# 3D sublimation film with Coastal's press



## KristineH (Jan 23, 2013)

I'm looking into getting a 3D sublimation machine and like the price of Coastal's much better than a few others I've seen. The only issue is that in the videos you have to use so much tape on iPhone cases to get a good print on the sides. I've seen other videos with more expensive machines where the image is printed on a film that then "molds" around the phone case during the vacuum and pressing process. 

Anyone have any ideas/thoughts on if a film instead of paper would work in that press?


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

KristineH said:


> I'm looking into getting a 3D sublimation machine and like the price of Coastal's much better than a few others I've seen. The only issue is that in the videos you have to use so much tape on iPhone cases to get a good print on the sides. I've seen other videos with more expensive machines where the image is printed on a film that then "molds" around the phone case during the vacuum and pressing process.
> 
> Anyone have any ideas/thoughts on if a film instead of paper would work in that press?


Your observations are the same as mine. In the videos I see very little vacuum and a lot of molds. Maybe that is why there is such a price difference.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

First it is not film, it is paper. You cut the paper to get around the edges. I make a thin paper that is very easy to use with 3d heaters. You can PM me for more info.


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## KristineH (Jan 23, 2013)

Dave, I know it's paper, it just seems a lot more time consuming to cut and tape the paper the entire way around. The presses that use film seem much more production friendly since you don't spend the time taping. 

Do you have one of these presses or another 3D press?


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

KristineH said:


> Dave, I know it's paper, it just seems a lot more time consuming to cut and tape the paper the entire way around. The presses that use film seem much more production friendly since you don't spend the time taping.
> 
> Do you have one of these presses or another 3D press?


When cell phone cases first started to come out Oct-Tech released one very similar albeit not 3D where you had a mold that needed to be used and then you had to again use a mold to cool it off. Incredibly time consuming and would cost a fortune to buy enough molds to use in a real production environment. We did maybe five cases realized that it was a total bust and have them collecting dust to this day.


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## mel58 (Sep 30, 2011)

same here though I did hundreds before giving up on them (the octi-tech). incredibly time consuming to tape on a 3d object compared to a flat piece of metal. I bought I think it was 8 jigs and cooling jigs about 10k of product. still have about 1k of blank cases. they were so time consuming and they almost always came out curved no matter how long or short a time you left them in the cooling jig. and they were very brittle, broke easily in shipping.

watching the videos, the with paper looks like it would have some of the same problems. I would want to know this time if the cases are curved or distorted or not etc. they were very expensive cases. even buying 1000 at a time they were still 4.75 each.


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

mel58 said:


> same here though I did hundreds before giving up on them (the octi-tech). incredibly time consuming to tape on a 3d object compared to a flat piece of metal. I bought I think it was 8 jigs and cooling jigs about 10k of product. still have about 1k of blank cases. they were so time consuming and they almost always came out curved no matter how long or short a time you left them in the cooling jig. and they were very brittle, broke easily in shipping.
> 
> watching the videos, the with paper looks like it would have some of the same problems. I would want to know this time if the cases are curved or distorted or not etc. they were very expensive cases. even buying 1000 at a time they were still 4.75 each.


 
I feel your pain - just not as much of it. From the looks of the video it looks like the same concept as the Octi Tech mess. If it was a true vacuum press there would not be the need to go through what they are going through to print a simple phone case. The price of the so-called 3D press should have given us a clue. I am starting to think the markets are really different overseas. We thought the leather wallets may be really cool and got some samples only to find out they have a snap on them like a ladies wallet. Makes no sense. Don't even want to talk about the poor quality flip flops.


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## mattball (Apr 20, 2014)

I can tell you from experience that the Film solution is far better than paper. We switched recently because the tremendous amount of time we were spending on the taping. With the film you are getting more quality print and doing half the work as it eliminates the need for cutting and taping. Today I am using the Sun-Fly machine that does 6 at a time. That is paired up with the Epson 7890 for printing the film.


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## caseimpress (Jan 8, 2015)

I use a normal 3D sublimation machine for phone cases and a 2D heat press. I know that using sublimation paper is a bit tricky at first, but once you have a system and technique to follow every time its super easy. I use film for online purchases but when I am at the flea markets I use normal A4 sublimation paper for instant ink drying and making about 80 cases a day. Here is a video that we made just to show you that A4 sublimation paper works just as great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyiYIP4GBqE


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## coastalbusiness (May 9, 2006)

We actually do carry a film for the 3D press that will work much more easily than the paper.


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## Hebiki (Apr 4, 2013)

mattball said:


> I can tell you from experience that the Film solution is far better than paper. We switched recently because the tremendous amount of time we were spending on the taping. With the film you are getting more quality print and doing half the work as it eliminates the need for cutting and taping. Today I am using the Sun-Fly machine that does 6 at a time. That is paired up with the Epson 7890 for printing the film.


do you mind sharing what model (or a link) to the Sun-fly machine you are using? thank you.


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## SubliTEK (May 5, 2015)

3d film is much better than paper.


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## Meiram (Jul 12, 2015)

Hi Everyone,

could you help me with one question? 
Is it possible to use film with ordinary 3d sublimation machine and ordinary sublimation ink (which are used with paper)? If yes, what temperature/time regime is used?

Thank you!


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## headfirst (Jun 29, 2011)

Meiram said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> could you help me with one question?
> Is it possible to use film with ordinary 3d sublimation machine and ordinary sublimation ink (which are used with paper)? If yes, what temperature/time regime is used?
> ...


Why?

A standard 3D heat press is meant to work with paper. A film press is made to work with film. What are you trying to accomplish? You can get great output either way if the machine is any good. What machine do you use?


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## Meiram (Jul 12, 2015)

headfirst said:


> Why?
> 
> A standard 3D heat press is meant to work with paper. A film press is made to work with film. What are you trying to accomplish? You can get great output either way if the machine is any good. What machine do you use?


Thanks for quick response on both threads. I have a 3d sublimation machine from Sun-Fly (China), which works with paper quite well. I do not have edges problem. The point I am interested in using film is that I would like to offer to my clients flexible cases, which can be done by using film. However, I do not have enough resources to invest into specially designed 3d film machine. That is why I am wondering if it is possible to use film with ordinary 3d machine in order to make flexible and transparent cases.


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## lost15 (Nov 20, 2014)

I saw some posts of people doing this... using film in the membrane machine for paper... did you tested it? it is working ok? thanks!



Meiram said:


> Thanks for quick response on both threads. I have a 3d sublimation machine from Sun-Fly (China), which works with paper quite well. I do not have edges problem. The point I am interested in using film is that I would like to offer to my clients flexible cases, which can be done by using film. However, I do not have enough resources to invest into specially designed 3d film machine. That is why I am wondering if it is possible to use film with ordinary 3d machine in order to make flexible and transparent cases.


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## Meiram (Jul 12, 2015)

lost15 said:


> I saw some posts of people doing this... using film in the membrane machine for paper... did you tested it? it is working ok? thanks!


It works well. But the TPU flexible sublimation cases which I purchased from China had a problem: the inks after sublimation with time started to fade.


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