphic.   Attempting to sublimate a mug or a mousepad that does not have a poly coating will most likely not work at all.

If you have a sublimation or ChromaBlast tip or trick that you’d like to share,  please leave it in the comments or e-mail me at kristine dot shreve at myenmart dot com.

ChromaBlast for Cotton

We’ve been talking about sublimation a lot on this blog recently.  There a couple of reasons for that.  First, sublimation is popular and a lot of people have questions about it that we can answer.  Second,  we just introduced an awesome sublimation package and naturally we wanted everyone to know this package was available.   So, for most days in the past few weeks, this blog has been a little sublimation heavy.   Today is not, however, one of those days.

Today I want to talk about ChromaBlast Ink and what it can do for those who want to decorate cotton garments.   Many people will tell you that the best way to decorate cotton is to do direct to garment (DTG) printing,  and that may be the best way for some people.  Other people may find that DTG printing has a rather steep learning curve, that DTG machines can on occasion be temperamental, and that optimum quality and smooth running requires constant use and a high production level.   DTG is not for everyone, and those people who choose not to do direct to garment printing may find that ChromaBlast suits their needs quite well.

ChromaBlast inks are to cotton what Sublijet inks are for sublimation. If you want to decorate cotton substrates, ChromaBlast should be your ink of choice.  It can be used on any light colored cotton garment or item made of cotton.  These  inks offer consistent accurate color with photo-quality output.  EnMart offers ChromaBlast  in C, M, Y, and K cartridges and bulk systems.

You will not find ChromaBlast ink for dark garments.  If you are interested in decorating dark garments, your options are DTG printing, as mentioned above,   Ntrans transfers or Direct Screenprinting.   If, however, your interest is in decorating light colored garments, you will find that ChromaBlast creates vivid, colorful prints with a soft hand.  When used in conjunction with the ChromaBlast paper,  the ink creates transfers that can be heat pressed to a cotton garment.  The process is simple and there is a relatively small learning curve.

ChromaBlast ink is not yet available for every printer that EnMart offers.  To be sure that you purchase a printer for which Sawgrass has developed ink, make sure you buy your printer from our ChromaBlast printer category.

Have We Got a Sublimation Deal for You!

Every once in a while EnMart likes to show the love to our customers, and what better time to do that than in the days leading up to Valentines Day?  We know that there are a lot of people out there who are looking to get into the sublimation business, or who are already in the business, but want to add an additional system to their shop.    That’s why EnMart has put together a Pre-Valentines Day Special on a sublimation printer. This special should not be missed.

The cost for the Pre-Valentines Day Special package is $650.00

The package includes the following:

• 1 Ricoh GX5050N Printer
• 1 pack of 8 1/2 x 14 Mpress-II Paper
• 1set of Sublijet-R Ink (CMYK)
• 1 USB Cable

This package contains everything you need for sublimation printing.  Add some sublimation blanks and a heat press, and you’re ready to start creating sublimated goods.  As an added incentive,  we will take 10% off anything additional that you purchase when you buy this package.  If you find you need any sublimation blanks or any additional equipment or accessories, you can save even more by buying those items when you purchase the package.

The $650 Pre-Valentines Day Special is available only until February 14, 2010.  There is one package available and it will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Package may not be ordered on the web site. Contact EnMart at 866-516-1300 to place an order. 10% discount on additional purchases will be entered by EnMart after checkout.