How to Determine Whether Can You Use Sublimation Ink for Regular Printing??

Sublimation ink is quite versatile because you can use it for several types of materials but can you use sublimation ink for regular printing? Sublimation ink is popular for personal and commercial printing. If you plan to use sublimation ink for regular printing, here are some considerations you should take. 

How Do You Define Sublimation Printing?

Sublimation printing refers to a digital printing process using heat to cast the dye into printing materials. Sublimation ink is an ink type to perform printing on sublimation materials. It conducts a printing process that is significantly different from the regular ink found in many printings. 

Sublimation is a versatile printing technique with numerous applications like T-shirts, mugs, banners, and other promotional items. Although sublimation ink focuses on delivering printing on sublimation materials, it is considerably adaptable. 

What Makes Sublimation Printing Different from Regular Printing?

One of the reasons why people ask if can you use sublimation ink for regular printing is the difference between sublimation printing and regular printing. People usually can see the result of sublimation printing as logos on t-shirts or printing pictures on particular items. 

Creating this printing type is much different from how regular printing conducted. This process includes the ink pressuring using heat and turning it into a gas that binds to the printing materials and sticks to them permanently. Although it sounds complicated, it only needs the required ink system and sublimation materials. 

It is very different from how regular ink work in standard printing. Hence, if the printer you have does not support a sublimation system, you should avoid performing sublimation printing with it. 

Can You Use Sublimation Ink for Regular Printing? 

To answer this question, you should remember that the printing process is the primary factor determining whether a printer is compatible with sublimation printing. Considering that factor, you will know that the simple answer is no. 

Common printers usually use a standard thermal technology that is incompatible with sublimation printing. It is because sublimation printing is not simply for printers that apply traditional thermal technology. The sublimation ink rarely reaches the vaporization point. 

Hence, it may leak into the printer. You should avoid using sublimation ink for regular printing because if it cannot handle it may lead to warranty removal. 

Why Sublimation Ink Is Not Good for Regular Printing? 

Aside from whether can you use sublimation ink for regular printing, the effects are other factors you must consider. Several reasons show that sublimation ink is not an ideal option for regular printing as follows:

• The functions and processes of standard printers do not support sublimation printing. Sublimation ink is an ink type that is unique so you cannot use it for any printer or printing system. Printing with this ink in a conventional printer cannot produce good quality. 
• Another reason is sublimation ink produces good quality results after changing from the precise method. The sublimation printing process refers to turning a solid ink into a gas so it does not include a liquid phase. 

What Will Happen If You Use Sublimation Ink for Regular Printing?

If you have loaded the printer with sublimation ink, can you still use it for regular printing? It might happen if you only have one printer but want to use it for standard printing tasks and sublimation printing tasks. Although it is possible, it is unrecommended due to the following reasons. 

• Dull color

In this case, can you use sublimation ink for regular printing? You might print onto standard paper using sublimation ink yet the results might be far from your expectation because it likely turns into dull color. The color needs heat substrate until it sublimated into the surface. 

The color that appears on the paper looks faded. It can deliver a perfect sublimation process. However, if you want to use it for printing on standard paper, it will not produce the good one. 

• Color bleeding

Can you print with sublimation ink on standard paper? Yes, but you should remember that sublimation printing materials contain unique properties. The printer releases the sublimation ink using heat. Moreover, the ink does not saturate the fibers. 

Meanwhile, standard papers absorb the ink so creating fewer smooth lines and color bleeding beyond the boundaries. Hence, the quality of printing on standard paper will be significantly less than when using a printer that supports a sublimation system. 

• High cost

You need to pay for sublimation ink because it is not free. You will not benefit from using this ink beyond the sublimation printing projects. If you use sublimation ink to print personal projects, you need to replace it immediately so it requires a high cost. 

If you still wondering can you use sublimation ink for regular printing? Yes, you can only once and you should lower your expectation because the result will not be ideal. It is unrecommended to do it often because you need to pay for the ink at a high price.