FAQ - old version

1. Our company’s mission and objectives
2. Why should you choose Best Sub Europe Sp. z o.o. Sp. K.?
3. Correspondence and payment details
4. What do we do?
5. I want to commission printing, what should I do?
6. What is dye-sublimation printing?
7. What’s the difference between dye-sublimation and thermal transfer?
8. Different methods of printing on textiles
9. Different methods of printing on ceramics
10. Different printing methods for other promotional gadgets
11. Printing times and temperatures
12. I want to buy a sublimation printer. How do I choose one?
13. Maintenance and usage of inkjet sublimation printers
14. Common problems with sublimation printers and ways of dealing with them Dust generation
15. CISS – continuous ink supply systems
16. The courier delivered my sublimation printer, what should I do now?
17. The difference between 4-colour and 6-colour printers
18. Colour profiles
19. The quality of ink on the Polish market varies greatly. How do I choose?
20. How do I reset a sublimation printer?
21. Different types of sublimation paper
22. What is the difference between ordinary paper and sublimation paper?
23. Selecting the right heat transfer press
24. The myth of uneven heat distribution in horizontal presses 
25. Different types of mugs for sublimation printing
26. Heating elements for sublimation heat transfer presses for mugs
27. Warranty policy
28. Printer service
29. Post-warranty service of thermal transfer presses
30. Environment protection and recycling
31. Purchase and shipment costs for customers outside Poland
32. Different shipment options for Poland and the EU
33. Complaints
34. 100% customer satisfaction and other issues
35. Our online videos at www.youtube.com

Best Sub Europe Sp. z o.o. Sp. K.
ul. Myśliborska 8
74-240 Lipiany
Poland

(main warehouse, Lipiany branch, package shipment, printer and thermal press servicing, collection point of waste from electrical and electronic equipment, personal pickup point)

VAT identification number:
For Polish customers 955-232-67-21
For EU customers PL9552326721

REGON (Polish National Business Registry Number): 321160838

KRS (National Court Register Number): 0000402929

GIOŚ (Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection Registry Number): E0015351WZ

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (CET), closed Saturdays and Sundays.
Training/personal pickup can also be arranged at weekends by appointment.

Email: info@bestsublimation24.eu

General enquiries, sales department, technical support:
+48 665 655 653, +48 665 665 653, +48 534 655 653
Landline: +48 91 562 78 47 / +48 91 562 78 48
Fax: +48 91 564 12 98

Company's bank account:
Santander Bank Polska S.A.
IBAN IBAN PL 38 1090 2268 0000 0001 4653 6031
SWIFT code: WBKPPLPP
SWIFT BANK CODE NUMBER: WBKPPLPP

Our websites:
www.shop.bestsublimation24.eu main website and online store, information about prices, products, and services
www.BestSublimation.pl general information website in Polish

Our company specialises in import and distribution of materials for dye-sublimation, photo crystals for UV printing, thermal heat presses, dye-sublimation ink, and all gadgets for sublimation printing. As the only official representative of BestSub Ltd. in Poland, we offer around 2500 different gadgets for dye-sublimation printing from a constantly expanding range.
We also provide direct printing on T-shirts and other cotton textiles of any colour using the DGT method; computer embroidery in any number of colours; plotting; textile overprinting with flex and flock foil; ECO solvent printing (maximum roll width: 160 cm) on textiles, banners, stickers; large format printing, etc.
At present, we do not offer dye-sublimation printing for retail customers. We believe that by selling printing materials and at the same time providing printing services, we would be acting to the disadvantage of our customers. Our company only accepts orders for high-volume and high-quality sublimation printing, which is not in competition with any of our clients. We never set dumping margins and always make fair, competitive offers ensuring the highest quality of service.

First, request a price quote for your order via email (info@bestsublimation24.eu) specifying the size of the printout, the number items in the order, and the type of substrate on which the printout is to be made. Attach a printout design in PDF, JPG, BMP, TIFF, Corel, Photoshop, or other common formats.
We send a ready price quote within an hour of receiving the enquiry. The office operates from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (CET) on working days, except for bank holidays and long weekends.
When the client does not have a ready printout design, the order must specify the size of the printout, the type of item on which it is to be made, and the number of items in the order.

COMMENTS:

• If the client provides the items for printing, our company needs to receive the number of items specified in the order plus one additional item for making a test printout, or two additional items if the client wishes to receive a sample of the ready product.
  
• Individual clients or advertising agencies very often order printouts and expect results to be identical to what they see displayed on a computer screen or printed out on a regular laser or ink printer on standard paper. Unfortunately, every printing method is slightly different when it comes to colour rendering. In addition, different materials make the actual appearance of colours slightly different from that of the original design. For instance, a dye-sublimation printout of the same design on a T-shirt will look different to that made on a mug, e.g., it will be matt on a T-shirt and gloss on a mug, while both versions will still be different from the design as seen on a computer screen. The same rule applies to the design process, when a colour seen on the screen may be “blue sky” but its actual components are, e.g., 80% CYAN and some “pea green”, and the design additionally has slightly rough contours. In such cases, what the printer sees is quite different. Therefore, we recommend ordering one piece with a ready printout for approval.
• The size of the file greatly affects the quality of printouts. Usually, designs saved as small files (10-100 KB) will not render details as clearly as designs saved in larger files (e.g., 3 MB). Low resolution may result in image noise, stray pixels, and wrong colour rendering. 
• By not placing an order for a ready printout for approval, the client confirms that the file sent via initial email is the final version for printout. In such cases, the company does not accept returns or respond to complaints.
  
