Sublimation ink is incredibly versatile and can be used to personalize a wide range of items, including vibrant t-shirts, mugs, glasses, wood, and more. However, some newcomers to the craft often ask a common question: Can you use sublimation ink for regular printing?
It’s important to note that sublimation ink is quite different from regular ink, and it cannot be used with a standard printer. Moreover, the paper used for sublimation printing is also distinct from regular printing paper.
If you’re unsure whether your printer is compatible with sublimation ink, attempting to use it for regular document and photo printing can lead to printer damage and produce poor results. This guide aims to provide clarity on this matter and help you avoid any confusion.
Can You Use Sublimation Ink For Regular Printing?
In short, you cannot use sublimation ink for regular printing. Sublimation ink relies on heat to change from a solid to a gas, creating a permanent bond with the substrate.
Since sublimation ink necessitates a dedicated sublimation printer for proper application, it is not compatible with standard printers commonly used for regular printing tasks.
Can You Print Regular Documents/Paper With Sublimation Ink?
Absolutely not! Sublimation ink is not suitable for regular document printing. The key reason behind this is that regular paper lacks the capacity to retain sublimation ink.
Sublimation ink is designed to be used exclusively with sublimation paper, which is specially coated with a polymer layer to hold the ink effectively.
Sublimation involves a chemical process wherein the sublimation paper, once printed, is subjected to heat, causing the sublimation ink to transfer from the paper onto the substrate.
In contrast, regular paper does not possess this polymer coating that is essential for retaining sublimation ink. If you attempt to print with sublimation ink on regular paper, it will result in the paper absorbing the ink and becoming damp, causing it to lose its adhesive properties.
Consequently, the paper will be unable to facilitate the heat transfer process. Hence, using sublimation ink to print regular documents or papers is not feasible.
How Sublimation Printing Is Different From Regular Printing?
Sublimation printing relies heavily on specific chemical processes, setting it apart from regular printing practices. In standard printing, there is no need for a polymer-coated surface to retain ink, allowing you to print documents, photos, and various everyday projects with ease.
In contrast, sublimation ink becomes an integral part of the substrate it’s applied to. When subjected to heat, sublimation ink permanently melds with materials like t-shirts, mugs, tumblers, glass, acrylic, metal, or any surface coated with a polymer layer.
While sublimation might appear complex to newcomers, it is essentially a straightforward process. However, grasping the fundamental concepts of sublimation is crucial to avoid any printing mishaps.
Why Does My Regular Printer Don’t Support Sublimation Printing?
When engaging in sublimation printing, it’s imperative to verify if your printer is genuinely compatible with this process. Printers come in various types, with the most common being thermal, laser, and inkjet printers.
However, when you own a thermal or laser printer that relies on toners or heat-sensitive materials for printing, they are unsuitable for sublimation. This is because laser and thermal printers operate on heat-based technologies, whereas sublimation is an inkjet process that operates without generating heat.
Now, if you possess an inkjet printer, you must determine whether it can work with sublimation ink or not. Let me clarify this for you; not all inkjet printers are suitable for sublimation.
There’s a specialized term called “Piezo printing technology” that is found in specific lines of inkjet printers. The most renowned of these are the Epson sublimation printers, which are widely used for sublimation printing.
The reason behind their compatibility lies in the fact that piezoelectric printhead printers employ electric piezo crystals within the printheads to expel ink droplets from the nozzles, rather than relying on thermal heat.
Now, you might be curious about whether Canon or Brother printers can be converted for sublimation use. Here’s the answer: Any other inkjet printer cannot be used for sublimation unless it features a piezo printhead, and there are compatible sublimation inks available from either the manufacturer or third-party suppliers.
However, if you’re contemplating converting an HP printer into a sublimation printer, please check the specific steps required for this conversion. HP printers typically lack piezo printheads that apply electric pressure for vaporizing sublimation ink.
To determine the appropriate printer for sublimation, you should verify the printhead technology and ensure that compatible sublimation inks are available.
It’s worth noting that even some Brother printers feature piezo printheads but may not be suitable for sublimation due to the unavailability of compatible sublimation inks from their manufacturers.
What Happens If You Install Sublimation Printing System In A Regular Printer?
Sublimation printing systems are only compatible with specific printers. Attempting to convert a standard printer into a sublimation printer comes with the risk of voiding the product warranty.
If a printer isn’t designed for sublimation, installing refillable cartridges and filling them with sublimation ink can lead to significant issues like ink bleeding onto the paper.
Epson printers, in particular, offer a Continuous Ink Supply System (CISS) through which cartridges and ink tanks can be easily refilled with sublimation ink. However, it’s worth noting that this process may be a bit complex for certain models within the WF line due to cartridge variations.
We recommend visiting the brand’s website to verify whether your regular Epson printer features the CISS ink system and a piezo printhead, as these are essential components for successful sublimation printing.
Tip
We recommend converting a brand-new Epson Ecotank printer into a sublimation printer. This is because if you convert a regular Epson printer into a sublimation printer, the residual regular ink may remain in the printhead and ink lines.
Therefore, if you intend to convert a regular printer into a sublimation printer, it is advisable to thoroughly clean the ink lines and printhead to remove any traces of the previous regular ink.
After cleaning, you can install refillable ink tanks in the Ecotank printer and fill them with sublimation ink. Additionally, it’s a good practice to print a test page on sublimation paper after the conversion to ensure everything is working correctly before attempting to use it for actual substrates.
It’s worth noting that Ecotank sublimation printers do not use refillable cartridges but instead have refillable ink tanks, allowing you to refill them with sublimation ink after the cleaning process if you have used the printer for regular ink previously.
FAQs
Can you print regular documents with sublimation ink?
Regular documents are not suitable for holding sublimation ink because they lack the poly-coating necessary to prevent the sublimation ink from causing the paper to become moist or saturated.
Can you use a sublimation printer for regular printing?
Once you convert a brand-new regular printer into a sublimation printer, it becomes a one-way process that cannot be reversed. Sublimation printers are exclusively designed for use with sublimation ink and paper, and they cannot be used for regular printing.
If you wish to switch the sublimation printer back to regular printing, it is recommended to seek the assistance of a printer expert who can properly clean the sublimation ink from the ink lines, allowing you to use normal ink once again.
Can you print on photo paper with sublimation ink?
Simply put, no. Printing on photo paper with sublimation ink will yield faded results. Sublimation ink may initially appear faded on the paper, but it reveals its true vibrant colors after the heat transfer process. Instead of using sublimation ink, it is advisable to use standard photo ink for optimal results.
Recap
The straightforward answer to whether you can use sublimation ink for regular printing is no. Sublimation ink behaves quite differently from regular ink, and it is not advisable to use sublimation ink for printing on regular paper with a standard printer.
Sublimation ink is specifically designed to be used with sublimation paper and a dedicated sublimation printer. This clarification should make it clear that using sublimation ink with regular printers and paper is not recommended.