RECyT
Year 25 / No 39 / 2023 /
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36995/j.recyt.2023.39.005
Sublimation
intended for small formats: historical dimension, procedural steps, supplies
and equipment
Sublimación
destinada a pequeños formatos: dimensión histórica, trámites procesales,
insumos y equipos
Sublimação
destinado a pequenos formatos: dimensão histórica, etapas processuais, insumos
e equipamentos
David, Guilhon1; Rodolfo Nucci,
Porsani1, *; Luis Carlos, Paschoarelli1; Olímpio José,
Pinheiro1
1- Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de
Mesquita Filho” - UNESP. Bauru, Brasil.
* E-mail: rodolfo.n.porsani@unesp.br
Received: 06/07/2022; Accepted: 17/11/2022
Abstract
Sublimation is a digital printing process that
emerged as a response to gaps left by the graphic limitations of screen
printing. But, in the recent history of digital printing, the adaptation of
inks in home printers for sublimation of small runs and formats, resulted in
the exponential popularization of the technology. However, the scientific
knowledge about sublimation is still incipient, especially the one that deals
with small formats, common in the workshops of entrepreneurs in the
personalized branch. Therefore, this article seeks to present in a detailed way
the sublimation of small formats, its historical dimension, procedural steps,
inputs and equipment.
Keywords:
Sublimation; Design; Digital stamping; Graphic production.
Resumen
La sublimación es un proceso de impresión
digital que surgió como respuesta a las lagunas dejadas por las limitaciones
gráficas de la serigrafía. Pero, en la história reciente de la impresión
digital, la adaptación de las tintas en las impresoras domésticas para la
sublimación de pequeñas tiradas y formatos, dio lugar a la popularización
exponencial de la tecnología. Sin embargo, el conocimiento científico sobre la
sublimación es aún incipiente, especialmente el que se refiere a los pequeños
formatos, comunes en los talleres de los empresarios del ramo personalizado.
Por lo tanto, este artículo busca presentar de manera detallada la sublimación
de pequeños formatos, su dimensión histórica, pasos procedimentales, insumos y
equipos.
Palabras
clave: Sublimación; Diseño; Estampado digital;
Producción gráfica.
Resumo
A sublimação é um processo de impressão digital
que surgiu como resposta para lacunas deixadas pelas limitações gráficas da
serigrafia. Mas, na história recente da impressão digital, a adaptação de
tintas em impressoras domésticas para a sublimação de pequenas tiragens e
formatos, resultou na popularização exponencial da tecnologia. Contudo, ainda é
incipiente o conhecimento científico sobre a sublimação, de modo especial a que
trata dos pequenos formatos, comuns em ateliês de empreendedores do ramo de
produtos gráficos personalizados. Portanto, este artigo busca apresentar de
forma detalhada a sublimação de pequenos formatos, sua dimensão histórica,
etapas processuais, insumos e equipamentos.
Palavras-chaves: Sublimação; Design; Estamparia digital;
Produção gráfica.
Introduction
When looking at the current scenario of graphic
production, one is confronted with a range of printing processes that every day
allow for the most diverse applications. One of the most notable is
sublimation. This is an increasingly popular process that, for Ruthschilling
and Laschuk (2013), is justified by the easy accessibility promoted by a
technology that is already common in domestic environments (inkjet printers),
as well as by the low cost of acquiring machinery and other inputs (inks,
papers and substrates).
This technique allows the transfer by
evaporation of the appropriate ink from the printed resin paper to a substrate,
by means of high temperature (between 180 and 220°C), pressure applied by a
heat press, for a given time (30 to 180 seconds), depending on the nature of
the substrate (SWAIN, 2011; RUTHSCHILLING; LASCHUK, 2013; MENDES; LAMARCA; SÁ,
2015).
The simplification of production processes,
quality stamping on a single part and the absence of the need for special
production spaces are also factors that contribute to this democratisation.
(SETANI; SASAKI; TAKEDA, 1990; KIATKAMJORNWONG; PUTTHIMAI; NOGUCHI, 2005; EL-
SAYAD; EL-SHERBINY, 2008; SWAIN, 2011; GLOMBIKOVA; KOMARKOVA, 2014; MENDES;
LAMARCA; SÁ, 2015).
However, this leads to a trivialisation,
perceived in the improvised way of working that is based on empiricism and superficial
or no knowledge on the part of its advocates in relation to materials and
equipment.
