What to know before buying sublimation ink locally

Sublimation printing has moved well beyond industrial apparel shops. These are all businesses that make custom products, collect school donations, sell small gifts, and operate photography studios, and are operating sublimation applications, which previously needed a commercial-scale setup. This growth has led to a myriad of ink choices – and a ton of confusion about what really matters when deciding on an ink to use.

The global sublimation printing market is estimated to reach $7.6 billion by 2022 and will grow at a CAGR of 12.4% till 2030, primarily due to the demand from small custom merchandise businesses.

How sublimation ink works — and why formulation matters

Unlike the inkjet ink, sublimation ink doesn’t lie on a surface. It changes from solid into gas under heat and pressure, directly bonding to the surface of the polymer layer of the substrate. Because of this process, the quality of the ink is a key factor in the overall quality of the print and in longevity.

A formulation issue will not be resolved by printer calibration; low-grade sublimation ink will usually shift colors, with blues tending to print with a purple tinge, and yellows will tend to be muted.

What to look for when sourcing sublimation ink

Color gamut

The set of reproducible colors will help your reproduction to be more or less similar to the original design. For saturated brand colors in photographic prints and merchandise, the larger the gamut, the better.

Heat transfer temperature consistency

If the inks do not work well in different temperatures, it will lead to uneven results on the same batch of substrates, especially as you can see on mugs and rigid ink, which are substrates that heat unevenly.

Printer model compatibility

Generic or rebranded inks claim to be compatible with most brands and may not work as well with all brands. In the sublimation community, the most popular and well-known choices for third-party printing are Sawgrass, Hiipoo, and Cosmos Ink.

Why buying sublimation ink locally has practical advantages

While it’s convenient to buy online, you never know how long it’s been in a warehouse before it’s shipped to you, and sublimation ink has a 12-24 month shelf life depending on the storage conditions. Typical local suppliers have a quicker inventory turn and can attest to the storage history of a product.

Plus, if you have color accuracy problems, it will save you hours of forum surfing time to troubleshoot it in person with a knowledgeable supplier. Some ink and printing supply stores in Wichita carry sublimation-compatible products alongside standard cartridge and toner services, making them practical one-stop options for small print businesses managing multiple output types.

Printer compatibility — what works for sublimation conversion

Compatible models

The most popular models to convert are those from Epson that use their EcoTank technology. Their piezo print heads are used to fire the ink, without the use of heat, which is what sublimation ink requires to act properly during the transfer process.

Incompatible models

The thermal print head of Canon and HP inkjet printers is a piece of hardware that prints by applying heat to release ink droplets from the printer. This process disrupts the chemistry of the sublimation ink and will not render these models adaptable to sublimation without substantial technical changes.

Make sure the printer and ink are compatible before buying either — it’s a very expensive mistake to make if the printer is incompatible.