# White sublimination ink for text on black / darl shirts



## Tanyalou (May 7, 2012)

I really have tried to search the forums to get the answer to this.. but what I'm reading / researching isn't quite clear. I'm a newbie - this is only my second post, so be patient with me please...
I am printing mostly text onto shirts. I have already committed to buying the Ricoh 7000 for sublimination transfers for other subtrates. I talked to an equipment dealer and he said I need vinyl and a cutter to print white lettering onto black / dark shirts. This is an added expense I wasn't anticipating and although the vinyl looks good - it also looks back breaking and time consuming with all of the weeding. So, my question is, can I print white letter using sublimination ink onto opague transfer paper (with the Ricoh) and then heat press that to a shirt? Thank you in advance for your advice and support. 
All the best, from the Little newbie


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## wormil (Jan 7, 2008)

You may want to try posting this in the dye sub forum:
Dye Sublimation - T-Shirt Forums


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## EnMartian (Feb 14, 2008)

The short answer is no. There is no white sublimation ink and no sublimation solution for dark shirts. If you want to print on darks, you're either going to need to use vinyl, screenprint or direct to garment printing. Sublimation won't do it.


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## uncletee (Feb 25, 2007)

we do lots of sublimation on colored/dark shirts. we use sublaflock and sublacloth. you can get them at conde or johnson plastics. great for smaller designs but works great. good luck uncletee.


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

Tom...aren't you sublimating a patch which is then pressed on a dark garment? so it would not be true sublimation...as you cannot dye a dark shirt pink...or light blue


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

So you could use a regular Transfer for Dark Garments.


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## SweetExpression (Apr 22, 2009)

You could use opaque transfer paper to create white text on a black/dark shirt, but you would still have to weed or cut out the background. Otherwise, you will have a big white square around your lettering. Vinyl or plastisol transfers would probably be your least expensive option for white lettering for black or dark shirts. F&M has a special for one-color transfers that may work for you:

15 cent One Color Heat Transfers

Hope this helps.


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## headfirst (Jun 29, 2011)

It's a misnomer to say sublimation ink. It's not ink, it's dye. Have you ever dyed an Easter egg? You start with a light egg and add color to the egg. Dye sub works the same way. You can only add color, you cannot remove color with it. Whatever color your substrate is will still be there when you are done.


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## mcreynolds41 (Jan 23, 2013)

EnMartian said:


> The short answer is no. There is no white sublimation ink and no sublimation solution for dark shirts. If you want to print on darks, you're either going to need to use vinyl, screenprint or direct to garment printing. Sublimation won't do it.


Thank you you so much I just received the graphic cutter yesterday. The customer wants 31 shirts for 4th of July party, so that means I have to learn the new machine and have the shirts ready on the 2nd and that even worries me. Looks like I'm studying even more tonight. Busy, Busy Busy.....but a good thing right.

Thanks again,
Coastal Creations


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

mcreynolds....remember to cut vinyl, if you are using images....they must be vectored...and if you are using text, the image and text must be mirrored before cutting..If you have any questions, if you pm me your phone number, I will gladly see what I can do to help out...for others to help, we need to know the software you are using and the make model of your vinyl cutter..


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