• The company will not interfere with the designs sent in by clients in any way, as the designs for printouts are the client's choice. On our part, we guarantee the highest quality of printing services.

If the client agrees to the conditions of our offer, we will send a pro forma invoice for payment. The order will be forwarded for printing only after payment has been registered in the company's bank account or upon receiving confirmation of a money transfer via email. The order processing time is calculated from the moment we receive the money transfer or its confirmation via email. The order is considered fulfilled upon handing it to the courier. Most shipments within Poland are delivered on the next working day. The company does not bear responsibility for any delays in delivery. All packages have standard insurance of up to 100 EUR. 

Our current operating capacities for printing are as follows:

• Mugs: 1,000 mugs a day.
• White T-shirts with direct overprint: 500 T-shirts a day; black T-shirts: 250 T-shirts a day.
• Digital embroidery: depending on design, please inquire at info@bestsublimation24.eu

All other prints: please inquire at info@bestsublimation.eu, providing the quote and details of your order.
We make every effort to complete your orders in the shortest time possible

Simply put, sublimation is an ink printout, transferred due to heat and pressure onto particular surfaces. During the process, the ink transforms from a solid state to gas, migrates, and settles as a mirror reflection upon specially prepared surfaces. Basically, the entire process consists of the following stages:

• Preparation of a printing design in any graphic software, e.g., Corel, PhotoShop, etc.
• Mirror reflection computer printout from a special-purpose printer using sublimation ink or gel, on sublimation paper.
  
• Paper drying, if required, depending on the type of paper.
  
• The dried sheet is pressed against the surface to which the print is to be transferred.
  
• Heating in a transfer press at a specific temperature, time, and pressure.
  
• After lapse of the preset time, the sublimation paper is removed from the surface and the overprint remains, e.g., on a mug or T-shirt.

And that’s it, as far as the theory of creating overprints is considered. Of course, sublimation has many advantages, as well as technological and material-related disadvantages and limitations, which we will try to explain in the following paragraphs.

This is one of the most frequent questions from our clients, as dye-sublimation and thermal transfer are probably the most commonly mistaken concepts. In theory, both notions indirectly mean the same thing, and the final effects of both processes are similar. Moreover, both methods use the same presses. Although the terms are commonly used on the Polish market, the methods do differ, as each has its limitations and is used for different products and substrates.
In principle, dye-sublimation, as it was described above, is an ink printing process which, under proper temperature and pressure, causes the ink to transform from a solid substance into gas, and dyes the underlying surface. In contrast, thermal transfer is a type of print most often made with the use of laser printers on thermal transfer film that embeds itself into a surface during heating due to pressure and temperature.
Advantages and disadvantages of sublimation, along with its limitations:
First and foremost, the process of sublimation lacks the colour white, therefore it limits us to printing on white surfaces, where the whiteness of a given product compensates for the lack of this colour. Indeed, sublimation can also be performed on coloured surfaces, although we don’t recommend printing photos or uniform-backgrounds but only images on light-coloured surfaces. In such case, the print itself should be darker than the surface. First of all, sublimation offers the possibility of full colour print in very high resolution, starting from even a single copy and requiring very low investment outlays for machines and technology. Currently, the process makes us dependent on printing on surfaces that are specially prepared, i.e., covered with a polymer coating or “liquid polyester”. Our offer consists of approx. 700 such finished products, whereas the full range of products available on the sublimation market, including the offer of our competitors, amounts to approx. 1,000 products ready for dye-sublimation print. Objects intended for sublimation print must be covered with a special polymer coating. If you wish to perform sublimation printing on a non-standard product, please contact us at info@bestsublimation24.eu, as there is a possibility to prepare, at client’s request, any product to be imprinted. The statement that sublimation takes place on a layer covered with a polymer means that it takes place only on artificial surfaces. As far as finished products sold by us are concerned, such information may not tell you very much, yet it becomes truly significant in the case of imprinting on textiles, especially T-shirts. Sublimation printing is possible only upon artificial surfaces. In the case of textiles, it can be 100% polyester, satin, spandex, nylon, stylen, etc., or fabrics made of two or more layers, i.e., 50% polyester and 50% cotton, produced in such a manner that cotton forms the inner layer, whereas polyester – the outer one to be imprinted. Dye-sublimation does not provide for direct printing on cotton. In short, sublimation printing cannot be executed directly on cotton and dark fabric, especially those that are very dark, e.g., black. It is, however, possible to perform such transfers through indirect media, such as sublimation flocks or poly-flocks where sublimation is performed first as a mirror reflection on one layer of such flock, and then the imprinted flock is transferred to 100% cotton light fabrics, in the event of transparent flock or film, and black fabrics – provided that the film is white.
We recommend that the process of sublimation occurs at a temperature of 180°C, as in theory, sublimation ink reaches the optimum temperature at 160°C, while the amount of time needed for hot-stamping usually oscillates between 100 and 200 seconds, counted from the time the press reaches the preset temperature after the item has been placed into the press. Such calculation results from the fact that after inserting an item, e.g., a mug, into a press heated up to 180°C, the temperature immediately starts to drop because the press is hot while the mug is cold, and this set of items, namely the heater and the mug, is not yet at the preset temperature after inserting the mug. It is necessary to wait until the temperature drops and rises again up to the preset one, i.e., 180°C, from which point the time is counted.
In sublimation, there are three parameters that determine the result of imprinting an item: temperature, time, and pressure. While the sublimation temperature is constant and amounts to the recommended 180°C, there are items and surfaces, such as glass mugs, for which a lower temperature must be applied. Glass is more temperature-sensitive than, e.g., ceramics and sublimation sheet metal, which take heat very quickly, or very fragile polyester fabrics. When the temperature is lowered to 150-160°C, the time needs to be extended in order to compensate for the lower temperature. Assuming the heating temperature is determined and the press, whose heating temperature has indeed been examined, is calibrated, the only thing left is to implement the appropriate pressure. Unfortunately, 95% of devices owned by clients on the market are not precise. They are sold “at a guess” and according to intuition and a feeling at tightening. Only professional pneumatic presses are fitted to set the value of working pressure, and there is no one in Poland with equipment for precise pressure establishment in hand presses. “Low”, “medium-low”, “medium”, “medium-high”, and “high” pressures are set only according to intuition (“at a guess”), based on one’s own or someone else’s experience. The last parameter is time, which is the crucial sublimation factor. The general rule says that the longer heating lasts, the more ink from the sublimation paper is transferred onto the imprinted media. Of course, a time limit applies, and if heating lasts too long, the sublimation paper may become brown and wrinkled, while the printout may be out of focus, the ink may go liquid, and T-shirts may even turn yellow. For most surfaces, the maximum time has been established at up to 250 seconds from the moment the press and inserted media reach the preset temperature (applicable to mugs, T-shirts, sheet metal, mouse pads). In the case of plates baked with the reverse tile method, it is approx. 7-8 minutes, while PHOTO granites need approx. 10 minutes. Dye-sublimation is the second most durable printing method, immediately following screen printing. It is also the cheapest method on the market to print in full colour, starting with even a single copy.

