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Textile and Dye Sublimation Printers for Signs

The many benefits of soft signage make this a growing market.

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Printing on fabric banners requires a textile or dye sub printer and the right kind of ink for the fabric substrate.

HAVE YOU HEARD about the booming sign industry segment called soft signs? It’s all about banners, flags, awnings and other textile-based signs. Here’s why they’re so popular: They’re lightweight, easy to ship and super unique compared to traditional signs. Plus, they’re a great way to save money for businesses. Depending on the equipment, you can also imprint items such as tiles, mugs, athletic wear and rigid items like skateboard decks.

This probably sounds great but you do need to do your homework before embarking on this path. When discussing textiles and transfers, most signmakers figure that dye sublimation is the technology of choice and in most cases that is correct. However, there are situations where dye sublimation ink is not the right option. At this point you may be a little confused, so let’s take a look at why you need the right ink for the right materials.

Dye sublimation ink can be printed onto transfer paper or directly onto certain fabrics. The key is “certain fabrics.” Traditional dye sub inks work well with polyester or can be used with a coating spray that’s compatible with it. Heat and pressure set the dye into the fabric, great for Lycra garments and rigid items that have a top coat spray. They’re not so great for major products made using textile printers, such as flags.

To work with more “natural” materials like cotton, you need a more specific type of dye sub ink: a reactive dye ink. Fibers such as silk, wool and nylon require an acid dye ink. You may be scratching your head and wondering what to do. Luckily, a new type of ink called ‘pigment’ will work with virtually any fabric. It requires a bonding agent to stick to the material and is cured with either UV light or heat. In most cases, the bonding agent is part of the ink formula, so it’s just a matter of getting the right printer.

It seems these pigment inks could be an answer to all of your concerns, but there are a couple of downsides. They will not have the color vibrancy found in purpose-based inks. The printers that use pigment inks are direct-to-fabric (DTF) machines. This may seem fine, but if you own a heat press, be it for T-shirts or other objects, then you really need to stick to good old dye sublimation.

To help make your shop more flexible, a number of manufacturers are offering machines that have multiple roles. Some machines can either print DTF or print onto transfer paper. Some machines can handle two different ink types. For example, they can run dye sublimation ink for polyesters and pigmented ink for natural fabrics.

The other good news for signmakers is that fabric/dye sub printers come in a wide variety of widths and speeds. You can usually find something that can accommodate small shops that just need a 64-in. width up to 9.8-ft. behemoths that can run at 4,000 sq. ft./hr.

Right now is a great time to get into textile printing. Just be sure you have a good idea about your target market and what type of fabrics you want to work with. With enough research you can find the right machine to meet your budget.

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