Guilhon, Silva and Silva (2021) argue that it is
the ease of access to sublimation by anyone that triggers or fails to deepen
this knowledge of the nuances between each printing process, which will
generate doubts about the best way to work on a project. On the other hand, it
should be noted that knowledge of the processes and modus operandi is limited
only to manufacturers, as there are few scientific articles published on
sublimation.
Just as there is no market, neither does the
understanding of this subject become superficial in academia. Laranjeira and
Moura (2013) argue that it is up to the designer (and the entrepreneur) to know
how to make or use the technologies that involve all the production stages of
digital printing, if he/she intends to achieve a high level of quality in the
product resulting from his/her project.
In view of the problems presented, the aim of
this work is to carry out a bibliographical review of the materials and process
of sublimation, as well as its history and what can be sublimated, being
technical-scientific knowledge that assists the designer in the conception of
prints, applications of graphic brands in their visual identity manual and the
elaboration of new products.
Historical
background
Considering the scenario presented to it, CIE
(2015) shows that similar stamping initiatives already existed in the late 19th
century to serve as guides for embroidery on fabrics, with non-permanent inks
that were attacked by means of pin pricks in soot or carbon dust on the (simple
and clean) image printed on the paper.
Noël's creation, compared to the processes used
at the time, proved to be revolutionary as it did not require post-print fixation
of this type of dye; unlike the usual wet printing dyes (CIE, 2015). In
addition, the simplification of the process itself, which is dry, is formulated
in the minimisation of cleaning during and after printing, as well as the skill
requirements of operators and complexity of equipment. However, the need for
specialisation in paper handling and printing remained, but with the
achievement of all colours and the simplification of a process as a whole (CIE,
2015).
Meanwhile, Frank (2011) says that the application
of this printing process began in 1965 and that it has several applications,
such as sample printing (assisting in the design and production process).
Cahill (2006) contributes that, in 1973, RPL Supplies Inc., now based in New
Jersey (USA), developed a digital process for transferring images onto fabrics,
using ink ribbons that reacted to thermopressure, used for personalisation and
promotional products.
For Swain (2011), the evolution and popularity
of sublimation as it is seen today is precisely conflated with the advent of
the first computers and the use of dot-matrix printers that used special
ribbons impregnated with sublimation particles to create monochrome transfers
in the late 1970s to early 1980s.
He adds that it was during this period that the
first computer sublimation system, developed by Wes Hoekstra, appeared. He, who
is considered the "father" of the sublimation industry, applied his
work through image processing with the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena,
California (USA). Later, in the 1980s, such work paved the way for the
emergence of electrostatic sublimation (SWAIN, 2011).
In the 1990s, on-demand printing proved to be a
compelling advantage for fashion products, according to Cie (2015), to the
extent that heat transfer printing regained its popularity as a precursor to
inkjet printing. Ching-Li et al. (2016) add that inkjet was introduced, in the
same period, as a proposal and answer to dye-sublimation transfer printing, as
dye-sublimation ink was easily adaptable to the various models of small-format
printers.
Consequently, the technique became popular, as
it did not require expensive installations, application on substrates of very
different nature (RUTHSCHILLING; LASCHUK, 2013; CHING-LI et al., 2016). And the
reasons that led to this "boom" have already been described in the
literature in the previous topic.
The
process
As mentioned above, sublimation is a process
that can be classified as thermo-pressing or thermo-transfer (LARANJEIRA;
MOURA, 2013). Thus, it can be said that, for Carvalho and Rüthschilling (2016),
this technique uses the transfer of sublimation ink printed on an appropriate
paper (support or bridge) to the desired substrate by means of pressure, at a
certain temperature, for a pre-defined period of time. Carvalho (2016) adds
that the dye dispersed in the paint evaporates due to heat and migrates to the
polyester-based surface.
In this case, the process of indirect digital
printing is observed. This term is used by both Blauth and Tedesco (2013),
because there is a step beyond what is normally seen in digital graphics
processes, which has its direct printing commanded by graphics software on a
computer CPU (digital image) and decoded and printed on paper by digital
printers (final printed image). These authors call the result of this
matrix-image printing (our glyph), which will be used as a support for the
thermotransfer on the desired surface, transferring the pigment load to
sublimate present in the paper.
