Switching Pro to Advanced is always rewarding. Your skills and ROI will rise simultaneously. Tell us who does want this?
Sure thing! You are here for that too! Maybe you are planning to step up the era of dye-sublimation technology.
But confused on either inkjet or sublimation printer. No worries! We are here to solve that puzzle.
This Dye sublimation vs. Inkjet printer comparison will light you up in-depth. Not only that, but also it will reveal some secret facts.
50 American experts share all these. Check the article slowly. You will find the gem inside each section. Let’s dig it out.
What is Dye Sublimation?
The definition is a bit critical. We will ease that up here. Dye-sublimation is a process to turn the solid color into gas.
Brief: Regular printers like inkjets spray the color over the paper; then, it heats through a drier. The drier later makes the color permanent and creates a better graphical illustration. Right?
Dye Sublimation, on the other hand, follows the same method. Just one extensive method makes it unique. The method is as follows:
The printer sprays the solid color over a specialized transfer paper. The sprayed colors look a bit scattered.
Then it heats up to vaporize the solid color to put in an object. Objects like business cards, clothes, banners, coffee mugs, and more. The basic concept of this printing is to define the graphical illustration better.
Fact: sublimation process is 63 years old. We are saying it is updated, but no! The technology has updated, not the process.
What is an Inkjet Printer?
Inkjet printers use two technologies: bubble jet and piezoelectric. Bubble jet vaporized the ink and turned it into bubbles.
Later it sends the bubble through nozzles. The piezoelectric process is a bit different. It heats the ink through vibration and sends it through the nozzle.
When the nozzle drops the ink, the drier start to heat up, it matures the idea and finalizes through a better outcome.
Fact: the price of a gallon of ink for an inkjet printer is $4000.
Advantages of Dye Sublimation:
You know the basics of inkjet and dye sublimation. Now we will cover the advantages of each printer. Starting with Dye-Sublimation
- Dye sublimation offers the best result. Vivid image description; smooth color variations; accurate dots, and more. It does not compromise the quality.
- Highly durable. Normal printers cause scattered color or a bit of a blurry effect over time. Dye-sublimation printers do not decay over time. The glow stays young like the jeans.
- We have to follow some caution after immediate printing for regular printers. Dye sublimation does not need that. You can fold it or carry it with flexibility. There is no chance to get scattered color.
- It keeps the color raw. There is no glare. You will find the exact color variation in the printed copy. The dye-sublimation process focuses on each micro inch while printing.
- People are now focused on versatile applications. Dye Sublimation is versatile: you can print on fabric, mug, hard materials or any relevant areas. The graphical outcomes are fascinating. No reduction of color or image quality.
Fact: The actual term of Dye-Sublimation is: “Dye-Diffusion.”
Disadvantages of Dye Sublimation:
Likewise the advantages, it has some disadvantages. People shared a lot of drawbacks of these printers.
We don’t agree with all of them. Here are some major drawbacks. These are not a dealbreaker for sure.
- It cannot print on dark-colored paper. White or light-coated paper is essential.
- You have to turn the printer on. Otherwise, the printhead will clog. This may increase the electricity bill a bit.
- UV rays can reduce the item’s color quality. Avoid sunlight areas. Some offices are covered with transparent glass. This glass can absorb the heat but not the UV ray. It depends on the glass quality. So, it’s wise to avoid the sunlight areas for that.
Fact: Noel de Passe is the inventor of Dye sublimation
Advantages of Inkjet Printer
Now let’s dive into the advantages of inkjet printers. The following benefits are common in 90% of users.
- Inkjet printer gives you the quality image within your budget. We are not saying it’s better than dye-sublimation. We are trying say, “you will get that what you paid for”
- Inkjet printers take less place to accommodate. You can adjust it beside the laptop perfectly.
- Pricing is the game-changer for this type of printer. The initial price is lower than any other dye-sublimation printer.
Fact: Brother recycles thousands of toners to save trees. This initiative is for enhancing the environmental diversity of koalas.
Disadvantages of Inkjet Printer
Some of these disadvantages we faced while we were analyzing the advantages. Check this out
- Inkjet printers perform slower than other printers. It takes a minute to print 16 pages.
- One of the major drawbacks is the cartridge price. The cartridge price is high.
- Ink dries out frequently. So you have to keep the machine on always.
Fact: Every Inkjet printer has thousands of computer chips to check the ink level. You can reset it to enhance efficiency.
Dye Sublimation vs. Inkjet Printers – Head to Head
Time to share some more interesting information. You can call this a final touch. We will do a head-to-head comparison. It will help you to make a better buying decision.
Printing Process:
Inkjet and dye-sublimation printers have different printing processes. Explaining the Dye-sublimation process first:
Over a transfer paper, a graphic is printed for the first time. Then the paper is placed over the decorated object (banner, coffee mug, business card). By using the heat press, the solid ink vaporized finally to bond with the material.
Simple! Right? The Inkjet printing process is also the same. As soon as it gets the command, a thousand nozzles are electrified to vaporize the inks. The ink then sprays the droplets over the paper. The paper later heats up to stable the ink construction. Done!
Color Quality:
Dye-sublimation printers serve the best eye experience. The color grades are smooth and aligned.
Compared with this printer, Inkjet cannot deliver that satisfying look. It seems more generic than specific.
You can use the photo for a demo. We don’t prefer this for the final project unless you have dye sublimation.
Efficiency:
We prefer dye-sublimation printers for the ultimate efficiency. The color grades are super-specific, and there is no chance of decay.
But Inkjet may decay over time. Over everything, it’s all about cost-efficiency. Inkjet and dye sublimation offers the same cost. Since both are offering the same cost, why should you compromise on the quality?
Easy to use:
Inkjet is easy to use. We think it has a competitive advantage here. It has fewer technical difficulties than dye-sublimation.
A dye sublimation printer takes time to set up for an initial printing. If you are not expert enough, there is a chance of ruining…
FAQs:
Can You Use an Inkjet Printer for Sublimation?
It’s a complicated question. If you want a straight answer, it will be a big “NO.” all inkjet printers are not capable of sublimation. Only the piezoelectric dedicated printers are capable of sublimation.
Can I sublimate on cotton?
Yes, you can. Put a polyester coating over the cotton layer. Now you are all set to sublimate. Remember one thing: sublimation works great with polyester.
What is the difference between an inkjet printer and a regular printer?
The major difference between polyester and a regular printer is “Process” Inkjet vaporizes the ink and sprays it through the nozzles. But the regular printers like laser printers use laser and photosensitive drums to perform the process.
What secret facts do 50% of Americans share with us?
In our article, we covered a lot of information, including the facts. That’s the thing 50% of Americans share. We fetched that from direct email, threads, and live sessions.
We still believe the topic has not been covered yet fully. Our team will update it based on your comments.
Let us know more about Dye sublimation vs. Inkjet. We would love to analyze the ideas to attach to our content.
One more thing: did you count how many facts we shared today? If so, tell us: Why is Brother recycling the toner? The winner will get a free brochure of the best deals. Want to win? Shout out loud.
