Backlit Junkie Gets His Fix Using Dye Sublimation
ISA ended Saturday at 4 pm. And I just wanted everyone to know that I got my ‘fix’ for backlit dye sublimation at the show.
The light box was a TREMENDOUS hit, and even if the pics from my phone don’t do it justice, I saw so many other people taking pictures of it, that I lost count.
These were both printed on Mutoh’s ValueJet 1948WX, our high-speed printer for all things dye sub. https://www.mutoh.com/products/valuejet-1948wx/
The same printer we used on our mugs in my last blog. https://www.thinkmutoh.com/mugging-it-up
The same printer that ISA (https://www.signs.org/isasignexpo) attendees were wowed by its incredible performance and aggressively competitive show pricing.
We often give show attendees incredible pricing for making their printer choices at the show. So if you haven’t been to a show you should check out show schedule. https://www.mutoh.com/company/events/ And check the other on this page as well, our Training, Wrap Classes and Dealer events.
It is such a thrill to see your own artwork pop so much with dye sublimation backlighting.But it is just as much a thrill to see others appreciate it while educating those who don’t know what dye sublimation is on the incredible opportunities it presents itself in the market. In fact, most of our booth was dye sub backlit.
The ValueJet 1938TX signage is backlit dye sub as were all of our other booth signage.
And the seascape image next to the signage is Chromalux (https://www.chromaluxe.com/), Tobe Hall and the people at Unisub provided that piece of art for our customer enjoyment and Ryan Holtzman from Chromaluxe provided a Point of Sale style announcement of their new product – EXT metal (EXT for both EXTended life for outdoor photography, and for EXTerior signage), that looked as bit as crisp and sharp as you would expect from these guys.
And of course we were handing out Mutoh glass cleaners on Vision Microsuade S/660, again supplied by my friend Mike Sanders, whose Pacific Coast Fabrics merged with Top Value Fabrics (https://www.topvaluefabrics.com/index.php)last year.
These are great giveaways that people keep and use. Mike is one of those guys who I consider my extended family in the industry. So now let me introduce you to my other brother Mike, Mike Compton at Top Value Fabrics.
I recently sat in on one of Mike’s webinars on…………….yes…………backlit.
If you are a member of SGIA (https://www.sgia.org/), like we are, get online and check it out.
Here is Mike and I standing in front of another both made with back litbacklitlimation.
Oh yeah, the backlit fix is in……….
Read MoreMugging it up!
RTFM
Yes, the first time I had to look that one up too. Something about ‘reading’ the freaking manual. Something I am want to do after everything else fails.
So here’s the story.
We recently got a mug press for dye sublimating coffee mugs. Kevin Lumberg From Johnson Plastic (https://www.johnsonplastics.com/) was instrumental in helping us out. (Be sure to check out the dye-sub blanks and imagine the possibilities dye sub has to offer)
This was primarily to do our own coffee mugs for the office and to have mug capabilities. So I ‘read’ the manual, set the press up, did some test prints and sublimated a couple of mugs. Results looked pretty good, so as I am want to do, I had to see just how much I could push the limits of the press size-wise.
I wanted to cover as much of the mug as possible. What I found is that there was a reason there was a
template and that the press, like all presses, has some limitations on the perimeter. And if you get too close to the edge of limitation, it is just not going to sublimate cleanly. There just isn’t enough heat generated to give a clean edge. So I backed off the size and went back to the template.
I made a few ‘personalized’ mugs using my own artwork, after all, personalization is what digital printing and dye sublimation are all about.
And of course, this is where I pushed the limit on the mug press.
RTFM SOME MORE!
The manual clearly states that the mug press needs to be cooled down after extended use. But it doesn’t really state why. So ‘reading’ the manual, can be different from understanding the process. The reason is similar to the edge effect above.
Heat and heat dissipation.
For the edge effect above, there is not enough heat to heat the part of the mug that is not covered by the heating element.
In the base effect below, the bottom of the mug acts as a heat sink drawing heat away from that area giving incomplete dye sublimation. As the whole mug press heats up over an extended time, the thermocouple thinks the ‘mug’ is actually hotter than it really is.
So after letting the heat press cool back down, per the manual, great results are easy to obtain.
As I said, the idea was for us to do mugs for our own use. Ryan Arakaki, our Advertising and Events Manager created some nice artwork for the mugs that included a round feature. However, when sublimated this round feature turned into an oval.