On their part, Mendes, Lamarca and Sá (2015)
reinforce the concept of indirect digital printing due to the fact that digital
technologies and old sublimation techniques are mixed to obtain the desired
print in a more accessible and practical way as it is known at the moment.
In addition to the concept of sublimation and
its type of printing, it is interesting to illustrate the process step by step.
Thus, Figure 1 presents a more playful way of understanding sublimation and
each of its stages that will be described throughout this article. In the same
way that Villas-Boas (2008) divides graphic production processes, it is also
possible to break this process down into two main phases: a) creative and b)
productive. Although figure 1 represents this first phase in a single step, it
is interesting to note that sublimation, like so many other graphic techniques,
is a productive and creative process.
Figure
1. Sublimation in small formats and its steps.
Source:
the authors themselves.
It is also interesting to report that
sublimation (at least in small formats), to a certain extent, contradicts and,
at the same time, supports the graphic production process proposed by
Villas-Boas (2008), especially in the production phase (in this order:
pre-printing, printing and finishing). This is affirmed by the understanding
that it is a ready-made and finished product, personalisation, i.e., printing
(embossing) becomes the final macro-phase of the process.
However, in larger productions, such as T-shirts
and fully printed parts, printing occurs on each individual part before
assembly, as well as in smaller products where the finishing phase occurs after
both printing on paper and stamping on the object, with the removal of the
matrix from the sublimated part and its cooling.
STAGE
I - DESIGN
This is the graphic design to be printed, and
for Andrei (2021) it is a previous way of reproducing the image on the substrate.
For Villas-Boas (2008), it is called projection. It requires knowledge not only
of graphic editing software, but also of the assumptions of creativity-oriented
graphic design.
Initially, the graphic designer or operator
graphically constructs the design of the requested products. The technical
attributes that delimit this part of the process are linked to the template
generated from the morphology and materials of the sublimatable objects, as
well as the behaviour of the colours on the surfaces and the limitation of the
printing and pressing equipment. This can already be seen on the initial screen
of the graphics software used to create the prints, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure
2. Initial screen of Adobe Photoshop with its specifications.
Source:
Print screen of the Adobe Photoshop splash screen.
This reinforces Löbach's (2001) thinking about
the relationship between design and products through the definition of their
technical attributes, formal, aesthetic and symbolic qualities, susceptible to
mass production and meeting the needs of their user.
The creative possibilities and the range of
different types of products, in terms of morphology and dimensions, will be
influenced by machine specifications, such as printing area and width of the
printing nozzle, which define the format possibilities.
This is similar to the cut-size formats offered
by offset printers described by Villas-Boas (2008). Having said that, small
format sublimation is initially restricted to commercially available printers,
such as those that support A4 and A3 based formats.
Figure 3 shows the useful working area, guided
by the limitation of the press and the print output. In this image, you can see
the relationship between this template on which the print is created and the
object to be sublimated, according to the specifications the file needs to meet
the printing configuration. The image on the right is already different and
presents an example of the shape of a conical product that needs more attention
in the creation of what will be printed, where the job is based on a curved
template that follows the silhouette of the object.
.
Figure
3. Assembly with the useful area template and 3D application of a
cylindrical (left) and a conical (right) product, as well as their
specifications for on-screen production in Adobe Photoshop.
Source:
the authors themselves.
In this sense, the objects subject to
sublimation are delimited not only by the creative phase, but especially by the
needs of the productive phase.
STAGE
II - Pre-printing
This begins with the preparation of the file for
printing, subject to approval of the graphic design. This part corresponds to
pre-printing, where it is planned how the file will be closed for printing,
having already verified the resolution of the images and the number of copies
per printing plate. The simplicity of the sublimation process extends this
range of file formats by using the graphic editing software itself as a print
management platform. It is worth remembering that sublimation is a digital
process and the printing is done directly on the matrix, in this case, the
sublimation paper.
In small format sublimation, this phase is also
about planning what will be printed, considering the number of copies of the
same print or prints for different products. All this is guided by the printing
area available by the equipment available to the entrepreneur. In this way, the
designer, after approval by the client, sends the file created in an image
editing program to the software in which his set of equipment and inputs are
configured for printing. Thus, it can be seen that in sublimation, the
pre-printing phase also requires the designer's knowledge of the printing
configuration in the software used.
