Insider Edition January
The dye sublimation process can produce some phenomenal results but there are some things to consider before sending in your photos.
Dye Sublimation Does Not Print White
Our machine does NOT print white. Any white in your photo or areas left blank in the customization screen print “clear”. Most products we offer are base white but there are a few that have a metallic or natural wood finish and the whites in your design will be affected. Knowing this, it is very important to stretch your images to completely fill the customization area. With metallic silver or natural wood finishes the colors overall will have a hue to them but most importantly the whites in the design will take on the product base.
Rigid Products Do Not Emit Light
Photo panels do not emit light like the screen you are reading this on does. To compensate we may brighten and adjust the contrast of your photos to more closely match expectations. We do this on a case-by-case basis. To get a better idea of how it might look try turning the brightness on your device down to 50%. Our typical customers are not photographers and artist and so therefore we choose to edit images on the customers behalf to provide a better experience. If you are a photographer or intend to order the same print again in the future, please consider editing before uploading. We typically increase exposure 1/3 to 1/2 a stop (.35 typical Lightroom) and boost saturation. Please add that you do not want your photo edited at all in the customer note at checkout.
Products we may edit photos for:
-Metal Prints
-Photo Slate
-Wood Prints
-Wall Tiles
Products we do NOT edit for:
-Drinkware
-Coasters
-Name Badges
-Accessories and gifts
Edited For Print
Original Photo
Different Products Different Results
Different products produce different results. In dye sublimation the color white is not printed and left to whatever the base product is. Slate will have a different base white compared to a metal print. This means colors may shift ever so slightly between items with the same image. We use special color profiles to help eliminate this, but it is not a true 1:1 color match. Below is an example of the same image on a gloss white ChromaLuxe panel and a slightly off white polyester mousepad.
Dye Sublimation - Quality Settings
Dye sublimation uses temperatures as high as 400* in a heat press to vaporize inks and embed them into items with a special finish. This allows images to be added to many unique items that typical printing methods can’t do. One major benefit of this process is the durability of the print. It will never scratch off or crack. The image can however, fade. Care should be taken to prevent UV exposure (direct sun) or high heat (dishwasher), except on products labeled for outdoor use.
ChromaLuxe photo panels are our #1 most recommended product. Made of aluminum and offered with a gloss or textured finish. Many companies will press this at 400* for a faster production rate but with lower quality results. We have found pressing for a longer duration at 325* produces a superior and more durable print, giving it a longer lifespan and more vibrant colors.
Gloss vs Matte vs Textured metal print finish?
We almost always recommend gloss for every circumstance. Better colors, better everything. However, sometimes it can feel like looking into a mirror in a brightly lit room. It can also be covered up with fingerprints when displayed in high traffic areas. In this case we recommend swapping to textured. The textured finish eliminates those problems while still displaying a great image, but it does have more of a canvas like appearance. Currently, matte is only offered for outdoor prints in place of textured.
