FEATURE
WHY INK QUALITY MATTERS
BY JIMMY LAMB, EDUCATION MANAGER AT SAWGRASS TECHNOLOGIES
Anyone who has been in the sublimation industry has heard stories of trouble getting the right colours, unclogging
nozzles and repairing broken print heads. The source of these issues can often be traced back to the quality of ink
used in sublimation. The composition of the ink used and which printers the ink is run through have a big impact on
colour, production speed, print quality and length of equipment life. Here are three reasons why product decorators
should always choose high-quality inks for sublimation production.
YOU WILL PROTECT YOUR PRINTER
Sublimation inks must be manufactured with a given printer in mind. Not
every inkjet printer can process sublimation ink. For example, some print
heads use heat, which can cause premature gassing of the dye solids in the ink.
Additionally, head jets, pressure systems and internal tubing must be able to
handle the inks without having their composition degraded in the process. In
the same vein, bulk inks, while less expensive, can introduce air bubbles and
contaminants into your printer, which can not only reduce the quality of your
print, but also irreparably damage the hardware. Choosing high-quality inks
in closed cartridges, then pairing them with printers designed for sublimation
printing, ensures you get the most value, and life, out of your printer investment.
YOU GET RELIABLE COLOURS PRINT AFTER PRINT
Some manufacturers of bulk or off-brand sublimation inks provide colour profiles
for their inks. Many do not. If a manufacturer does offer colour management
tools, they come in the form of ICC profiles, which do not take the specific
printer, substrate and paper into consideration when formulating colour output.
A high-quality ink will have more advanced software that takes into consideration
more than just a colour profile. Accurate sublimation colouration is dependent
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on many environmental factors that simple profiles cannot compensate for.
Therefore, RIP software is essential f or high-end and wide format image
reproduction. At the desktop level, a high-quality ink will offer a RIP-like
programme to help account for as many environmental factors as possible. This
ensures colour accuracy and consistency.
YOU REDUCE TIME SPENT TROUBLESHOOTING
Because high-quality inks deliver consistent colours, closed cartridges make
printing quick and easy. The printers these inks are used in are made for
sublimation production, ensuring you spend more time printing, pressing and
making money. You quickly swap out cartridges instead of filling empty ones
and cleaning up spills. You don’t have to continually reprint to clear banding,
smudges or stray ink marks from your paper. You don’t have to spend time
adjusting colours in your graphics software and wasting paper and blanks until
you get the colour you want. Instead, your production cycle is seamless because
all components of your system work together to generate high-quality prints.
JG ELECTRONICS (+27 11) 789 6033
[email protected]
www.jgelectronics.com
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