Depending on the type of printer, adapted or manufactured
for the process, some printing characterisation points differ. In the
sublimation printer, the options that appear are different and more simplified,
since it is, as already mentioned, suitably designed for this type of graphic
process. Here, the user can adjust the print depending on the desired quality
and the substrate material to be sublimated. With the printer adapted, it takes
advantage of the equalisation of the properties that already come with them,
such as Colour Correction and Image Mirroring (which is not necessary in
sublimation), for example.
In both cases, the importance of calibrating the
colour management for printing is perceived, as a quality standard is sought in
which what is printed is as close as possible to what is displayed on a screen,
having, in a way, established the same dialogue (VARANDA, 2011).
Obviously, it is known that such interfaces are
governed by very different colour modes -RGB for screens and monitors and CMYK
for printers- and that is not the focus of the discussion of this paper and
there are other works that can guide this deepening (CUNHA , 2000; SWAIN, 2011;
VARANDA, 2011; FIDALGO; GONÇALVES, 2014).
STAGE
III - Printing
It is the transformation of the project created,
imported or edited in graphic editing software into a stamp, a printed image. There
are three important actors in this phase of the process: printers, paper and
inks (ANDREI, 2021, p.41). The printing of sublimation matrices, in general,
can be done by offset printing (large scale) or by inkjet (in smaller demands,
which is the case of this article), by means of a command generated by graphic
software.
Inkjet printing is, according to Li (2003), a
matrix printing technology in which the print head nozzles deposit ink droplets
directly onto the surface of the substrate, forming the desired image. In
detailing the process, the author describes that the printhead prints
horizontal strips on the sheet of paper, using a motor and gears to move from
left to right, while another motor drives the rollers so that the paper passes
vertically after each strip is printed and the final design is completed.
Being even more precise and specific, small
format sublimation makes use of Drop-on-demand (DOD) technology printers,
especially those categorised as piezoelectric. Li (2003) describes that this
technology, as the name suggests, consists of the emission of ink droplets
according to the need and demand for print generation.
Further elaborating on the category, a
piezoelectric inkjet printer is equipped with a system of ceramic parts plates
connected to electrodes that are controlled by electrical pulses. Reacting to
an electrical command, the plates deform, generating enough pressure to change
the volume of ink in the chamber and cause the ink to drip onto the substrate
(LI, 2003; WILLIAMS, 2006). It is a system widely used in homes and offices and
allows many companies to experiment with different types of inks, as its
printing mechanism does not heat up, as Williams (2006) points out.
In this regard, Andrei (2021) points out that,
in order to work with sublimation-driven printing, the chosen printer models
cannot use heat in their mechanisms. The author justifies that heat during
printing can cause pre-gasification of the ink before it reaches the paper,
which makes sublimation unfeasible. This helps to understand why
"tabletop" sublimation has managed to develop and gain a foothold.
Printing
systems
Within this small format printing system, the
market offers two types of printing systems, which can be classified as: a)
adaptive printing and b) original printing. For these systems, it can be said
that the printing quality is influenced by three points that are directly
related to each other: type of printer, nature of the sublimation ink and
printing configuration. It is a type of classification and description that is
not mentioned in academic works; however, widely used in the commercial field.
Adaptive printing involves the use of parallel
sublimation inks inserted into the bulk of a desktop inkjet printer, which is
widely used for commercial and residential purposes. In addition, it has a
complex printing configuration, with the mandatory installation of a colour
profile. This whole scenario varies from one ink manufacturer to another, both
in terms of print configuration, ink formulation, colour fidelity and product
values.
As it is well known, this type of system emerged
as a gap left not only by graphic processes in relation to colour restriction,
as in screen printing, but also for smaller scale and dimension productions,
such as industrial sublimation.
It is also recalled that the compatibility,
albeit in the short term, of the MicroPiezo inkjet system with parallel inks
contributed to this system being the most widely used, also justifying the low
acquisition cost.
Original printing is, as the name suggests, a
system that uses a printer (actually) designed for sublimation, whose ink kit
(from the same manufacturer as the printer) is compatible and warranted by the
corporation that sells it. Unlike the first type, the printing configuration
tends to be simpler, as the way these printers are used is similar to the
printing of inkjet equipment with its respective inks.
This means that when the printer is installed on
the computer or notebook, the colour profile is also installed and its printing
parameters are automatically adjusted.