Yes, of course, I could have done the math to determine the amount of distortion expected on a cylindrical surface. http://archive.bridgesmathart.org/2012/bridges2012-513.pdf
And then claimed it was anamorphic art. But instead, I just eyeballed it in Photoshop.
GET HELP FROM A PRO
So I turned these over to Andy Lewellen, our Mar-Com & Promotions Admin who actually did the real work to make our mugs. I think normally, this is where I would provide a link to the Mutoh store where you could buy these mugs, but right now the only way you can use one of these mugs is to stop by our Phoenix location and visit in person.
However, if you have any of our various dye sublimation printers from the VJ-628 Virtuoso (https://www.johnsonplastics.com/sublimation/sublimation-equipment/sublimation-printers/sawgrass-virtuoso-vj628-large-format-sublimation-printer) to the high speed 4 headed 1948WX that I used for my images, all you need is a heat press and some mugs to make your own.
Find out more about our Dye-Sublimation printers by using these links:
https://www.mutoh.com/products/valuejet-1624wx/
https://www.mutoh.com/products/rj-900x/
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Sometimes There is a Beauty in Making Things by Hand
The “ART” of Wallpaper Prints
While we are indeed trying to make it easier and more productive to place prints in textiles using a MUTOH ValueJet wide format printer, it’s good to remember where it all begins. The artist. I thought it might be fun to give the artist some press just to remind everyone that we have not forgotten you. So, in the next few paragraphs, read and watch the beauty form from one such artist in London.
Made in London: Daniel Heath
Posted by Katie Treggiden
Now based in the heart of East London, Daniel moved to the capital to study at the Royal College of Art. “The main influence this time had on my work was the idea that someone with training in textile design can apply their knowledge to other outcomes,” he says. “I worked with a lot of different people on a range of projects, often simultaneously. I remember running up and down the stairs because the lifts would be out of action and the departments are split across seven floors. I’d be running up to architecture, down to ceramics or product design, and up again to fashion. It was frenetic, exciting and a lot of fun.”
The experience has clearly had a profound influence on his work to this day, but the craftsmanship of his discipline has always been important too: “When I was studying textiles, I wanted to know all about the traditional process of screen printing and I wanted to be good at it.” He learnt his craft at the RCA, but honed it while hand-printing runs of 500 t-shirts and sweatshirts for a friend’s clothing label on a print table he bought while studying and stored in the roof of a dishcloth factory.
Now with his own studio at shared maker-space Blackhorse Workshop, Daniel is printing more than just t-shirts. He now specializes in up-cycling and re-appropriating what he calls “authentic heritage materials” to make bespoke, hand printed wallpapers and interior surfaces to order. Having to explore other materials because he couldn’t afford silk at university has served him well.
His designs, all hand-drawn, often recall the Victorian era to form playful narratives inspired by everything from taxidermy to the circus. “When I design a new wallpaper, I begin by doing a lot of research to establish an idea or theme,” he says. “I’ll go to exhibitions, visit locations, take photos and make sketches.”
He then applies the resulting designs using technologies such as laser engraving to create his unique products, which cross the boundaries between technology and craft. He makes everything to order. “I enjoy the making process,” he says. “Making to order means that my customers can request bespoke alterations and are not restricted to a set colour. And there are no stockpiles of stuff sitting around in warehouses that I need to worry about selling – if something is ordered, then I make it.”
Alongside his making career, Daniel is also an academic and has lectured at universities including Loughborough, Manchester, Bournemouth, Staffordshire, Bucks New University and Central St Martins. He also provides mentoring for young designers through the Crafts Council Hot House scheme.
He works for private clients as well as brands such as Swoon Editions, Panasonic Europe, Farrow & Ball, Heal’s and Anthropologie, and he is a brother of the Artworkers’ Guild, London.
The “ART” of the MUTOH ValueJet
So there you go! A great article and video of a true artist. Think of how much more widespread his art could be using a MUTOH ValueJet wide format printer. Think of how much more TIME he could spend creating rather than producing the product. We respect and applaud his talent. I wish we all had it. Just some things to think about.
Want to find out more about how a MUTOH ValueJet could help. Click Here: www.mtuoh.com
Read MoreTextile Printing & More. An Interview with Rachel Nunziata with 4Walls.
Textile Printing & More
In this great short interview listen to Rachel Nunziata talk about her business and concentrate on how you can take advantage of this grow textile print business. Starting and growing a textile printing business is not difficult but can be if you don’t have the right training & education. After the interview, find out more about how MUTOH can fill this education gap.
