Dye sublimation printers don’t yet have the capability to print using white ink, so you’ll need to make sure you’re printing on white or light-colored items. Even with that limitation, the color gamut is still fantastic. Mimaki, for example, has introduced yellow and pink fluorescent inks that can be used as individual spot colors or blended to make a more fluorescent tone of any color. Dye sublimation is THE process for printing on all things polyester. That’s because the gaseous state of the ink results in a completely washable, smooth image that’s fully embedded into the material. Plus, the quality is high resolution consisting of vivid, vibrant colors. The alternative process of UV printing is not effective on polyester fabric items. On polyester coated hard goods, UV prints can feel more textured and look like a label or sticker. With dye sublimation, the texture isn’t rigid or crusty and there’s no threat of scraping or scratching a print. The ink is fixed on the polyester fabric by sublimation at high temperatures. The combination of ink and machine technologies achieves cost-effective and eco-conscious direct sublimation printing. Sublimation transfer printing is also available on polyester fabrics with vivid and clear colors. Several black inks are offered to produce subtle differences in shades of black.