On another thread I mentioned that we had recently purchased a Dye-Sublimation printer for the purpose of producing signs. Our first couple of photographs we printed which were transfered to Corian solid surface material show lots of promise for this technique. The first print, although it transfered nicely had problems with color correction as we had not installed the proper color profile.
The second print shown below is an AutoCad generated graphic and although it isn't as clear as the first photo the colors are accruate as we now have the proper color profile installed. Basically our printer is designed to use a special transfer ink that when printed on special paper can be loaded in a heat press and the ink will transfer to an appropriate material. In the case of Corian the ink will transfer into the material approximately 0.003" deep below the surface. Digital photograpghs will transfer nearly as clear as you would expect if they were printed on photographic paper. The result is a photograph that is suitable for exterior service.
There is a huge number of materials that are manufactured for the dye-sublimation market, t-shirts, coffee mugs, materials for signs and buttons, etc. Dye-Sublimation cannot compete with silk screening in price however if quality is the major goal it is an excellent method to produce very high resolution transfers. Our experience at this point is minimal but we have high hopes to be producing some very impressive projects in the very near future.
Thanks to Ken Dolph for his help and for reccomending that I investigate dye-sublimation as an addition to my shop services. Ken was kind enough to speak with me on the phone and share his knowledge as he felt that dye-sublimation would compliment my laser engraving services.
You have to hold one of these Corian prints in your hands to appreciate how nice they really are. The graphic below was transfered to 1/2" thick white Corian. Most of the people I have showed this to don't immediately understand what they are holding in their hands. When they finally get the message that the graphic has been printed into the Corian material they are generally impressed as the surface is completely flat and impervious to water damage and very durable. The idea of adding multiple colors of Corian to create frames and accents provides an almost unlimited number of project designs and color combinations to work with.
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