It is a more expensive system, compared to the
adapted one, as both the printer and the ink are not as well known, as well as
there are few models and companies working with this particular type of product.
Specifications
and supplies
The files generated for small formats support
the printing of A4, A4+, A3 and A3+ formats, as well as the printer tray, both
adapted and designed for sublimation inks.
In both processes, the paper, preferably
sublimated, is mirror printed on its more porous side. Its reverse side is
resinated, being smoother and generally provided with a commercial
differentiation colour, and/or the watermark of the manufacturer's logo. The
quality of the print seen on the paper is much lower in terms of the vividness
of the colours and the fidelity of the same, not being at this stage a phase to
be taken into account in these aspects, as they will have the expected
definitions after being subjected to pressure at high temperature for a certain
time (DING; ZHAO; HAN, 2016).
Paper is an important element of the sublimation
process. Guilhon, Silva and Silva (2020, p. 3) state that it is an
"intermediary between the composition printed on it and the material of
the object where the print will be applied". Moreover, its transfer
properties, praised by El-Halwagy, El-Sayad and El-Molla (2001), point to this
element as very important in the thermal transfer printing process, as such
attributes (weight, porosity and type of coatings) have a direct influence on
the fidelity and colour intensity of the printed pieces. Not surprisingly, Guo
et al. (2011) state that the quality of what is printed in sublimation depends
on the quality of the paper.
However, the popularity of the process has also
led to the trivialisation of the quality of the elements and inputs used. With
paper it was no different, as many people and even companies, when using common
paper such as sulphite, rely on the quality provided by the right paper in
search of the wrong economy. Guilhon, Silva and Silva (2021) comment on the
disadvantage that this easy access can trigger, since the process can be
accessed by anyone and indiscriminately, due to a lack of knowledge of the
appropriate characteristics for the desired purpose, the process ends up being
carried out by choice.
In fact, the difference in value between the two
is great, especially the ease of access in which the ream (500 sheets versus
100 sheets of sublimation paper) of bond paper is offered, as it is sold in
different types of shops. Thus, the use of bond paper is a
"treacherous" choice, especially if the quality of what you want to
print is respected. Therefore, the quality of the paper in this process is,
according to El-Sayad and El-Sherbiny (2008), its main requirement.
But for printing to work properly, the
importance of ink in sublimation must also be emphasised. It is a special paint
that, according to Pacheco (2015), are solid pigments invisible to the naked
eye that float in a liquid environment, designed to adhere to the substrate
when exposed to high temperatures. With the aforementioned advent of
sublimation, especially in small formats, adaptations of inkjet printers
appeared to receive so-called parallel inks, inks manufactured by companies
other than the printers. However, it is worth mentioning that there is also a
printing system for this mode, in which the inks are developed especially for
the machinery by the same corporation.
Figure
4. 3d of some of the manufactured products available on the market for
sublimation.
Source:
the authors themselves.
What cannot be forgotten about sublimation is
the type of material on which it can be applied. It only occurs on surfaces
where there is, at least, one film containing polyester in its composition,
known commercially as resin (ANDREI, 2021). This material allows printing on
objects such as cups or tiles, which are made of white ceramic, or thermos
flasks, which are made of stainless steel, as shown in Figure 4. About this,
Andrei (2021) adds that due to this, it is not possible to print any object
purchased on the market, indicating resin products by specialised companies and
a process limiter in relation to the variety of products.
Die-cutting
and fixing
Die-cutting and fixing are phases that depend on
the format of the product and the type of press to be used. For example, an A4
printed T-shirt does not require its die to be reloaded, as the printing is in
the same format; and it does not require fixing to the part (depending on the
sublimator's experience), as it is a flat part with fast thermopressing. However,
a range of promotional products, require their dies to be trimmed and fixed to
their surfaces in order to be properly stamped.
The most common example is the white ceramic
mug. When planning a print run of 30 units, it is possible to print three
copies per A4 sheet. Therefore, trimming is essential to save material, which
can be done with the help of scissors or a stylus with a metal ruler on a flat
glass surface.
Thermo-pressing
Thermo-pressing or thermal printing is one of
the most representative phases of sublimation, as it is precisely here that the
physico-chemical process of the pigments contained in the ink takes place. The
name suggests the coordinated presence of three physical variables to make it
all happen: exposure for a certain time (30 to 300 seconds) of a print set at a
certain level of pressure (50 to 150 psi or light to heavy) on an object at a
high temperature (between 170 and 200 °C).
