introductory:
As the core technology of green manufacturing and digital transformation, sublimation ink is in line with the global "dual carbon" goal and the "Made in China 2025" strategy with its non-VOC emission and low pollution characteristics. It realizes the chemical bonding of dye molecules and substrates through the principle of high-temperature sublimation, which has the advantages of bright colors and strong weather resistance, and is widely used in textiles, advertising, digital imaging and other fields to meet the needs of personalized customization and high-end markets. The domestic market is growing at a CAGR of 4.99%, and the global market size is expected to reach USD 615.92 million in 2023. With the popularization of localized equipment and breakthroughs in uncoated paper technology, it is accelerating the replacement of traditional processes, promoting the upgrading of the printing industry to intelligence and environmental protection, and becoming a key support for industrial transformation.
Overview of dye sublimation inks
Sublimation ink is a functional ink that triggers the sublimation reaction by high temperature, and is mainly composed of disperse dyes, solvents and additives. The core principle is that at a high temperature of 180-220°C, the solid pigment molecules are directly converted into a gaseous state, which penetrates into the substrate such as polyester fibers and coated metals and solidifies to form a chemical bond. This technology has the environmental characteristics of no VOC emission and low pollution, while achieving bright colors, water and light resistance, and high-resolution printing results. It is widely used in textile printing, advertising light boxes, digital imaging and personalized customization, and is a key technology to promote the green and intelligent transformation of the printing industry.
How sublimation inks work
Dye sublimation ink uses disperse dyes as the core ingredient, and realizes pattern transfer through the physical phase transformation of "solid→gaseous →solid". First of all, a special printer prints the ink on the transfer paper in a high-precision mode to form a color film; Subsequently, under the action of high temperature and pressure of 180-220°C, the dye molecules are sublimated into a gaseous state by heating, penetrating the transfer paper and penetrating into the molecular space of the substrate (such as polyester fiber, coated metal); After cooling, the dye molecules re-solidify and form a chemical bond with the material, allowing for long-lasting color adhesion. This process does not require liquid media, has no VOC emissions, and is environmentally friendly and has high color fastness, which is suitable for high-quality transfer printing needs in textile, advertising, digital imaging and other fields.
A guide to the use and storage of dye sublimation inks
1.how to use
Temperature control: The transfer temperature should be strictly controlled at 180-220°C for 30-60 seconds to avoid ink decomposition or pattern fading caused by high temperatures.
Equipment matching: Choose printers and transfer equipment suitable for the sublimation process to ensure the compatibility of ink with paper and fabric.
Paper pretreatment: use special thermal transfer paper to avoid coating contamination affecting the transfer effect, and then mass production after small batch testing.
Cleaning and maintenance: Regularly clean the print head and pipes to prevent ink clogging and ensure stable color output.
2. Storage requirements
Temperature and humidity control: storage temperature 5-35°C, humidity ≤60%, avoid direct sunlight or extreme environment caused by ink deterioration.
Seal and protect from light: Unopened ink should be sealed and stored as soon as possible after opening to prevent water evaporation or impurities from mixing.
Classified storage: Ink of different colors and batches is stored separately, and the label is clear to avoid confusion.
Safety protection: Keep away from fire and children, wear gloves when operating, and avoid direct contact with skin.
The core benefits of using sublimation inks
1. Excellent environmental performance
Sublimation ink adopts a VOC-free (volatile organic compound) formula, zero wastewater discharge in the production process, and the carbon emission intensity is reduced by more than 90% compared with traditional processes, which meets international environmental protection standards such as EU REACH and Bluesign®, and is a green technology benchmark to achieve the "double carbon" goal.
2. Extreme color expression
The chemical bonding of dye molecules and substrates is realized through high-temperature sublimation, with a wide color gamut coverage, a color reproduction degree of more than 98%, and 16.7 million color levels can be presented, which meets the strict requirements of high-end printing for gradients and details, especially suitable for high-precision scenes such as photography and artistic creation.
3. Industry-leading durability
The cured pattern is resistant to more than 50 times of washing, more than 100,000 times of friction, and no obvious fading after 3,000 hours of ultraviolet irradiation, which is suitable for long-term exposure scenarios such as outdoor advertising and sportswear, and its life span is more than 3 times that of traditional processes.
