(Image courtesy of Texintel)

(Read Part 1 of Debbie McKeegan’s dye-sublimation review here and her report on direct-to-film here.)

Specialist inks and transfer papers form the backbone of the dye-sublimation workflow, enabling consistent print performance at speed while delivering brilliant colors at super-high fastnesses with strong surface durability. Sublimation inks and transfer papers form a substantial global market in their own right.

• The global sublimation ink market is expected to grow from USD 1.02 Billion in 2022 to USD 2.06 Billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 7.5% from 2022 to 2030 (Dataintelo).
• According to a recent market research study (by Zion Market Research) the demand analysis of global Heat Transfer Paper, market size and revenue share, was valued at around US$579.68 million in 2022—and is estimated to grow about US$805.62 million by 2030, at a CAGR of approximately 4.20% between 2023 and 2030.

With a combined market potential total of the two approaching US$3 billion by 2030, unsurprisingly, production of these two valuable consumables, inks and paper, has attracted substantial commercial interest in the manufacturing community with the start of 2023 witnessing widespread and comprehensive offers from the most reputable manufacturers.

Dye Sublimation Ink Supply

Whilst many machinery manufacturers, such as Mimaki, Epson, and HP, offer their own inks, there is also considerable choice for the user outside these OEM sources. These suppliers include:

• Kiian Digital offers a complete selection of their own brand sublimation inks, designed and tested to work in Panasonic, Kyocera, Ricoh, and Epson printheads. Kiian Digital is a premium ink brand in the digital textile printing market, with leading technologies providing cutting-edge solutions to enhance performance. By providing the highest quality sublimation inks, Kiian enables optimum print performance in transfer and direct printing with a variety of print heads in several applications.

• With its solid history of manufacturing quality inks and pigments, STS Inks has become a proven leader in the field of Inkjet inks. They offer third-party aqueous dye-sublimation transfer inks suitable for multiple manufacturers: Epson, Mimaki, Mutoh, and Roland bulk ink systems, among others. Their high-viscosity wide-gamut sublimation ink produces brilliant colors, and its low sedimentation rate prevents nozzle clogging, achieving excellent print results.

• From Dupont comes the Artistri Xite dye-sublimation inks that are primarily used on polyester for printing signs and banners, home furnishings, and flags. These inks are the first dye-sublimation inks from DuPont designed exclusively for OEMs and roll-to-roll printers.

• Sun Chemical’s portfolio of digital sublimation inks enables users to benefit from the best color and print performance across a range of demanding applications, from fashion and sports apparel to home textiles, sign and display, and hard surfaces. Based on dye dispersions developed and manufactured in-house, Sun Chemical has a digital sublimation ink for a full range of inkjet printers, with options for low-, mid-, and high-viscosity technology offering outstanding reliability and application performance.

• Swiss Performance Chemicals premium Swiss-made Swissjet sublimation inks are water-based formulations without VOCs and are manufactured under the ecological and toxicological guidelines provided by ETAD. The inks adhere to all relevant regulatory directives (e.g., REACH) and in addition conform to the requirements for the following industry standards: GOTS, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, and IndiTex Clear-to-Wear. 

• Finally, from NUtec Digital of South Africa comes their Aquamarine range of sublimation inks designed for Epson, Kyocera, and Panasonic printheads. NUtec Digital Ink has recently achieved ECO PASSPORT by OEKO-TEX accreditation for select products within its water-based Aquamarine ink range, certifying them for sustainable textile and clothing production.

Transfer Papers Have an Equally Dense Supplier Base in 2023

• Neenah Coldenhove supplies an extensive range of papers for fast plotters with water-based sublimation inks. With just 66 gsm, Jetcol HTR1000 from Neenah Coldenhove, is the lightest paper grade in the Jetcol Original family. This paper is designed for the faster plotters, with water-based sublimation inks most often used by the fashion industry.

• From Texo Trade Services, the range of TexoTrans SX sublimation papers covesr all possible applications in the field of dye sublimation—from textile printing in soft-signage, fashion, interior, sportswear and apparel, to hard substrates, printing on mugs, aluminum, or rigid film for the ski industry. 

• Sappi’s dye-sublimation product portfolio includes coated and uncoated sublimation papers for digital transfer printing with water-based dye-sublimation inks. Sappi's sublimation papers are designed for maximum and consistent color transfer with minimum ink consumption. Whether industrial or non-industrial printers, their dye-sublimation papers are suitable for different machine types and speeds to cover a wide range of polyester-based application segments.

• From Ahlstrom comes the EcoJet Dye Sublimation transfer papers designed for a wide range of applications. The low basis weight papers are available with and without coatings and display excellent image transfer and fast dry-time. 

Taken as a whole, whether it is inks or transfer paper, the dye sublimation textile sector has a broad base of supply, well capable of servicing the growth that is expected over the next 10 years.

Research and developments continue, generating ever-faster machines, more vibrant colors and ever lower paper weights, all in the search of improved productivity, new product lines and even better economic performance.

As the market continues to grow, we look forward to many more innovations and performance updates.

Collaboration is key, as the industry works together with its stakeholders across the supply chain to deliver efficient, production in an expanding marketplace.

www.texintel.com