The concept of thermal transfer, so commonly used on the Polish market, refers to making printouts from a laser printer on transfer paper using standard ink, and then transferring such printouts onto a particular item in a thermal transfer press. Thermal transfer works rather like a “stamp” instead of a structural surface dye, as in the case of sublimation. Basically, thermal transfer is nothing but embedding a “rubber layer” of thermal transfer paper into an item. To perform thermal transfer printing, a special version of laser printers are required, which activates (applies and exposes) ink on paper in a very low temperature, usually below 180°C. If transfer paper is inserted into a random laser printer or photocopier (such devices activate ink at the temperature of 300°C+), the transfer paper will immediately split into layers and automatically destroy the printer; with the repair being completely unprofitable. In order to purchase an appropriate printer, we recommend you contact a representative of Konica Minolta and enquire about the currently available models. The greatest advantage of thermal transfer is that medium is no limitation, e.g., such printing can be performed on any item of any colour, because its principle is identical to that of adhering a sticker on a T-shirt (or any other media). The thermal transfer printing method is usually recommended to clients who wish to print on cotton, in particular on black and dark fabrics or on items with no cover layer; sublimation is recommended in the case of such items as rare mugs or tankards, trophies, etc. As far as costs are concerned, one sheet of paper for thermal transfer printing costs, e.g., 1,5 €, whereas a sheet of sublimation paper costs 0,01 €. Good quality 100% cotton T-shirts cost around 2-2,5 €, the cost of a two-layered shirt suitable for sublimation printing amounts to 4 €, and therefore the final cost of imprinting a T-shirt using both methods is similar, as the price of the ink or sublimation dye will also be pretty much the same. Thermal transfer is a lot less durable printing method – inserting a mug imprinted in such a manner into a dishwasher will crumble and destroy the embedded film; in sublimation printing this would not happen. In the case of T-shirts – a hot washed T-shirt will result in film shrinkage and its clumping or crumbling. Thus, if you wish to print on media unfit for sublimation or achieve full colour on T-shirts other than white and on fabrics unfit for sublimation, and you cannot afford to buy expensive equipment for direct printing (e.g., DTG or solvent plotter), the thermal transfer printing method is the most viable solution.

The topic is very broad, as the wide variety of media alone results in a multitude of methods. Below, a few basic methods of printing on textiles are presented:

• Dye-sublimation printing: the design is printed on transfer paper in an ink-jet printer with the use of sublimation ink, and then transferred in a heat press at 160-180°C for up to 200 seconds. Printing is done on artificial fabrics and the best results are achieved with white or very bright colours. This method is characterised by very high resistance to damage and is very durable. The method can be used for printing on satin, polyester, nylon, spandex, microfiber, and blends of cotton and polyester with up to 50% cotton. Printing can start with a single full-colour item.
• Thermal transfer printing is done with laser printers of low toner-melting temperature on heat transfer paper or transparent, white, or coloured (silver, gold, etc.) heat transfer foil. The printed image is transferred onto the fabric in a heat press. Printing can be done on any artificial or natural surface, regardless of its colour. Times and temperatures should be consulted with the foil manufacturer, as they vary from product to product. The durability of such printing is relatively low but with proper washing or with the use of paper of very high quality, the durability can be described as average. Printing can start with a single full-colour item.
  
• Screen-printing is the oldest and most durable method of printing, and its applications are very wide thanks to the many varieties of ink that can be used. The drawback of screen-printing is the fact that it is usually used for designs in vector graphics, which means that a separate screen must be produced for each of the, e.g., 1-4 colours. The screen then has to be properly prepared and exposed using UV emulsion. In theory, this method can also be applied to printing raster graphics, that is photos, but requires a large number of screens, e.g., 12, and applying design colours from the lightest to darkest, and still the depth and colours cannot match that of digital prints. Screen printing is a manual printing method and allows for printing large quantities at a very low cost of materials. There are no restrictions as to the colour of the background and the kind of material used.
  
