Advanced Color Solutions : Large Format Printing Tips and Tricks

Friday, November 07, 2008

Overwhelmed by Possibilities and How It Can Cost You

Often customers enter the world of large format printing with a specific idea in mind. Some customers already have an established business in a parallel industry such as screen printing. Some customers have been thinking about purchasing a large format printer to fill what they view as a void in the market, locally or nationally. Other customers don’t really know what they want to use their printer for, they just know that if they had one they could find a way to make money with it.

The first two groups of potential customers have an advantage over the third group. They are trying to focus their efforts on a specific niche within the industry. They know they are going to use the printer primarily for vehicle wraps or banners, for stickers, heat transfers, etc. However they choose to use their printer, they at least have an idea before they purchase their printer what it’s going to be used for.

More often than not however, the limitless possibilities of what their large format printer can do are only seen months after they’ve been using it. This is when the customer begins to get overwhelmed by possibilities. If he or she is not careful this could be the turning point between starting a successful business or starting a business doomed from the beginning.

Many new customers will routinely call Advanced Color Solutions with requests for “exotic” materials. These materials usually have limited uses and the customer feels they need these materials to fill an order from one of their clients. An example would be they received an order for stickers from a customer who wants to put their logo in the lobby of their business. The customer calls requesting a price on a specialty wall graphics material. While this material would serve that purpose, the chances of most new sign shops using this material again is not likely. Depending on how many stickers this customer will produce from this one order, and thus how much of the material they will actually use, ordering a specialty Wall Graphic Vinyl may turn out to be a waste of money and material simply to fill this one order. If the customer is standardizing on materials that satisfies a variety of applications it is possible to save the cost of a full roll of exotic media. In this case a calendered wrap vinyl with inexpensive overlaminate would be a good substitute and while not inexpensive could save hundreds in unused inventory over time.

While this example is relatively simple, this scenario and others occur more frequently than people realize. There are hundreds of different materials available for most large format printers. Each material offers it’s own advantages and disadvantages. How thick is the material? Glossy or matte? Is the adhesive permanent or repositionable? With so many combinations this expands the amount of possibilities exponentially.

New customers are easily amazed by what can be done with a large format printer or printer/cutter. Customers that have not spent time trying to focus their business on a core product or service will end up spending more money on specific materials used for one or two orders. It’s understandable that with a large investment you want to start making a return on that investment right away. However you need to be smart about what jobs you decide to take. Don’t talk yourself into buying material that you think you might use again someday in the future. If you really don’t see this material being part of your core products or services it may be best to contact your equipment reseller for expert advice. Resellers have different levels of experience but a quality dealer should be able to advise you on what to carry to make your shop more flexible and profitable. At Advanced Color Solutions we pride ourselves on recommending stock materials that provide this kind of flexibility.

Here are a few tips to avoiding frustration and purchasing needless materials. Stick to the basics. Most sign shops should have no more than two types of banner material, a smooth and a scrim for indoor and outdoor use respectively. Try to stock 2-3 types of adhesive vinyl of varying thicknesses, finishes (matte or glossy) and adhesive types. Depending on what your core products and services are this may be all you really need to start. If you do heat transfers consider two types of printable heat transfer material, one intended for light shirts, the other for dark shirts. Remember most of all that most of your customers only have an idea what they want. They are not the experts at making stickers, banners, posters, etc… you are. Take control of the situation between you and your customer and give your advice for the best way to accomplish what they are asking for. This allows you to better control what materials are going to be used – preferably ones you already have in stock. Possibly, the worst thing you can do starting your business is spending too much startup capital on materials that you don’t use regularly.

Posted By Administrator At 10:52 AM •

Sunday, October 19, 2008

What You Need to Know About Sublimation

What is Dye Sublimation?
Sublimation of an element or substrate is a conversion between the solid and gas phases with no intermediate liquid stage. Sublimation is a phase transition that occurs at specific temperatures and pressures. Dry Ice is a good example of a solid by-passing the liquid state and turning into a gas.

For the purposes of large format printing and dye-sublimation it is intended as a transfer process. This process requires a sublimation printer, sublimation inks, sublimation transfer paper, a heat-press, and a substrate to apply to. Generally when we speak of sublimation our substrate will have a polyester coating or be a polyester fabric. Other hard substrates like ceramic tiles can also be sublimated.

The process for sublimating a substrate includes a sublimation printer, inks & paper to print our transfer. Using a commercial heat-press with accurate control over temperature, time and pressure we can apply our transfer onto millions of products. When we apply our transfer with a heat press with the proper pressure and heat (usually about 20-50 psi at about 385-400 degrees F) the sublimation ink will by-pass the liquid state, turn into a gas and dyes the polyester content of our substrate. When the heating cycle is complete, it creates a permanent “No Feel” transfer onto whatever the substrate is. Because sublimation ink carries no toner or film you will feel nothing on your substrate!

What are some common markets for Sublimation?
Apparel
Decorated Apparel is a wide-ranging application for sublimation. Everything from t-shirts to mass production of cycling jerseys is a possibility.