It turns out that this part of the work also
depends on the fourth variable: the geometry of the product to be sublimated.
Thus, it is the shape of this object that will define the type of machinery and
techniques to be used, as well as the printing area of the product, so that
these three physical properties can work properly (ANDREI, 2021).
It is interesting to observe, by the format of
the products, the type of press to be used. For this purpose, Andrei (2021)
helps to describe the six most commonly used types of presses, according to the
demand for sublimation products and the representation in figure 5.
Figure
5. Examples of described press types used in sublimation.
Source:
adapted from Live Sub (2022).
Flat press: is a piece of equipment used for
materials with a flat surface, such as tiles, slippers, mousepads, stones,
picture frames, mdf boards and metals, jigsaw puzzles, fabrics and other
substrates that point to a two-dimensional relationship. It is undoubtedly the
oldest of the presses, probably due to the initial need for alternatives for
transferring pigments to polyester-based fabrics. Andrei (2021) says that there
are three types of flat presses, considering the operating mechanism, such as
Alligator Mouth, Drawer and Swing.
Plate press: the machinery specially used to
stamp the flat part of the bottom from 8 to 12 cm in diameter.
Lid press: the equipment aims at stamping the
front of the lid.
Cylindrical press: this is a machine intended
for pressing cylindrical shaped artefacts and has a retractable variant for
conical parts, such as cups, glasses, bottles, bottles, cans, juicers and cups.
Multi-purpose presses: this is an option that
combines the use of several different shrink resistors on a single machine.
Thus, it is possible to produce with a single machine stampings that previously
required several machines for each particularity. Some of these are 2 in 1, 5
in 1, 8 in 1.
3d press: of the three, it is certainly the
newest, in view of the innovations arising from the growth of the sublimation
process that sought to print in more complex shapes. It is a kind of thermally insulated
electric oven that presents the alternative of printing up to 12 mugs (for
example) at a time, using a kind of silicone strap on its silhouette - which
can be applicable to other objects already listed that would be printed - one
at a time.
It also makes possible the transfer of pigments
to objects with more complex shapes, as well as the full coverage of
cylindrical or conical surfaces where traditional presses generally cannot, due
to the limitations of the machinery itself.
Finishing
The phases after heat-pressing are the removal
of the matrix from the sublimated object and its cooling.
These phases are defined as finishing phases
because they are understood to be stages after printing and they involve the
elimination of materials that are not necessary for the fulfilment of the
objective of the graphic process.
At first glance, sublimation finishes seem to be
non-existent in comparison to offset printing
where after the paper goes through the printing
process, it is cut to the desired format and may receive some protective
coating, such as Bopp resin or some varnish application.
In fact, if that is the point of view,
sublimation literally ends right after heat-pressing. However, it is necessary
to remove the matrix-bridge of the sublimation pigments from the surface of the
printed object, which can often remain stuck to it, requiring special attention
from the sublimator not to remove the polyester film in this process.
The nature of the materials may influence the
ease or difficulty of removing the sublimation paper from the surface of the
printed products. It should also be noted that the quality of these products,
especially the resin and its application to these objects, can also help or
hinder the progress of the process. Obviously, prolonged exposure of the object
beyond what is indicated for its material type can also be a negative factor by
impairing not only the matrix removal process, but also the final quality of the
print.
As far as cooling is concerned, it can be said
that it is a relevant step in the process and must be respected, depending
precisely on the nature of the material on which the print was applied. This
justification becomes even stronger when comparing a ceramic mug with a
stainless steel bottle, for example. These are different materials that
obviously have different thermal behaviour when subjected to high temperatures
and subsequent cooling.
Ceramics are hard and, at the same time,
brittle, vulnerable to thermal shocks, thermal insulators and refractories, as
well as good thermal conductors (COSTA, 2006). Metals, such as stainless steel,
differ in terms of heat because they are not thermal insulators, as they absorb
heat as easily as they spread it, as well as being resistant to thermal shocks.
Thus, it can be stated that a ceramic product
such as a mug has greater exposure to temperature so that sublimation can occur
in the resin layer on its surface, as it has greater resistance to heat. And it
cannot undergo an abbreviation of its cooling time by using cold water, and
sublimation can be cut off by immersing the artefact in a bucket of water at
room temperature.