• Direct to garment printing, e.g., with a DTG KIOSK printer, is a method which allows for printing a one full-colour item. The fabrics used are usually natural, but can contain up to 20% polyester. If the printer does not use white ink, it can only print on white fabric. If the printer uses white ink, it can print on fabric of any colour. T-shirts are first pre-treated with a polymer primer and heated in a heat press to remove moisture. The T-shirts are then placed on the printer tray and the print is made directly on the fabric. After printing, the image has to be fixed in a heat press. It is a very durable method and its only limitation is the fact that prices of printers start from 10000-15000 €. 
• Solvent printing is the most universal method for printing on textiles, as it allows for printing on substrates of all kinds of materials and colours with the use of appropriate foils. Theoretically, there are no limitations to the kind of materials used for solvent printing and their size. Plotters are used for printing on rolls of material. The most common sizes of rolls are between 100 and 260 cm. The print is very durable; its durability is between the durability of sublimation print and screen print. Solvent plotters can be also adapted for sublimation printing. Their only disadvantage is the high price, as quality plotters, e.g., Mimaki or Roland, cost at least 12500 €. Solvent printing can start with a single full-colour item.
• With flex foil printing and flocking, designs in vector graphics are cut with plotters and then transferred on the substrate. The designs usually consist of 1-4 colours, as each colour has to be cut and transferred separately. There are no limitations to the colours used or the kind of substrate. Transfer takes place in a heat press, usually at 150-160°C and takes about 30 seconds. It is a very durable method, comparable with solvent printing. Times and temperatures are specified by the foil manufacturers.
  Subli-flocks and poli-flocks are a way of using sublimation printing on items on which direct sublimation printing is impossible. It consists of printing the mirror image of the design with sublimation ink on transfer paper and transferring it to one layer of the flock, and then transferring the printed flock in the heat press onto the substrate, e.g., a T-shirt. It is a relatively durable method and even allows for printing a single full-colour item. It can be used for printing on surfaces of any material and colour.

In principle, all methods used for printing on textiles can also be used for printing on ceramics, with the exception of direct to garment printing, although there are machines designed for direct printing on mugs. The difference between printing on textiles and on ceramics is in the higher temperatures and longer times needed to fix designs on ceramics. Another method that can be used for producing mugs is heat transfer. It is useful for producing large quantities of mugs, as it takes place in furnaces at high temperatures. The advantage of this method is its low cost. Bulk printing is very fast and any kind of mug and ceramics can be used. Use of materials for sublimation is not necessary.

Below are instructions for sublimation printing on mugs:
First, print out the design with any sublimation printer on transfer paper and let it dry for about 5-10 minutes if you are using coated paper, or about 1 minute if you are using ordinary uncoated paper. The paper has to be cut so that it is no wider than the height of the cup. As the most popular 0.33l mugs are 9.5 cm tall and have a diameter of 82 mm, we suggest the height of design of about 9 cm and the width of about 18 cm. This way, the design can be repeated on every mug and there is no waste, as the heating element can properly catch every mug. Some customers may want to do print designs that are 95 mm high and 21 cm wide on the entire mug surface. While this is possible, such surface requires the use of higher pressure, which damages the heating elements, and the quality of print on every mug cannot be guaranteed. Once the transfer paper has dried and been cut to size, it can be put on the mug or other ceramic product and secured in place with heat tape, which does not release colour at high temperatures. To prevent streaks in printing, mugs should be cleaned from dust and ceramics degreased. Transfer paper should be carefully aligned and secured in place to prevent wrinkling in the heat press and ensure even print without defects. Once the paper has been secured, the mugs can be placed in the heat press. Place the mugs in a pre-heated press, applying the appropriate pressure. The pressure should be strong enough to compensate for the imperfections of the mug, but at the same time not too strong to prevent damage to the heating elements and the pressing mechanism. The mugs should be placed exactly in the middle of the heating element and secured in place. The suggested temperature for mugs is 180°C. As the quality of presses on the market varies greatly, it is important to check the actual temperature of the heating element and between the heating element and the mug with a pyrometer to ensure that it is 180°C, even if it requires setting a different temperature on the display. After placing the mug in the press you will notice the temperature fall because of the difference in temperature between the mug and the press. It will fall by about 30-40 degrees and then start to rise. Once the temperature reaches the required value, start the time. It should take about 150-200 seconds, depending on the kind of design. In general, the longer the time, the more ink is transferred from paper to mug, and consequently, the colours are more saturated and the image more defined. However, if the mug is heated for too long, it can yellow and the image will be blurred as the ink will get smudged. The upper limit of the heating time is 250 seconds.

Printing on ceramics, for example ceramic tiles or on granite.
The principle of printing the design is the same as with mugs. However, there are two methods of baking tiles in a flat press. Small ceramic, glass, and granite tiles, e.g., up to 15x15 cm, can be baked in the traditional way. The tile is put on the press on a silicone pad with the side to be printed facing upwards and baked at 180°C for about 2-3 minutes. With this method, silicone sheets with a maximum thickness of 2 mm can also be used between the tile and the heating plate to compensate for the imperfections of the tile. With, e.g., granite, the time needed to fix the image is about 7 minutes. With ceramic, glass, and granite tiles larger than 15x15 cm, the reverse tile method is used. First, the printout from the sublimation printer is placed on a silicone pad on the press, followed by the tile, with the side to be printed facing downwards (contrary to the traditional method described above), and then the press is closed with medium pressure applied. The temperature is 180°C, and time about 10 minutes for granite and about 7 minutes for other tiles.