Digital Printing Hits a Wall. And the Floor. And Your Sofa.
Published on May 14, 2018 by WhatTheyThink?
Rachel Nunziata, Product Development Manager for 4Walls, talks about the design process for digital décor. 4Walls designs and prints wallcoverings and a wide variety of other materials, handling the process all the way from design through production.
We highly recommend you subscribe and read http://whattheythink.com/ for some great interviews!
Here is the link to Rachels sites:
4walls.com and findyourlevel.com
I wanted to add some comment to this video. MUTOH is focusing on this market of walls and textiles. This a rapidly growing market. MUTOH has some of the best printers for the textile market. You should check out our collection, however, I really wanted to stress that it’s not just about a printer its also about learning, education, training. To be successful, just talk to a few folks who are in this business of textile printing and they will tell you it was a learning curve and it was the knowledge that resulted in their success. Well, that is what makes MUTOH so different from the other who sell into this market. We have the experts and we have the seminars and more to help educate you each step of the way. Let us explain how! Just call us.
Industry Leaders – Rick Hatton, Randy Anderson & Butch Anton at ISA 2018
Randy Anderson Meets with Industry Leaders at ISA 2018
I thought I’d share some things about the industry leaders I met at ISA 2018.
I wrote about Rick Hatton from Banner Ups on my blog – https://www.thinkmutoh.com/light-up-your-life-your-artwork-and-your-brand/?v=e748b7c8fd06
Rick introduced me to Keder Tape, an adhesive silicon strip for SEG frames.
So at ISA I went over to finally meet Rick and others from Banner Ups (https://bannerups.com/), and who do you think I saw working the Banner Ups ISA booth? (https://www.signs.org/isasignexpo) Butch “Superfrog” Anton (http://www.superfrog.com/).
Butch was the first sign artist that I had met and talked with, and I don’t remember which show it was, but I remembered Butch. It has been more than a decade, but his insight and advice changed the way I looked at signs. I had always been under the impression that signage was strictly informative.
My Transformation
Being a tech guy, for me signs told me what I needed to know, but being a wannabe artist, what Butch was talking about captured my interest. Butch was displaying at the show, but mostly he was talking about what he knew – signage. Patient and understanding, I bet we talked for half an hour, I was fascinated by what he was telling me. Butch was telling me about ‘Branding’ long before I remember hearing the term in the industry. Butch explained that signage’s effective role was about not only transferring information but by capturing and creating an ‘image’ that reflects the goals behind the sign and produces an emotion that reinforces that image.
I am sure that those weren’t his exact words and I hope I am accurate enough in conveying his message.
In any case, I recommend that you reach out to Butch and Rick and take advantage of their skill sets and sage advice to improve your business and signage.
MUTOH Can Help
Here at MUTOH, I bring with me those same ideas and I am happy to report that my professional colleagues also have the same thinking about being creative in messaging. Working with MUTOH printers is also great because they have features that fit that same philosophy about creativity. When you use a MTUOH printer, you don’t have to worry about the hardware and can focus on creativity and communication, the foundation of a good sign.
Want more info about MUTOH printers?
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Read MoreLight Up Your Life, Your Artwork and Your Brand
I Was a Backlit Junkie
by Randy Anderson, Product Marketing Manager
MUTOH AMERICA
As an aspiring artist, ok, more of a wannabe artist, backlit graphics have always impressed me.
As a techie, backlits intrigued me.
Getting an image to ‘match’ the lighted state with the unlit state seemed to be more of an art form rather than ‘just’ a profile. There were all kinds of issues, you had neon, fluorescent tubes and a variety of other lights that could be virtually impossible to use as a white point.
Then came LEDs. Then came LEDs in virtually any color you wanted. At that point, I had moved on to dye sublimation and textile applications and was wowed by backlit fabrics.
I Got a Little Help
Joe Terramagra from REXframe (http://rexframe.com) introduced me to SEG, Silicone Edge Graphics frames for fabric display and back backlighting, and I bought a backlit frame from them.
I got a hold of my friend Mike Sanders from Pacific Coast Fabrics (now Top Value Fabrics – https://www.topvaluefabrics.com) and Mike sent me a sample of dye sublimation backlight fabric.
I did a few prints and taped them up to the frame to check out my work. Impressive as I thought it was, I still had an issue – I don’t sew.
