Many ask, "What's a sublimation printer vs a regular printer?" Sublimation printing works with a ribbon cartridge that contains solid inks as opposed to liquid ink cartridges that most regular printers have. A regular printer, on the other hand, sprays minuscule droplets of ink very accurately onto paper to transcribe the text or an image onto it. 

What Is the Difference in Process?

 Though they are both printers there is a surprising difference in how they function. Read on to discover how.

Regular Printers

A regular printer sprays minuscule droplets of ink very accurately onto paper to transcribe the text or an image onto it. The printer can generate a wide range of colors to produce reasonably accurate images by controlling where the tiny drops of 4 primary ink colors land on the paper. Generally, the four primary colors of ink are black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. Inkjet printers or, as referred to in this article, regular printers are limited to printing on standard paper mediums like copy paper. 

Printing photos or other graphics are possible with special inks and papers. Sometimes, you can even adjust the finishes to be matte or glossy. Like a computer or TV screen, if you zoom in very closely on the paper, you would be able to see the individual dots of color that make up the image. 

Sublimation Printers

Sublimation printing works with a ribbon cartridge that contains solid inks as opposed to liquid ink cartridges that most regular printers have. The ribbons are heated, and without ever becoming a liquid, the solid ink becomes a vapor that transfuses onto the surface. The gas quickly becomes solidified again, resulting in a sharp image. Three primary colors laid down in various amounts, followed by a clear protective coat, are what produce full-color graphics. 

With sublimation printing, the colors blend, leading to a sharper image with better shades and transitions of color. Sublimation printers can print on a variety of materials. It is best for plastic substrates like rubber, shower curtains, t-shirts, athletic gear, mouse pads, coffee mugs, and other wearable materials. They can also produce some of the best paper prints but often require a specific type of paper with the proper coating. 

Quality? Does One Print Better Than the Other?

Depending on your project, you may need a different kind of printer. Check out what each printer prints best.

Benefits of Using a Regular Printer

A regular inkjet printer may be the better option for you if you are printing correspondence or other typical text documents. If your focus is printing graphics or printing onto a specific material, then sublimation printing will be better. Typically, the image quality that a sublimation printer can generate will be a better image than what a regular printer can produce. 

Benefits of Using a Sublimation Printer

Sublimation printers specialize in printing graphics. Although a top-tier inkjet can print visuals that rival some sublimation printers, standard printers are not explicitly for that and cannot support the assortment of mediums. 

Sublimation printing is usually preferred to printing graphics onto fabrics, plastics, and other materials. It's the favored printing choice for many reasons. 

Some benefits of sublimation printing include fade-proof and water-resistant properties, and the crisp graphics that result." Printers work by converting digital images and text into physical copies. They do this using a driver or specialized software designed to convert the file into a language the printer can understand. The image or text then gets recreated onto the page using a series of minuscule dots." Inkjet printers drop microscopic ink droplets onto paper in precise spots to form an image or text, making it the best for documents. 

Sublimation printing is more suited for textiles like mugs and shirts because the ink vapors can infuse into the inside of the material. Although both can produce a near-perfect image, both sublimation and regular printers have their places.

 Try sublimating your own image or logo today!