Printing times and temperatures for dye-sublimation printing:

• Mugs – temperature of 180°C and time of 150-200 seconds from the moment the temperature reaches the required value. Medium pressure.
• Textiles – temperature of 180°C and time of 100-200 seconds from the moment the heat press is closed. Medium pressure.
• Ceramic and glass tiles – temperature of 180°C; 2-3 minutes when using the standard method, 7 minutes when using the tile method (see point 9). Time is measured from the moment the heated press is closed. Medium pressure.
• Granite – temperature of 180°C; 7 minutes when using the standard method, 10 minutes when using the tile method (see point 9). Time is measured from the moment the heated press is closed. Medium pressure.
• Metal sheets for sublimation printing – temperature of 180°C and time of 100-150 seconds measured from the moment the heated press is closed. If metal sheets become matted or paper sticks to them, the time can be shortened and temperature reduced (but to no less than 160°C). Medium pressure.
• Hand mirrors, key rings, and other gadgets that require small sublimation plates for printing – temperature of 180°C and time of 100-150 seconds measured from the moment the heated press is closed. If metal sheets become matted or paper sticks to them, the time can be shortened and temperature reduced (but to no less than 160°C). Medium pressure. It is important to remember that protective film should be removed before printing and that the white side of the plate is the one to print on.
• Jigsaw puzzles and other cardboard gadgets – in this case, the cardboard needs to be heated up for excess water to evaporate in order to prevent layer separation. Therefore, jigsaw puzzles or other cardboard elements need to be placed in the heated press for about 2-3 minutes without closing it. Subsequently, the press can be closed and the print made. The baking temperature should be set at 180°C and the time at 100-150 seconds. Medium pressure.
• Gravestone tiles – the procedure is identical to that used for standard tiles, yet we recommend using a heating element for plates to ensure proper baking on the tile edges.
• Lighters – temperature of 180°C and time of 200 seconds. Strong pressure. We recommend using a heating element for plates, as lighters are relatively thick gadgets. Lighters can also be printed using the reverse tile method. Lighters can be printed on both sides, one side at a time. 
• Pendants – temperature of 180°C and time of 100-150 seconds from the moment the pre-heated heat press is closed. If metal sheets become matted or paper sticks to them, the time can be shortened and temperature reduced (but to no less than 160°C). Medium pressure. Both sides of a pendant can be heated. The printing of both sides has to be done at the same time. 
• Mouse pads – the procedure is identical to that used for other textiles.
• Metal plates – the procedure is identical to that used for gadgets such as hand mirrors, key rings, and other gadgets which require small sublimation plates for printing.
• Ceramic plates – temperature of 180°C and time of 2-3 minutes. Medium pressure. It is important to ensure that the printout is smaller in diameter than the diameter of the base of the plate, as the base is not entirely flat. The printout should be no larger than the size of the flat surface of the plate base to enable perfect baking of both the edges and the centre of the printout without the need to apply strong pressure which could cause cracking.
• Pet bowls – temperature of 180°C, time of around 15 minutes. Pet bowls should be baked in convection ovens with the printouts secured with clamps.
• Beer glasses – the procedure is identical to that used for pet bowls.
• Cups – temperature of 180°C and time of 150-200 seconds from the moment the temperature reaches the required value. Medium pressure. Smaller heating elements should be used. We recommend baking no more than two cups at the same time to ensure that the inter-space between the heating element and the cup is the same on the whole surface of the cup. Pressure should be applied carefully, as cups are fragile. If creaking or cracking can be heard, the pressure needs to be slightly reduced.
• Clear and frosted glass mugs – the procedure is identical to that used for regular mugs with the exception that the pressure should be lighter, as glass, even toughened glass used for the mugs, is still more fragile than ceramics.
• Metal notepads – the procedure is identical to that used for metal sheets for sublimation but the two metal sheets should be remove from the notepad and baked separately in the heat press.
• Laptop cases – the procedure is identical to that used for other textiles. Additionally, something, e.g., a thick silicone pad, should be placed inside the sleeve to prevent heat damage of the plastic zip.
• Pillowcases with buttons – the procedure is identical to that used for other textiles. Buttons should be secured to prevent heat damage.
• Caps – the procedure is identical to that used for other textiles.
• Flip-flops – the procedure is identical to that used for other textiles

Once you have purchased a small-format sublimation printer, e.g., Epson P50, S22, R1400, etc., follow the basic rules below:

• A sublimation printer should print often and should have no major downtime. To prevent the ink from drying out, printing every 2-3 days is recommended.
• The continuous ink supply system must be vented regularly. We recommend that you perform this procedure every 2 weeks if the printer does not print too much, or every week if it is used often.
• The rubber roller that cleans the head of the residues of dried ink and other waste has to be cleaned regularly, preferably with a clean cloth and moistened with maintenance or cleaning fluid. The drain under the head where the carrier parks also needs to be cleaned and filled with maintenance or cleaning fluid.
• It is important to remember that sublimation ink in an open container must be used within 6 months. When you are buying a printer with sublimation ink, take into consideration the fact that after 6 months of opening the container, sublimation ink can start to stratify and clog the head.
• To ensure a continuous supply of fresh ink in the CISS, refill the CISS with ink before its levels fall below 25%. We recommend buying only enough ink to ensure a fresh supply rather than stockpiling.
• Only clean the head when it is necessary. If the head is cleaned often, the ink supply system becomes airlocked.
• To prevent ink in the head from drying out, print something every 2-3 days, even if you don’t have orders for sublimation printing.
• If the printer is used regularly and the rules above are followed, it should not malfunction and should work until natural wear and tear prevents further work, that is after printing 3,000 full-colour, high-quality pages. We recommend buying a new ink supply system with a new printer. When the printer is not used extensively but the rules above are followed, we recommend buying a new ink supply system every 6-12 months, depending on the conditions under which the printer is used.
• A sublimation printer should be used in a dry, warm, and dust-free place. If it is used in a place where there is a lot of dust, etc., it should be cleaned regularly with compressed air.
• Keep in mind that sublimation ink works best at a temperature of around 23°C and at very low humidity. If you use the printer in difficult conditions, ink can form lumps or dry out more quickly.