Yes, of course, I tried just jamming the silicone strip in the slot, without sewing, but wasn’t really satisfied with that.
I thought about finding someone who sews and works with them, but my initial volumes were the one lightbox I owned and I mostly needed to play.
So I took the light box home and it sat in the garage for a time…… a long time.
I Found Great Stuff
At SGIA last year, I got introduced to Keder Tape by Rick Hatton and the people at BannerUps (https://bannerups.com/), this is an adhesive silicone strip that doesn’t require sewing.
So I got a hold of Mike again, and he sent over some Microlux Soft 8179FLBS, which is a two-sided backlit fabric for dye sublimation. One side is a DecoTex texture and the other – a nice smooth satin, perfect for the kind of artwork I want to display.
So I dug out my REXframe light box, brought it back into work and did some text prints.
Applied the Keder Tape, ok, it took me a couple of tries to get a technique down (unlike sewing, the adhesive silicone can be removed, repositioned or applied to another piece of fabric).
Talk to Me at ISA 2018 Booth 2017!
So I prototyped a few images and settled on these to take to ISA 2018 this year.
Hope you see me there so I can tell you more!
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Learn more about the printer I used to make these at www.mutoh.com
Read MoreUnleash Your Imagination
by Randy Anderson, Product Marketing Manager
Mutoh America
“Wrapping” the INSIDE of your car.
There has been so much talk and focus on custom car wraps for the outside of the car, but very little about customizing the interior of the car.
Ok, there has been a little wrapping of individual parts inside the car, and now some ‘hydrographics’, but what seems to be mostly missing are the textile applications for the cars’ interior.
Vehicle Headliners?
One that intrigued me recently is headliners for vehicles.
It started with something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbMVH8mFjRc that I found on youtube.
When I got to Pinterest it gave me more of an idea of just how common this might be and how it could be a solution for damaged or loose headliners.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/308567011940623906/
The sad part of this is that I don’t recall ever seeing custom headliners for custom wrapped cars when I had mine wrapped.
It would have been nice to put in a custom themed headliner and visors in my Rodeo.
Seems like dye sublimation would be a perfect application for both of those, and the range of fabrics available would make it pretty easy to keep the same texture look and feel with custom imagery.
Dye sublimation would work to do the door panels and maybe some matching mats – http://dyetrans.com/products.php?webmaincat=sub_prods&websubcat=car_mats
I got rid of the Rodeo a couple of years ago before Mutoh released the direct to a textile printer the ValueJet 1938TX.
I am driving a Juke now, with a sunroof, so there isn’t much of a headliner there, but it sure would be nice to wrap the Juke and create custom seat covers with the TX with visors to match….
But that would be another blog entry for the future……
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Learn more about our full line of textile and dye-sublimation printers.
Read MoreUNDERSTANDING INTERIOR DÉCOR: SOURCES AND INSPIRATION
This is a great blog we thought you might find interetsing. By permission of the author, it is posted here. Be sure to visit the home page of the blog at www.printunlimited.nl
February 9, 2018
Guest blogger – Rachel Nunziata
Even if you haven’t kicked off 2018 by globetrotting to each and every A&D trade show, event and furniture fair, there is enough content circulating throughout social media to get the general consensus; homewares and décor categories are plentiful and growing. Last fall an article written by Ali Morris in CNN Style pointed out fashion labels were strategically teaming up with well-established homeware brands to leverage their labels and create new brands, becoming an instant success after launching. It also stated data from Allied Market Research projects the total expected growth for the luxury niche alone will reach $27 billion by 2020. These collaborations will no doubt continue to multiply as the market grows but truly understanding how design brands think and where new channels will emerge is crucial for the digital print community to convey the value proposition of digital print technology to the creative industry.
(Image courtesy of Print Unlimited,The Netherlands)
The interior décor market is a competitive, crowded space and companies are looking to generate customer loyalty in their product lines and ranges through developing brands aimed at certain aesthetics or demographics. (Not to be confused with interior design, the actual discipline of assembling spaces, interior décor by definition are the objects and materials used to finish spaces.) In the consumer market, this is especially important as transparency and accessibility to online shopping is a sure way to encounter similarities between products after searching pages and pages of popular e-commerce sites. The commercial contract market is also faced with the same quandary. This community remains protective, naturally so, designers and firms rely heavily on sourcing unique products and materials to set themselves apart and woo clients for future projects — but e-commerce is disrupting that.
