How Many Dye Sublimation Printers are in Vietnam?

Hi, my name is Chris. I have been learning about dye sublimation printers in Vietnam since 2008. Last time I checked there were about 11 quality dye sublimation printers in Vietnam. There are three groups of dye sublimation printers in Vietnam:

1. Small "mom and pop" Vietnamese sublimation printers
2. Medium sized Vietnamese sublimation printers
3. Large sublimation printers managed and owned by Chinese, Taiwanese, Australian etc.

If you want to do small quantity then I recommend the medium sized Vietnamese sublimation printers. I recommend you visit them and "assist" them very closely to ensure the printing is done well. If you are doing large volume sublimation printing then I recommend going with one of the international dye sub printers.

Learn more about:

Color Theory
Color Management
Preparing Artwork Files
Sublimation Ink
Sublimation Paper

Imagine that you have an idea to produce sublimated surf shorts, sports jerseys or mouse pads. Would it be great to get inside a sublimation apparel factory to see how they print and sew? Would you like to check the quality yourself? I can get you inside Vietnamese sublimation factories for a tour. Watch my video for more details.

When the fabric is fed into the heat press they need an extra 2 meters to attach the end of the fabric to the receiving roll before they start feeding the printed paper along with the fabric.

If you are doing large volume this is not an issue.

If you are doing small volume or development samples this is an important consideration.

May I introduce you to dye sublimation printers in Vietnam?

Both are good. Rotary is definitely faster. In the long run digital will be the winner because digital is getting faster and faster and it is more versatile. Rotary requires a big machine that is difficult to move around and service. One downside to digital is that the inks can not be reused like in offset/rotary. Using digital printing without wasting inks requires knowledge and experience to set up and adjust the printers and presses well.

In either case, to do sublimation printing well, the operators need expert knowledge and experience.

I predict that by 2025 rotary will no longer be used.

Are you ready to meet dye sublimation printers in Vietnam?

When the paper exits the print heads and you see a glossy wet finish on the surface then there is too much ink. Also, after the transfer phase if you still see a clear picture of the print on the "already transferred" paper then the printer is putting down too much ink. The ink is left over in the paper and being thrown away.

Many printers argue that they need to put down excessive amounts of ink for solid dark colors or else the fabric will not have meet the color requirements. While this could be true, it could also be the case that their technicians just are not skilled enough to set up and operate the machines efficiently.

How can I help you work with dye sublimation printers in Vietnam?

More common questions about Sublimation

Why can't I sublimate onto a dark material?
This is not ink. This is a dye. Adding a little color to something that is dark doesn't do much of anything. If you have a bucket of black paint and add a cup of green, what do you get? It doesn't make the paint green. It may add a hint of green to the black, but you might not be able to notice. Dye sublimation printers in Vietnam can sublimate on dark material.

Why can't I reclaim shirts like in screen-printing?
This is not ink that sits on top of the fabric. It is a dye that penetrates the fiber of the fabric.

There were some spots on my transfer I didn't see before pressing. How do I remove them?
If the shirt is 50 to 100% polyester, the chances are 99.9% that you cannot remove the spots. If you can, you are probably not transferring your images correctly, or there is something else seriously wrong. You can try bleach, but it shouldn't work. If dye sublimation printers in Vietnam do their printing well on polyester, the dyes are permanent, as they have become part of the fabric.

Can I sublimate plastics?
You cannot sublimate onto just any piece of plastic. Many polymers cannot withstand the amount of heat needed to achieve sublimation. Even if they could stand the heat, the added pressure and press time will deform them. Many of them melt and shrink. (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) is the plastic of choice.

Do fabrics have to be 100% polyester?
You can’t sublimate onto cotton because the dye particles are designed to bond with polyester and ignore everything else. Fabric enhancers, preparation sheets and sprays are used to add a layer of polyester to non-polyester fabrics so you can sublimate onto these fabrics. This technique works better on 50/50 shirts, since the added polyester can bond better with the polyester that is already part of the shirt, and then the dye also will have more polyester with which to bond. However, if you wish the image to be as bright and vibrant as possible, you must use 100% polyester. Dye sublimation printers in Vietnam can print on cotton but they must first print a layer of plastic on top of the cotton.

What images do I use?
You can use any image that you can import to or create on your computer with such popular programs as CorelDraw and Adobe Photoshop.