You might notice tiny dots after transfer around the vector graphics, text, etc., which are not visible on the paper after printing, but only after transfer on the finished product, e.g., mug. The problem can also be diagnosed by careful examination of a test printout for the printer nozzle, where gaps of about 0.5-1 mm are visible between clusters of horizontal lines between vertical colours, e.g., 1 mm gap between LM and M and overlap between M and C. As there is no scientific explanation for this, the reason for the fault can be theorised based on the way of removing it. The colours that usually produce dust are Magenta, Light Magenta, and Black, and the problem usually appears in winter. We believe that at low temperatures or with worn out ink supply systems, the tubes become stiff and put too much resistance on the stepping motor, which moves the nozzle carrier and consequently the nozzle misses the proper place. When a printer prints around 6,000 dots per square inch, even the offset of LM dots of 0.5-1 mm will result in a blurred printout. Another reason are worn out supply cartridges or cartridges that are wider or narrower than they should be. This unbalances the nozzle carrier and prevents it from printing dots in the right places. Because the carrier is balanced for the original ink cartridge, installing a continuous ink supply system does not always bring the expected results. This is why it is important to choose the appropriate CISS for the printer while converting it to ensure correct balance. If dust generation is observed, the problem colours must be identified by the nozzle test printout, the respective cartridges in the supply system replaced, and the entire system vented.

Splashing drops of ink on the paper – caused by excessive pressure in the continuous ink supply system. To remove this fault, clean the head and then print 2-3 pages full colour at the highest quality setting. Repeat as needed until the printer stops splashing ink.

Vertical stripes (dots) on the printed page – this happens when sublimation ink does not dry quickly enough on the transfer paper. The cogwheel that guides the paper at the exit of the printer makes dots on the paper. It usually happens when coated paper of poor quality is used or when the room is cold and damp. There are three ways of dealing with the problem: 1 – using uncoated sublimation paper; 2 – placing a fan or a heater at the printer to speed up the drying; 3 – placing a plastic or rubber element on the guide, so that the cogwheels do not touch the paper (it is enough to raise the guide by 1-2 mm).

The printer does not feed paper – this can happen when the paper dispenser at the back of the printer, which moves the paper on the rolls that feed it to the printer, is blocked. In such case, it is usually enough to tap the dispenser lightly to unblock it. Another common reason is that either the paper or the rollers are too slippery. Anti-static spray or another product should be used on the rollers to increase their grip.

Printer error message saying that the internal parts of the printer are worn out or ink absorber needs to be replaced – this means that the internal counter of the printer shows a high value because of very frequent cleaning of the head or a large number of printed pages. You can look for a programme that can reset the counter online, e.g., at www.elektorda.pl, or have the counter reset at the Epson service centre.

The printer does not recognise ink cartridges – there are two possibilities. If the printer does not recognise only some colours, it is enough just to reset the continuous ink supply system with the reset button. If the printer does not recognise any colours, check that the cartridges are properly placed in the head, every cartridge has clicked in properly in the head, and that the power has been reset. If this does not help, the reset circuit has probably been damaged and needs to be replaced.

The printer shows a general error – there may be a number of reasons, the most common of which is jammed paper. In this case, make sure all paper has been removed from the printer and all trays are correctly installed. Then, turn the printer off and on again. If this does not work, contact us and we will help solve the problem.

Lack of one of the colours at the nozzle test or stripes and unnatural colours on the printouts – there are many possible reasons for this type of problem, but in general it means that one of the colours is not printing from the head. This is usually caused by a fault in the constant ink supply system. Because the problem can have so many causes, below is the procedure for diagnosis and repair that we use. Follow the guide or use the information to decide on the course of action yourself:

• First, clean the head 2-3 times. If the printer prints correctly after cleaning but problems return, e.g., in the middle of printing a page, it means the printer itself works properly, but the sifter before the head is blocked or one of the cartridges is damaged and does not release ink. It is also possible that either the tube or the external ink tank is blocked.
  
• Remove the CISS from the printer. Take a syringe and broaden the diameter of its opening with a screwdriver. Fill the syringe with cleaning or unblocking liquid, put the syringe in the place in the nozzle carrier where you would normally put a cartridge and empty the syringe. If you feel a lot of resistance when emptying the syringe, only empty half of it and suck the ink from the head before you try to pump the liquid in again, until the syringe is empty. Repeat for every colour that is not working. Then, clean the printer of fluid so that it does not soil the printed paper. Clean the rubber roller under the head near the drain that cleans the head. Clean the drain and moisten the roller and the drain with cleaning or unblocking liquid. The next step is installing a new CISS filled with cleaning or unblocking liquid and vented, and cleaning the head 2-3 times with the liquid. Then print around 10 full-colour pages at the best quality with this CISS filled with cleaning or unblocking liquid.
  