Metallic and even plastic products do not suffer
structural problems, with cracks, crevices or fractures, with the cold water
immersion thermal shock process. Metallic materials require less time of
exposure to temperatures and cool down quickly, while plastics cannot be
exposed for a long time to the process, as they are more sensitive to exposure
to temperatures above 150°C, justifying the short pressing time.
Final
notes
Finally, the process, despite the limitations
presented, is still advantageous because of its very low implementation cost,
the simplicity of the few steps and the low need for space preparation, when
compared to other similar processes, such as screen printing and laser
transfer. The photographic quality already described and the possibility of
using it at an affordable cost on a single piece are also factors that further
boost the growing use of this printing technique.
It is believed that the objective of elucidating
in greater detail the sublimation process (phases, elements, inputs,
applications and characteristics) was duly accomplished, considering the
existence of scarce bibliographical and research references in the area, mainly
in terms of technology combined with creativity, process and design.
It is suggested, as future work, the
investigation of different inputs and materials from other areas that may be
related to sublimation, (e.g. inputs for 3D printing, or natural materials). As
well as other commonly used graphic production processes that also have little
related research or literature sources, such as transfer, cut vinyl and foil.
Acknowledgements
For research support, Coordinación de
Perfeccionamiento del Personal de Educación Superior - CAPES en el Programa
CAPES:PROEX (Programa de Excelencia Académica), Case Number:
88887.603703/2021-00 and Boomerang Store, company that supported the research, https://www.instagram.com/boomerangslz/
Referências
Bibliográficas
ANDREI, Sergio. (2021) A ciência e a arte da sublimação. 1a ed. Salvador: [s.n.].
BLAUTH, Lurdi; TEDESCO, Elaine. (2013)
Sublimação: imagens em transitividade. Revista
Digital do LAV - Ano VI – Número 10.
CAHILL, V. (2006) The evolution and progression
of digital printing of textiles. UJIIE, H. Digital
printing of textiles. Cambridge: Woodhead Publishing Limited.
CARVALHO, Nathalia Alborghetti. (2016). Design de superfície: Estudo comparativo de
processos de estamparia têxtil sob enfoque ambiental. 138 f. Dissertação
(Mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Escola de Engenharia,
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Design, Porto Alegre.
CARVALHO, Nathalia Alborghetti; RUTHSCHILLING,
Evelise Anicet. (2016). Inovação em metodologia de projeto aplicada ao design
de superfície voltado para moda. ModaPalavra
e-Periódico. Ano 9, n.17,. pp. 178 - 194. ISSN 1982-615x.
CHING-LI, Chi; CHANG, Fu-Ling; PERNG, Yan-Shing;
YU, Shih-Tsung. (2016). Effects of Single and Blended Coating Pigments on the
Inkjet Image Quality of Dye Sublimation Transfer Printed Paper: SiO2, CaCO3,
Talc, and Sericite. Advances in
Materials Science and Engineering. Volume, Article ID 4863024, 10 pages.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/4863024
COSTA, David Júlio da. (2006) Caracterização Térmica e Mecânica de
Cerâmicas Porosas com Camadas de TiO2 e Al2O3.
88 p. Dissertação (Mestrado em Engenharia Mecânica). Faculdade de Engenharia de
Guaratinguetá da Universidade Estadual Paulista. Guaratinguetá.
CIE, Christina. (2015) Heat transfer and sublimation
printing. Ink Jet Textile Printing.
Woodhead Publishing Series in Textiles. Elsevier, Pages 125-137.
CUNHA, L. F. P. B. (2000). Gerenciamento de cores. São Paulo: SENAI.
DING, Qi-Jun; ZHAO, Chuan-Shan; HAN, Wen-Jia.
(2016) Application of Nano-SiO2 in dye sublimation thermal transfer paper. IWMSEE
(Conference) (2016: Wuhan, China). Material Science and Environmental
Engineering. The Proceedings of 2016 International Workshop on Material
Science and Environmental Engineering (IWMSEE2016). Wuhan, Hubei, China. 22-24
January 2016. Hackensack, New Jersey: World Scientific.
EL-HALWAGY, Azza A.; EL-SAYAD, Hanan S.;
EL-MOLLA, Mohamed M. (2001). Sublimation Transfer Printing of Cotton and Wool. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering,
286(10), 618.