(Image courtesy of Print Unlimited, The Netherlands)
A common misconception about [interior] designers is most of their revenue is generated through design fees. Normally, trade pricing, which is not privy to the public, is only accessible to licensed design professionals but their clients are now also shopping for products online. The trade cost savings to the designer are not passed onto clients rather the markup is kept by the designer, which in turn incentives them to shop and specify more décor products and materials for the clients’ space. Here is where the majority of the designer’s income is made. Traditional licensing deals(another revenue stream for designers), manufacturing and retailing will also change due to e-commerce.
(Images courtesy of Print Unlimited, The Netherlands)
It’s a paradigm shift that may result in an uptick of higher fees if revenue from trade pricing and markup is watered down for the designer. So where can print service providers and manufacturers with in-house digital printing help those sway clients from shopping online? By collaborating within our industry and offering solution tools forcustomization. Specifying custom furniture, for example, is usually not available to consumers and custom products(mostly furnishings and softgoods) help designers incur additional revenue on a project. Customization in the tradition channel is very costly with long lead times, however, digitally printed wallcovering and textile applications, for example, are opening new pathways for both consumer and contract markets. Some say finished goods within these two segments are actually interchangeable.
(Image courtesy of Print Unlimited, The Netherlands)
Be on the lookout for new opportunities as consumers and design professionals shop online to source homewares and décor products; or launch capsule collections and new brands. New e-design services and third party marketplaces are also reshaping the market with design services available through software by tech startups. (Check out Laurel & Wolf, Havenly or Hutch.com.) These business models give access for anyone, of any budget, to access décor and design services and is a roundabout way as a vendor to potentially list your décor products, too.
If you have questions or comments contact Rachel via email at rachelnunziata@gmail.com or follow her LinkedIn page for daily interior décor and digital print industry updates.
Join us for more discussion around Interior decor at PURE Digital 17-19th April 2019 – www.puredigitalshow.com
3 Things You Should Know About Dye Sublimation
By Randy Anderson, Product Marketing Manager-MUTOH AMERICA INC
Key Takeaway
- Getting started in Dye Sublimation is not difficult.
- Dye sublimation is limited only by your imagination.
- Only coated substrates can be used in the dye sublimation process.
- You will need the right printer and heat press.
- MUTOH has a full range of printers for any size dye sublimation project or business.
Dye Sublimation Is Cool!
A dye–sublimation printer is a printer which prints dye sublimation inks either onto an ink receptive paper or direct to coated polyester fabrics.
Why is this cool?
It’s cool because you can do so much with this process. The applications are limitless, and we will show you that in our next section.
The other reason it is cool is that it’s not that hard to get started. Of course, you need the right printer and that choice can vary significantly. We’ll show you some guidelines to help you there. You’ll also need a way to transfer the dye from the sublimation media to your substrate. Typically, that is a heat press or calendar of some kind. You’ll also need to consider what applications you’ll try to create.
So, let’s start with some basics.
1. Probably Your Biggest Limitation is Your Imagination.
Want to make clothing, sportswear, and swimsuits – dye sublimation to polyester fabric. Clothing accessories? Belts Buckles, pins, scarves, hats, caps, and neckties – there is a dye sublimation application and blanks for all of those.
Anything that can be coated with polyester or a suitable dye sub receptive coating & subjected to the heat of dye-sub can become a dye-sub creation.
Bags, purses, phone and pad cases and covers, custom tennis shoes (and of course socks) for your clothing or unique flip-flops to go with your swimsuit, dye sublimation can do that and more.
Want to create custom flooring or wall tiles with either a design or photo – dye sublimation on coated tiles. Want some custom curtains or maybe some custom upholstery to match or accent your custom floor or tiles, there is a dye sublimation application for that.
Want some custom plates or coffee mugs to fit in the kitchen with your custom tiles, you might even want some custom coasters for that mug, you can store those next to a cutting board with custom, towels, aprons and baby bibs.
Awards and personalized gifts, and so many, many more, with more coming out every year.
Want to read the other 2 critical concepts in dye-sublimation that you should know? Just fill out this form to get the full article for free!
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The MUTOH Advantage
Why not take advantage of the features of MUTOH printers? They are loaded with easy to use maintenance options as well as options to keep going even when issues do come up. MUTOH has the best reputation in service, repair, and training with experts on staff with years of industry experience. Visit our website to see all the advantages of a MUTOH. www.mutoh.com
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