4. Multi-material adaptability
It can achieve precise transfer printing on more than 20 materials such as polyester fiber, coated metal, ceramic, plastic, etc., breaking through the limitations of traditional printing materials and enabling high value-added fields such as personalized customization and industrial product decoration.
5. Innovation in production efficiency
Digital direct injection technology eliminates the plate-making process, shortens the proofing cycle to 2 hours, supports small batch and multi-batch production, and is compatible with intelligent production lines, significantly improving the response speed and market competitiveness of enterprises.
Application scenarios of sublimation ink industry
1. Textile and garment field
It is used for high-precision printing of synthetic fabrics such as polyester fiber and nylon, achieving high color fastness and breathability of clothing and home textile patterns, and is resistant to washing more than 50 times, meeting the personalized customization needs of fast fashion brands.
2. Advertising and signage industry
Production of outdoor billboards, light box cloth, etc., the color is UV-resistant for 3000 hours without fading, supports ultra-wide printing, and is widely used in commercial space and event publicity.
3. Digital imaging
Printing personalized products such as photos and mobile phone cases, with a color gamut covering more than 98% and a detail resolution of 1440dpi, has become the core technology of photo studios and cultural and creative products.
4. Industrial manufacturing
Ceramic, metal, plastic surface decoration, through high-temperature transfer printing to achieve permanent adhesion of patterns, scratch resistance up to 5H, enhance the added value of electronic products, household products.
5. Packaging and printing industry
It is used in cosmetics and luxury packaging, realizes gradient effect and metal texture, supports curved surface printing, and meets the dual requirements of high-end brands for visual impact and environmental protection.
Analysis of the development prospect of sublimation ink
1.the market demand continues to expand
The global sublimation ink market size is growing steadily, reaching USD 615.92 MN in 2023 and is expected to exceed USD 883.85 MN by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.08%. As the world's largest producer and consumer, China occupies 64.95% of the market share, and the compound growth rate is expected to reach 4.99% in the next six years, far exceeding the European and American markets. Textile, advertising, digital imaging and other fields are in strong demand, especially in clothing printing, outdoor advertising and personalized customization scenes, sublimation ink has become the mainstream choice due to its high color fastness and environmental protection characteristics.
2.technological innovation drives industrial upgrading
Technological breakthrough in uncoated paper: Through the "ink drop suspension technology" to optimize the adhesion of ink on low-gram weight paper, the transfer rate is increased to more than 95%, and the cost is reduced by 30%, promoting the development of thermal transfer printing in the direction of low cost and high efficiency.
Water-based formula iteration: The VOC content of water-based sublimation ink tends to be close to zero, and it has passed the EU environmental protection certification, with a color reproduction degree of 98% and a washing fastness of more than 50 times, gradually replacing solvent-based inks.
The process of equipment localization is accelerating: the gap between the performance of domestic thermal transfer equipment and imports has narrowed, the market share has increased significantly, further reducing the production threshold and promoting the large-scale development of the industry.
3.environmental protection policies and consumption upgrades
Driven by the "dual carbon" goal, sublimation ink has become the core technology of the green transformation of the printing industry with no VOC emissions and low energy consumption. It has a 90% lower carbon intensity and 75% less water consumption than traditional processes, in line with global environmental standards. At the same time, the consumption upgrade has given rise to the demand for personalized customization, and sublimation ink supports small-batch and multi-batch production to meet the flexible needs of fast fashion, cultural and creative products and other fields, and the market penetration rate continues to increase.
4.the application scenarios are diversified and expanded
In the field of industrial manufacturing, the demand for surface decoration of ceramics, metals, and plastics has surged, and sublimation inks have achieved permanent adhesion of patterns, with a scratch resistance level of 5H, enabling the added value of electronic products and household products.
Packaging and printing: high-end cosmetics and luxury packaging use sublimation technology to achieve gradient effect and metal texture, and support curved surface printing, which meets the brand's dual requirements for visual and environmental protection.
Emerging market opportunities: The relocation of the textile industry in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other regions has driven the growth of demand for sublimation inks, and the market share of the Asia-Pacific region is expected to increase to more than 75% by 2025.
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