# Letting prints dry??



## racewayphoto (Feb 7, 2010)

This is out to all sublimation printers. Do you gernerally allow your print to dry for a bit before you transfer it or can you print /trim/and transfer right away?


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## D.Evo. (Mar 31, 2006)

Definitely let them dry before pressing, storing or handling in any other way. Otherwise you'll be risking it. 
Even when the transfer is dry avoid touching printed area or you might find your permanent fingerprints on a finished product.


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

Yes, allow them to dry, you shouldn't have to wait too long, if you do them I'd say you were putting too much ink down.


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

Your are throwing big money down the drain in ink cost if your paper is coming off that wet. I would guess the vast majority of standard profiles are created by ink manufacturers or their vendors. They are going to error on the side of too much ink to insure great colors. Using a bit more ink then you have to doesn't hurt them either. One of the major advantages of a RIP is they allow you to dial back the ink useage of a profile. This allows you the ability to control the balance between ink and colors. I was very surprised how much ink we were able to dail back before colors were effected. RIPS are not cheap but neither is the cost of ink.


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## racewayphoto (Feb 7, 2010)

I wasn't asking this because my prints were coming off wet. Just wondering if you tend to let the print cure a bit or if you can go direct to pressing. I had someone I was talking to about doing ICC profiles and he said when doing prints and doing color corrections accurately to let the print dry for 24hrs to be accurate. Just wondering if I need to let the dye sub dry for 10min or a hour or so before I use it.


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## Riderz Ready (Sep 18, 2008)

racewayphoto said:


> I wasn't asking this because my prints were coming off wet. Just wondering if you tend to let the print cure a bit or if you can go direct to pressing. I had someone I was talking to about doing ICC profiles and he said when doing prints and doing color corrections accurately to let the print dry for 24hrs to be accurate. Just wondering if I need to let the dye sub dry for 10min or a hour or so before I use it.


Never heard of this before - we range from walking a print directly from the printer to the press or at the most taking prints to press that printed overnight. I have never seen a difference.


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## racewayphoto (Feb 7, 2010)

The 24hr wait was for standard lage format inkjet prints


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## D.Evo. (Mar 31, 2006)

I generally avoid pressing transfers straight off the printer (although they do come off almost dry) - but within 5-10 minutes I'm not affraid to handle them, even stack them up. I belive, there are different types of paper, however, and some types are more quick drying then others - but it shouldn't take an hour to dry. 
Mark is right about RIP.


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## uncletee (Feb 25, 2007)

10 15 minutes we never have a problem. good luck uncletee


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## RavensFan (Mar 4, 2008)

You don't have to be too careful UNLESS you are seeing smudges on your transferred products. 90% of the time - you are fine with the prints right away. Typically profiles (even in a RIP) will lay more ink down when printing solid black, navy and other darker colors.

Remember that the humidity in your room will have more effect on this than anything else. Anyone running dye sub should have a temp/humidity gauge in your shop.


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

If I'm colour profiling a dye sub system I allow the prints to stand for a defined time. The colour does shift slightly. You can also get 'gassing' if the prints aren't totally dry, the solvent boils and distorts the print.


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## mn shutterbug (Mar 19, 2009)

I sometimes go right from the printer to the press, and have never had an issue.


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## Jason's_Place (Nov 1, 2009)

How would you store printed transfers? and how long are the prints good?


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## Reinbow (May 21, 2007)

I was told to lay them on the press for a few minutes, while it's heating up. Especially if printing for fabrics.


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