The Magic Touch has introduced a new transfer printing material that allows dye sublimation prints to be used on a wide range of garments and fabric types and colours, significantly expanding the potential range of applications for the print technology.
Launched under the Dunstable company’s DyeSub Magic brand, the Liberty SubliPrint transfer media is directly printable in desktop A3 and A4 dye sublimation printers, such as those from Sawgrass and Epson, and features an opaque white backing that enables vivid colours to be printed and transferred to most fabric or garments, including cotton, mixed fibres and nylon, rather than just the polyester or polyester-rich materials to which dye sublimation printing is usually restricted.
‘Historically the sublimation transfer process has been restricted to applications onto garments and promotional items that required a high polyester content or special polyester coating and had to be either white or pastel in colour. However, this has now changed,’ explained The Magic Touch’s Jim Nicol.
The printed media can be manually trimmed or cut with a plotter/cutter for complex designs and does not require mirror imaging of artwork as the ink remains on the media and is not sublimated into the fabric. Designs with free text can be applied using conventional application tape if required. A heat press transfer is required to attach the cut piece to the garment or fabric, where its minimal thickness is claimed to yield a soft touch with good stretch properties and washable to 40° C. Smaller items, such as breast pocket logos, can be applied with hand iron.
Liberty SubliPrint is certified to Oekotex Standard 100 Class 1, is water-based, solvent- and PVC-free and described as eco- and vegan-friendly. It is available immediately in A4 and A3 sizes, in packs of 50 sheets. Mr Nicol also confirmed to Digital Textile Printer that roll format media to a width of 750mm will be available from the end of February 2023.