Promotional Products
What were once novelty gifts, impractical for everyday use, are now sublimated on high-quality, durable items. Print mugs, mouse pads, clipboards, message boards and more!

Awards & Recognition
Plaques and trophies that were once limited to a single color and only a few design templates are now available with vibrant color and exquisite photographic images.

Signage
Create on-demand, high impact POP, trade show or interior signage allowing your customers to effectively market time-sensitive product or price changes.

Photo Gifts
With the vast availability of products intended for sublimation, you can offer your customers photo gifts - magnets, license plates, clocks, dolls and so much more!

Sporting Goods
Sell custom designs by allowing your customers to see a finished product (snowboards, skis and more) before committing to more traditional print runs.

Textiles
Customize fabrics with digital transfer inks for virtually indestructible images that are incredibly vibrant and detailed.

Tile Murals
Customized ceramic tiles are transforming home and office décor with unique and fully customized images for kitchens, bathrooms, foyers, museums, restaurants, and offices.

Custom Applications
Have an application you think is right for sublimation? Email us with specific details and one of our product management representatives will contact you to explore your ideas further.

What Type of Printer Do I Need?
To avoid getting too technical, sublimation requires special ink, therefor not just any printer can be used. The most common printers used for sublimation have a piezo print head. The piezo print heads are more suitable for dispensing the sublimation ink. Roland Printers use these print heads making them the most common printers for sublimation. With that being said, not all Roland printers are used for sublimation as the ink manufactures will only support select models in various sizes.

It is highly recommended that you purchase a separate printer for your sublimation. Going back and forth between sublimation and solvent or eco-solvent inks is not only time consuming, but it can cause problems with your printer.

What types of Sublimation Inks Should I Use?
The best way to answer that question is to first answer the following questions. What is the overall application? Do you wan to sublimate hard surface or softgoods? Do you intend for ths end product to be used indoors or outdoors? How important is color matching? At Advanced Color Solutions we treat each customer like a custom application. We sell and support Artanium & Sawgrass IQ Inks. Remember, sublimation inks have dye particles in them that do not “POP” or attain their full color until they are exposed to heat & pressure. This means that the color you see on the paper will NOT be the same as once it has been transferred. Each ink has an advantage in a variety of applications. We will discuss in detail your specific application and make a recommendation that bests suits your needs & budget.

Desktop vs. Large Format Sublimation

Sublimation Printing is generally broking down into two categories, Desktop and large format. A few of the major differences between the two are the width of the printing capabilities, the speed of the printer and the cost of the printer.

Desktop printing is 17” in width or smaller. Many small to medium size businesses will start with a desktop system because of low start up costs, the physical size including room limitations and the frequency and size of the prints. These systems can be configured with either Sawgrass or Artainum inks. The inks can be purchased in cartridges for easy replacement or configured with a bulk delivery system to save money on printing and time between replacing cartridges. Desktop sublimation printers are often found in larger shops as well for doing prototyping or running smaller/short run jobs. You will find desktop systems in many embroidery, ad-specialty, sporting goods, and award and engraving shops to name a few. The per-print cost on a desk top system for a 12”x12” design can range from about $1.50-$4.25 per print. Desktop systems start at under $1000 and go up to about $4,000.

Large Format printers start at 24” width and can go beyond 100” width. Advanced Color Solutions has over 30 years of combined knowledge in Large Format Printing. Most customers looking into large format generally have an application need to solve or is producing a lot of product and needs to go faster and less expensive. Typical applications can include but not limited to:

- Sport Jersey Manufacturing
- Swim Suite Manufacturing
- POP/In Door Banners/Trade Show Signage
- Tile Murals/Swinging Pools/Custom Tiles for bathrooms
- Production Runs of Ad-Specialty Items
- Many Custom Applications

Large format is one of the fastest growing markets in sublimation. As customers grow their sublimation business they are always looking to go faster and save money. How do you save money with large format? By having a printer 24” or larger you are able to purchase your sublimation inks by the liter. Your costs for printing a 12”X12” design will range from $0.22-$0.35 per print.

What do I need to get started?
To get started in sublimation you’ll need the following:
- A printer that meets your production needs & budget
- A computer to connect it up to
- Graphics Program such as CorelDraw or PhotoShop
- Sublimation Inks that best fits your budget & application needs
- Heat Press
- Product (substrate) to transfer to

The Learning Curve

Advance Color Solutions wants to set you up for success. We offer on-site training, installation & service to systems customers or any one looking to expand their capabilities. Please call us today at (951) 359-2000 to speak to a sales associate for more information.

Posted By Administrator At 10:15 PM •

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Welcome To Advanced Color Solutions

Welcome to Advanced Color Solutions. Based in Southern California, Advanced Color Solutions provides sales and support for large format printers including Roland printers, sublimation printers as well as accessories such as doming machines, heat presses, vinyl cutters, laminators and other equipment used in the signage, custom apparel and other industries.
Posted By Administrator At 10:07 PM •

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