• Replace the cartridges for the colours which did not print, clear the tubes, or possibly only replace the external ink pot. In extremely difficult cases or if the ink is older than 6 months, you can also replace a particular ink colour. Then, vent the entire system and install it back into the printer, and clean the head 2-3 times. Then print around 5 full-colour pages and the nozzle test page. If the test page is correct, the printer has been repaired. If the printer still does not print a certain colour, it means the head is broken and you need a new printer, preferably with a new CISS, if possible.
  

The printer prints double lines, e.g., vertical or horizontal vector graphics that are split – if the printer and the ink supply system are new, identify the faulty colour, replace the cartridge, and vent the system. If the printer is already partly worn out, do not set the highest quality printing option and the problem will disappear.

The simplest rule of thumb is that the more expensive the printer, the easier it will be to print. However, the durability of Epson printheads using sublimation ink is very similar, regardless of the printer you choose. With proper maintenance and usage, a printer should produce around 3,000 printouts, which means, e.g., 10,000 mugs. When it comes to the differences between 4-colour and 6-colour printers, the situation is outlined below.

• When it comes to small-format printers, 4-colour printers, such as the Epson S22 or SX Series models, are the most economical and very simple in construction. Of course, the durability of a sublimation plotter or equipment such as the Epson Pro, which costs 10,000 PLN, cannot be compared to that of an Epson printer for 75 €. Due to the basic CMYK colour model to produce images used in 4-colour printers, they have a simple printing process, without excessive sophistication. The printing process is as follows: with each stripe (change to “in each strip”), the lightest colours are printed first, followed by darker ones, and ending with black. This is why small format printers print more slowly. 4-colour printers produce a nicer, deeper black and have the option of printing only black, but produce less smooth transitions between tones.
  
• 6-colour printers, using the CMYK colour model extended with LM and LC, print faster due to combining all colours in on stripe and produce much smoother transitions between tones, but do not have the option of printing with black only, and the images they produce are more appealing, less saturated, and more contrasting.
  Both options have their enthusiasts. We recommend 6-colour printers because of they are better made.

This is quite a broad subject and our customers often ask about it. As there are many opinions and myths about this particular subject, the subject is described here in detail. To begin with, if somebody is offering to sell you a sublimation printer or ink together with the colour profile, it must be a hoax and the only thing you will gain from it is a good feeling and the belief that you have a colour profile. When we sell a sublimation printer or sublimation ink, we do not provide a colour profile, but we do provide reliable information. Adding a general profile to a printer or ink makes no sense and is more likely to do harm than good. A proper and correct colour profile is made for a specific printer, not a model, because with small-format Epson printers at the lower end of the price range, no two printers are 100% identical. We noticed this while testing three sublimation printers at the same time. Three printers of the same model, with the same ink supply system and the same paper, perfectly vented, with perfect nozzle test results, new and working in the same atmospheric conditions, produced slightly different test printouts. We even noticed that each of these printers produced different sounds while printing. In addition to this, making a colour profile is a process where all variables, that is paper, ink, substrates, and their shade of white, as well as transfer temperature and time, must be clearly specified. What is more, the graphics software and the printer itself must be set up with appropriate values. It must be also mentioned that there are 4-, 5-, 6-, and 8-colour printers and each of them prints a bit differently, which is why providing general colour profiles makes no sense. We believe that much better effects can be achieved through using appropriate settings of the graphics programme and correct transfer, which together render 90% true colours. If you decide to use colour profiles, we currently have universal profiles for Epson P50 printers, made with our HQ ink, on our standard paper, and standard substrates. For this model, we have profiles for ceramics, ECO mouse pads, 100% polyester, and T-shirts with 50% polyester and 50% cotton content. These profiles can be made available on request by email and can improve the quality of print, provided that the printer is working properly, uses fresh ink supplied by us, and you are printing on our materials and our paper. If you would like to have a colour profile made for your printer for a specific substrate, paper, ink, etc., we provide this service through our online shop. If you are buying a new printer from our shop and would like to receive a colour profile, you need to purchase this service through the online shop. The service takes around 2-3 days, together with converting the printer for sublimation printing and dispatch. We offer different colour profiles to suit your needs, made with 400, 600, 800, and even 1,000 readings. In special cases, we can adjust the profile to your needs, e.g., if you are printing billboards for Coca-Cola, where the predominant colour is red, you can order a basic profile extended red. In addition, e.g., the entire red spectrum can be defined, from 400 to 1,000 spectrometer readings. If you are printing billboards that will be illuminated, we can produce a profile that takes this into consideration to ensure the true colours of print under the conditions it will be displayed. We send profiles by email, complete with the description of the conditions under which it was made and directions for applying it to the printer. If you would like to order a profile, a printer, and ink, paper, and substrates you are already using, this service is also available for you. You need to send the printer, in good working order, by courier. (PLEASE NOTE we do not accept responsibility for any damage to the printer in transport.) The printer should be supplied with fresh ink and print correctly. If we find the printer loses settings or is supplied with ink of very poor quality, we will not do a profile, as it would be pointless. When sending us a printer, also include paper on which the profile is to be made and specify the substrate, e.g., ceramics or satin.

The principles we follow when performing profiles are as follows:

• Any printer that does not have an RIP component, even if it uses a CMYK colour model, prints the same way as an RGB printer.
  
• If you would like to have a profile made for CMYK, you must send us your RIP software, otherwise all profiles will be made based on the RGB palette.
  