ELSAYAD, H. S.; EL-SHERBINY, S. (2008). A Study
into the Influence of Paper Coatings on Paper Properties and Print Quality of
Dye Sublimation Thermal Prints. Polymer-Plastics
Technology and Engineering, 47: 122–136.
FIDALGO, João; GONÇALVES, Marcio da Silva. (2014).
Adobe Photoshop CC em Português:
imagens profissionais e técnicas para finalização e impressão. 1.ed. São Paulo:
Érica.
GLOMBIKOVA, Viera; KOMARKOVA, Petra. (2014).
Study on the Impact of Dye – Sublimation Printing on the Effectiveness of
Underwear. Tekstilec, letn. 57(2),
str. 133–138.
GUILHON, David; SILVA, Laise Souza da; SILVA,
Fernanda Katllynny Maia. (2021). Avaliação de papéis sublimáticos usados na
produção de produtos personalizados. p. 343-355. Anais do Colóquio Internacional de Design 2020. São Paulo: Blücher.
ISSN 2318-6968, DOI 10.5151/cid2020-27
GUO, Linghua.; ZHANG, Meiyun; GUO, Xinhua; ZHU,
Qian. (2011). Research on the Color Models of the Heat Transfer Printing Paper.
Advanced Materials Research Vols
236-238 pp 1332-1335.
KIATKAMJORNWONG S.; PUTTHIMAI P.; NOGUCHI
H.(2005). Comparison of textile print quality between inkjet and screen
printings. Surface Coatings
International Part B: Coatings Transactions. Vol.88, B1, 1-82.
LARANJEIRA, Mariana Araújo; MOURA, Monica.
(2013). A estamparia digital e o designer no contemporâneo. 9º Colóquio de Moda - 6a edição
Internacional. Fortaleza- Brasil.
LI, Yang. (2003) Ink-paper interaction - a study in ink-jet color reproduction.
Institute of Technology - Linköpings University. Norrköping, Sweden: UniTryck.
LIVESUB (2022). Equipamentos. Acessado em 4.mar.2022. Disponível em:
<https://livesub.com.br/produtos/equipamentos>
LÖBACH, Bernd E. (2001) Design industrial - bases para a configuração dos produtos industriais.
São Paulo: Blücher.
MENDES, Ana Paula dos Santos; LAMARCA, Kátia
Pinheiro; SÁ, Andréa Firmino de. (2015). A estamparia de sublimação digital
como fator de valorização da fibra de poliéster. 5º ENPModa - Encontro Nacional de Pesquisa em Moda. Novo Hamburgo:
Universidade Feevale, 2015.
METALGAMICA. (2017). Manual básico sobre tintas para impressão. Metalgima. Disponível
em: https://metalgamica.com.br/manual-basico-sobre-tintas-para-impressao/
Acesso em: 25 ja. 2022.
PACHECO, Andrea. (2015). Sublimación Textil: Experimentación sobre diferentes bases textiles.
Cuenca–Ecuador: Universidad del Azuay.
RUTHSCHILLING, Evelise Anicet; LASCHUK. Tatiana.
(2013). Processos contemporâneos de impressão sobre tecidos. ModaPalavra e-Periódico. Ano 6, n.11,
pp. 60 - 79. ISSN 1982-615x.
SWAIN, Peter. Sublimation 101 (2011): The Complete Guide To Successful Dye
Sublimation Printing. Sawgrass Technologies Consumer.
SETANI, K.; SASAKI, E.; TAKEDA, Y. (1990)
Thermal control method for sublimation-type thermal dye transfer printing. Proc. SPIE 1252, Hard Copy and Printing
Technologies.
VARANDA, Christian Martinez. (2011) Análise crítica do gerenciamento de cores
aplicado aos sistemas de impressão distintos como vantagem competitiva na
produção de embalagens cartonadas. 107 p. Monografia (Especialização em
Engenharia de Processos Industriais). Escola de Engenharia Mauá do Centro
Universitário do Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia. São Caetano do Sul.
VILLAS-BOAS, André. (2008). Produção gráfica para designers. 3 ed. Rio de Janeiro: 2AB.
WILLIAMS, Chris. (2006) Ink-jet printers go
beyond paper. Physics World 19 (1)
24.