Frequently Asked Questions
If you can't find the answer to your question below please do not hesitate to contact our sales or technical support team.
Where do I buy Sawgrass sublimation and cotton transfer inks from?
What equipment and software do I need to start a sublimation business?
Where can I buy all the necessary equipment from?
What type of surface or material can I sublimate on?
Can I use cotton fabrics for sublimation?
Is any printer suitable for sublimation/cotton transfer?
Can I use sublimation and cotton transfer inks in the same printer?
Is any transfer paper suitable for sublimation?
What is the difference between the PowerDriver and the ICC profile?
Should I install both PowerDriver and the ICC profile to manage colours?
How do I obtain a nozzle check on my Ricoh printer?
How do I perform a head clean on my Ricoh printer?
How do I obtain a nozzle check on my Epson printer?
How do I perform a head clean on my Epson printer?
Should I leave my Ricoh printer powered on when not in use?
What are the pressing times and temperatures for sublimating on mugs?
What are the pressing times and temperatures for sublimating on metals?
What are the pressing times and temperatures for sublimating on polyester fabric / t-shirts?
How do I register my Sawgrass product?
How do I register my Sawgrass product when the computer I am using is not connected to the Internet?
How can I become a Sawgrass Dealer/Distributor?
Where do I buy Sawgrass sublimation and cotton transfer inks from?
You can buy Sawgrass sublimation and cotton transfer inks from an authorised Sawgrass dealer/distributor.
What equipment and software do I need to start a sublimation business?
To start a sublimation business you will need:
- PC or Mac and other imaging peripherals
- Professional graphics & imaging software (Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW)
- Sublimation transfer paper
- Heat presses
- Substrates
- Epson or Ricoh printer
To learn more about staring up your sublimation business please click here.
Where can I buy all the necessary equipment from?
Sawgrass Technologies is an ink manufacturer and therefore doesn't supply any sublimation or cotton transfer equipment. Please contact your local authorised Sawgrass dealer/distributor for more information.
What type of surface or material can I sublimate on?
Using Sawgrass' Sublimation Printing Solutions you can sublimate on virtually any surface which has a special polymer coating or on a material made from 100% polyester fabrics.
Can I use cotton fabrics for sublimation?
With Sawgrass' ChromaBlast™ Cotton Transfer Solutions you can print commercial quality, full colour images on a wide variety of cotton and cotton blend products. The result is a customised garment with a soft hand, vibrant colour and superior washability.
Is any printer suitable for sublimation/cotton transfer?
Sublimation and ChromaBlast Cotton Transfer Solutions use Epson and Ricoh inkjet printers due to their unique piezo print head technology (cold printing vs. thermal printing). These printers are designated by maximum print width and number of colours of ink.
Can I use sublimation and cotton transfer inks in the same printer?
Sublimation and cotton transfer inks cannot be used in the same printer; if you wish to use both sublimation inks and cotton transfer inks you should use 2 separate printers.
Is any paper suitable for sublimation and cotton transfer?
For the graphic or image to permanently dye the final product, specialty sublimation inks and matched paper are needed. Regular office or copy paper is not suitable because it will not release the image properly. For best results, choose a high-quality high-release transfer paper (we recommend Trupix Sublimation Paper and Image Media ChromaBlast Paper for cotton transfer) that dries quickly and is designed to allow the ink to release from the paper during the heat transfer process.
Please contact your local authorised Sawgrass dealer/distributor for more information on how to buy sublimation and cotton transfer paper.
How do I obtain a nozzle check on my Ricoh printer?
Please download a PDF Nozzle Check Procedure for Ricoh printer.
How do I perform a head clean on my Ricoh printer?
Please download a PDF Head Clean Procedure for Ricoh printer.
How do I obtain a nozzle check on my Epson printer?
Please download a PDF Nozzle Check Procedure for Epson printer.
How do I perform a head clean on my Epson printer?
Please download a PDF Head Clean Procedure for Epson printer.
Should I leave my Ricoh printer powered on when not in use?
Yes, when not in use, it is highly recommended to leave the printer powered on to allow the Ricoh automatic maintenance utilities to keep the print head nozzles clear. The Ricoh platforms have been engineered to perform automatic maintenance at various times in an effort to keep the print head nozzles in perfect condition. If this maintenance cannot be automatically performed, it is possible that the nozzles may suffer permanent effects. As a result, head cleanings may be unable to restore the print head to optimal operation.
What is OEM Driver?
OEM refers to Original Equipment Manufacturer; the driver is the application that connects the computer to the printer.
What is the difference between the PowerDriver and the ICC profile?
The PowerDriver® is Sawgrass' own RIP software; it acts as a virtual printer driver with a user friendly interface which controls the colour management. This method is suitable for users with basic knowledge of their graphic software applications as it allows different colour settings to be chosen.
The ICC profile also controls the colour management but is used in the output stage of the graphics software. This method requires the graphics software application and OEM driver to be pre-configured before use.
Should I install both PowerDriver and ICC profile to manage colours?
You only need to install one colour management method - either the PowerDriver or the ICC profile.
What are the pressing times and temperatures for sublimating on mugs?
Mugs with different coatings will have different pressing times and temperatures, as a guide Sawgrass Europe recommend the following settings, these times and temperatures are based on a correctly calibrated mug press:
Temperatures: 190 - 204°C
Times: 150 – 270 seconds
Pressure: Medium / 2.76 bar
Note: Different Sawgrass inks brands may require different pressing times and temperatures.
What are the pressing times and temperatures for sublimating on metals?
Metals with different coatings will have different pressing times and temperatures, as a guide Sawgrass Europe recommend the following settings, these times and temperatures are based on a correctly calibrated heat press:
Temperatures: 177 - 190°C
Times: 60 – 180 seconds
Pressure: Medium / 2.76 bar
What are the pressing times and temperatures for sublimating on polyester fabric / t-shirts?
100% polyester requires the pressing times shown below:
Temperatures: 195 - 200°C
Times: 60 seconds
Pressure: Medium / 2.76 bar
How do I register my Sawgrass product?
Please download a PDF Sawgrass Product Registration Manual.
How do I register my Sawgrass product when the computer I am using is not connected to the internet?
Please download a PDF Sawgrass Product Registration Manual (no internet connection).
How can I become a Sawgrass Dealer/Distributor?
If you would like to become an authorised Sawgrass Dealer/Distributor please contact our sales team.