• First, we check the condition of the printer. We make sure the system is vented and the nozzles are not clogged. We also check the quality of paper and ink if they have not been bought from us.
  
• We make the first profile on sublimation paper to characterise the printer. Spectrometer readings are taken 10 minutes after printing to make sure the paper has dried.
  
• Profiling charts are printed with all standard printer profile settings and colour controls switched off. The parameters at which the printer produces profiles are described for the customer.
  
• A profile made in this way is then loaded to Corel and the program is set to import and print with RGB. We then print pages for reading, using the first profile of the printer.
  
• After printing, the paper must be allowed to dry for about 10 minutes, and then the image is transferred onto the substrate in a specified period of time and at a specified temperature.
  
• Readings of colours are then taken with a spectrometer from the transferred image and the final version of the profile is made and sent to the customer, together with a description of the settings of the whole process, so that it can be repeated and the profile works properly.
  

Please be warned, there are companies that offer colour profiles based on printouts made by the customer from files sent by the company. A profile produced in this way is wrong in principle, not to mention the fact that it must be very narrow because of the small number of colour patches. We believe it is better to print without a profile but with well-adjusted settings of the printer and the graphics software than with an incorrect profile.

All small-format Epson printers are fitted with an internal counter, which counts the pages printed, the number of times the head was cleaned, and ink consumption based on the original cartridge capacity, which, depending on the printer, is between 6 and 11 ml. As a sublimation printer with continuous ink supply system has 6 x 100 ml of ink, after every 20-30 A4 pages printed, or after cleaning the head about ten times, we can see an error message: “unoriginal ink cartridges”, “unrecognised ink cartridges” or “ink has run out, replace cartridges”. All of these messages mean that you need to reset your printer.

The process of resetting ink cartridges in a printer with CISS is as follows:

• First, check that there are no printing jobs queued up in the print manager and remove any waiting jobs.
  
• Then, in Windows Control Panel > Printers find your P50 printer and choose printing preferences. Choose the Maintenance tab and click EPSON STATUS MONITOR 3. You will see an icon showing crossed out ink cartridges and you will see two buttons: MAINTENANCE and JAK. Click JAK. An ink cartridge replacement wizard application will open.
  
• Keep clicking “next” and “OK” until you see the message “press next to move the head to ink cartridge replacement position”. Click next and wait for the printer to move the head to the ink cartridge replacement position, that is, to the window on the right, and stop.
  
• Press the reset button, which you will find between the cartridges in the head carriage and hold for 3 seconds, being careful not to break it.
  
• Keep clicking “next” and “OK” in the ink cartridge replacement wizard, and at the end click “exit”. You will be shown the “loading ink cartridges, please wait” message and a blue status bar moving from left to right. Once it reaches the end, you can click “exit” and keep printing.
  

Currently, there are many different types of mugs available on the Polish market. Different types of finish are available: matt, gloss, super gloss, semi gloss, and soft colour, etc. The same applies to shades of white, which can be suited to the importer or client's individual preferences. However, the variety of mug colours, shapes, and sizes are also subject to availability. The availability and different quality classes and types of finish for a standard 11 oz (330ml) white mug are presented below:

• ECO white mug – the cheapest and most basic mug on our offer, with dye-sublimation primer coating suitable for hand washing, high brightness of white, and high gloss finish. Although the polymer coating is designed to resist hand washing, it is also quite resistant to dishwasher cleaning. These mugs are usually chosen for high-volume printing or promotional printing of low- or medium-complex designs. The mugs are suitable for both welding machines and furnaces. An ECO mug is not a premium quality production ceramic, which means that the diameter and height has a 2-mm tolerance.
  
• Class A white mug – specification similar to that of an ECO mug except for the higher quality of ceramic production.
  
• Class A+ white mug – is a high quality product characterised by very high brightness of white and very high gloss finish. Although the dye-sublimation primer coating used for this mug is designed to resist hand washing, it is also quite resistant to dishwasher cleaning. This mug is designed for medium to high-complex designs, and is suitable for baking in both welding machines and furnaces. Class A+ mugs are suitable for both individual and bulk orders, as the maximum diameter and height tolerance is 1 mm. The mugs are made with reproducible, carefully selected ceramics.
  
• Class AA+ mug – specification similar to that of a Class A+ mug, with the addition of a semi-dishwasher resistant coating, higher quality of ceramics, and greater brightness of white.
  
• HARD – the best quality mug on our offer; ultra white, an extra smooth surface, very reproducible, made with carefully selected ceramics with a dishwasher-safe coating that guarantees the highest quality of print. HARD mugs undergo the strictest quality control.
  

We offer the following shipment options within Poland for packages weighing up to 30 kg:

• Economy Shipping (secured only with the original product packaging and stretch wrap, with no store warranty to cover breakage or other damage during shipment).
  - pre-paid: 15 PLN (gross)
  - paid on delivery: 18 PLN (gross)
• Premium Shipping (secured with a unique system patented by Best Sub Europe Sp. z o.o. Sp. K.) 100% warranty covering breakage or other damage during shipment.
  - pre-paid: 25 PLN (gross)
  - paid on delivery: 30 PLN (gross)
  

Delivery to EU countries is only available in the premium shipping option due to very high transport costs. Shipping costs are calculated individually based on the distance, weight, and number of packages in a given order, and the quote is sent to the client via email.
Any compensation for damage during transport is only possible on the basis of a damage report made in the presence of the courier. The damage report should be submitted on the day of delivery (through the courier service) or within seven days by email, sent to info@bestsublimation24.eu