According to Leicestershire-based I-Sub, a UK and Ireland provider of dye sublimation digital print solutions, dye sublimation could be the lucrative area you are looking for. Although it has been around commercially for 25 years or so, dye sublimation remains very much a niche market, says I-Sub. Despite this, it has seen worldwide growth of over 30% year on year since 2004, and industry OEMs are forecasting similar if not better growth for the next three years - all of which makes it an attractive prospect to anyone looking to grow their business.

But what is dye sublimation all about and how does it work? I-Sub business manager Steve Rudkin explains: "The advantages of the process over traditional printing methods, such as screen print is that it requires much lower investment in equipment, but provides sleeker and sharper reproduction on textiles, ceramics, plastics and metal," he says.

For instance, I-Sub, which began in 2001 selling, technically supporting and servicing sublimation hardware, software and consumables, offers a Turn-key Midi System, ideal for a commercial business start up for around £10,000. The Midi system was introduced to bridge the gap between the small scale start up system and the traditional larger printer and press systems, which can cost around £30,000, making it an ideal commercial solution says Rudkin, especially with the leasing options I-Sub offers.

There are also cheaper systems for what Rudkin calls the "Ma and Pa" businesses, usually run from home on a very small scale. Although incidentally, these businesses often end up coming back to I-Sub to purchase a Midi system as many quickly outgrow their smaller systems, says Rudkin.

The process

So for the newcomer to Dye Sublimation, how does it work? The process begins with a digital image (be it a holiday snap from a mobile phone or a professionally created logo), which is transferred to a computer. The image is then profiled to ensure that the colours of the original are reproduced onto the finished substrates, whether that be textile, glass, metal, wood or plastic. The approved image is then sent to the digital printer and "mirror" printed onto a special transfer paper. This paper is then used in a heat transfer process to sublimate the image into the garment, tile, mug, table or jewellery. Under the heat and pressure, the ink changes into a gas and is forced out of the paper and into the substrate, where upon cooling it changes back into a solid. "Herein lies the uniqueness of dye sublimation," explains Rudkin. "The image does not sit on the surface of the substrate, it is absorbed into it, similar to a tattoo. The advantage of this over traditional transfer prints is in its robustness. It will not fade during washing nor will it be scratched or picked off as it is actually part of the material it has been sublimated into."

One of the latest developments in digital dye sublimation is printing onto three-dimensional objects, says Rudkin, a technique I-Sub is currently involved in developing with a number of its customers. So far, this has led to sublimation jobs for objects such as bike frames and helmets (including for the British Olympic cycle team); surfboards and marine industry fittings; laminated tabletops and furnishings, and computer housings. It is also looking into the possibility of sublimating jewellery - the possibilities are endless, as Rudkin explains: "The strength of dye sublimation is its flexibility. In many instances the application of it is only limited by one's imagination," he says. "It really does offer diversification without great risk or outlay." 

This is ideal for businesses looking to get ahead in today's extremely competitive market, says I-Sub sales manager Chris Johnson. "We are being approached on a weekly basis from traditional industries looking to get a market edge for their products," he says. "They know that they can't compete with mass produced items from the Far East and the sub continent, but where they do see an opportunity is to provide 'customised' product that provides added value for themselves as the manufacturer and more importantly, for their customers." Rudkin calls it 'mass customisation', and believes sublimation is the perfect way to offer this to customers.

For those customers who need a bit more reassurance before making the commitment to buy the sublimation equipment, I-Sub makes use of its own production company, The Print Environment in Cornwall. Rudkin explains: "Customers might put in an order for a short run of sublimated T-shirts to gauge their customer's reaction. If it's good (which of course it is), they might order another run, and before long they come to us and say they are ready to buy their own equipment."

He adds: "The Print Environment enables us to offer our customers 'test marketing', rather than just selling the kit. It has seen 30% growth in the last year - that's got to tell you something. Now we just need to get the message out there."

Rudkin believes that sublimation is still a relatively un-tapped market in the UK, especially compared to other countries in Europe such as Italy, Spain and Germany, which he says caught on to it much quicker than the British. However, he believes the 3D aspect is something that will appeal to a lot of people and really start generating some interest.

You could argue that helping to generate this interest among the 'garment decorators of the future' is the work I-Sub does with UK schools, providing sublimation systems as part of schools' design and technology curriculums. This encourages students to develop their creative sides, whilst also utilising their IT skills. And the approach seems to be working, as Rudkin explains: "We recently had an 18-year-old customer come to see us all the way from Somerset. Her parents were buying her a starter package for her birthday so she could start up her own business - she had been inspired from learning about it at school, which was really impressive," he says.

I-Sub believes that the innovation inherent in dye sublimation is just what the traditional screen print industry is looking for to gain a competitive, added value advantage, especially in short order high quality print runs. John Purse, technical director, says: "For several years we have been investigating the limits of dye sub machinery and feel that the industry still has many opportunities in developing niche markets for all kinds of applications. The equipment suppliers have also come a long way in terms of improving operating speeds and widths so that unit costs of manufacture are consistently being reduced."

I-Sub works closely with its customers to get them the results they need, says Purse. "Whilst every dye sub system has similarities, we treat each one uniquely," he says. "It is tailored to the individual customer's requirement, taking into account factors such as their end products, production capabilities and requirements, projected growth, location and experience. We offer ongoing technical support to ensure that the customer gets maximum results from the systems installed." 

I-Sub's extensive range of dye sublimation printers and ancillary equipment includes ATPColour, Roland, Mimaki, NUR, HP, Agfa and Epson printers, with presses from Monti Antonio, Adkins and Europa.

Rudkin adds: "Seeing really is believing with sublimation. We will spend the time with anybody who is interested, and show them what they can do to really transform their business."

For more information on dye sublimation and its applications visit http://www.i-sub.co.uk/ or telephone Chris Johnson on 01455 203204.

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