Hi there,
Humour me please - everything I know about sublimation printing has been learned over the last week!
I'm setting up a business making sewing kits and I want to print iron on embroidery pattern transfers. These are a popular 'thing' in the craft world and have been around in some form or another for a very long time. The modern version must use some kind of heat transfer ink so I guess they use sublimation printing?
In a nutshell, they are simple, single colour (usually) line-art printed on what feels like very normal paper. They are not a transfer film, there is nothing to peel off, and there is no residue left on the unprinted areas once transferred to fabric. The image is transferred to fabric using a standard home iron.
Witchcraft to me! So, having explored the internet, and even purchased some transfers to have a closer look, I wonder if they are made with sublimation inks printed onto regular paper or some kind - maybe laser paper as it's heat resistant?
The other part is, they transfer to cotton, not just polyester. So, I know that sublimation printing involves a special type of paper, and a heat press, and polyester fabric. However, the key here is that the transfer doesn't need to be great quality, and it doesn't need to last or survive washing. They are usually advertised multiple use, though degrading each time - I suspect because the heat of the iron doesn't manage to transfer a very dark print (there is always print left on the paper).
So this is the unconventional part - if you were to print an image using sublimation inks on regular paper of some kind, do you think you could use an iron to get some kind of print on cotton fabric? I know you 'can't' sublimate to cotton, but if you're not after quality, would it at least transfer something?
Anyone with any ideas on this will make my day. I'm happy to buy a printer to set this up, as long as I know it will work!
Thanks all, Jenny.