If I find a bargain dye sub kit I'll try it out. I believe it would need a lot of practice to get nice results, but it could work.
Any luck on the project, Matt?
I am work on this, pls gief monies.
I am work on this, pls gief monies.
LOL, yeah right -- you can handle the molten ABS!
I did it.MoreShow Image(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_dwimcn1WWA/Ur1gC9pJ6CI/AAAAAAAAADc/tFOQoAG7Fb0/s1600/IMG_0143.JPG)
Please see my Website for detail.
Care to share the website?
Care to share the website?
he has a little website button below his name.
dye sublimation ink is solid. a piezo style inkjet printer will NOT print dye sublimation inks. you need a solid ink thermal transfer printer for this in addition to your sublimation press and other jigs.
also, while there may or may not exist reliable low temperature dyesub inks (the jury is still out on this one as far as i'm concerned), high temperature dyesub inks will definitely remelt ABS caps.
yah, i've talked to sawgrass. they do have some liquids, but the sublimation process is still very high temp and i think the liquids require you to use their transfer substrate, no?.dye sublimation ink is solid. a piezo style inkjet printer will NOT print dye sublimation inks. you need a solid ink thermal transfer printer for this in addition to your sublimation press and other jigs.
I hate to differ (ok, that's a lie) but yes, there are liquid dye sublimation inks. I print to paper with dye sublimation inks all day -- and I do it with piezoelectric inkjet printers. Try a company named Sawgrass to see the liquid inks. Now, as far as the temperature is concerned, yes -- these inks that I use do require a high temperature before they sublimate. I pass everything through either a fixation unit or a heat press. So those inks might not be ideal for what you're doing. Where are you getting your film from, and how are you printing it?Quote from: mkawaalso, while there may or may not exist reliable low temperature dyesub inks (the jury is still out on this one as far as i'm concerned), high temperature dyesub inks will definitely remelt ABS caps.
There probably are lower temp dyesub inks at this point, but there might be other ways to achieve a good result: maybe reduce the dwell time and put down more ink? I think a platen/press sort of setup might be easier, and make the process more consistent. There are secondhand heat presses that might work, with some fiddling.
EDIT: http://www.sawgrassink.com/v.php?pg=571
yah, i've talked to sawgrass. they do have some liquids, but the sublimation process is still very high temp and i think the liquids require you to use their transfer substrate, no?.
also, i think that the only "press" he is using is the vacuum pressure sucking down the film (nkzt, please correct me if i am wrong). heat is supplied by a standard hot air gun. i think that a rework station would work better (better nozzle selection and very fine control of air temperature and volume).
also, i think that the only "press" he is using is the vacuum pressure sucking down the film (nkzt, please correct me if i am wrong). heat is supplied by a standard hot air gun. i think that a rework station would work better (better nozzle selection and very fine control of air temperature and volume).
The vacuum used to hold the film in place is awesome -- but how consistent is the gun? A press like the one shown here would be a lot better.
http://img.diytrade.com/cdimg/2055130/32551641/0/1368586838/Highly_safety_T-shirt_heat_press_machine.jpg
The padding on the top half of the press is heat resistant and can mold down onto a slightly irregular surface. nkzt has made the surface a lot less irregular with his jig, enough so that it might work with this kind of press.
remember how well PBT takes iDye (and the old RIT dye). lots of sources will tell you that PBT starts breaking down in water/steam above 60 C. I read somewhere that this process starts with the plastic becoming "semipermeable" which might allow dye to penetrate. when the plastic cools, it would trap the dye just below the surface. might this explain nkzt's good results on PBT caps while his PVC caps failed?
interesting...yah, i've talked to sawgrass. they do have some liquids, but the sublimation process is still very high temp and i think the liquids require you to use their transfer substrate, no?.
No, you don't have to use their transfer paper. There are other vendors for the paper. Check out Beaver Paper for some transfer papers.
Suggestion: maybe use this film/dyesub to make more "artistic" keycaps to start, rather than just reproductions.
EDIT: What I mean is, let's take the film, brush on some ink in an artistic way, let it dry, and then layer multiple colors onto some PBT caps. Sure, it might look like every color was just painted on, but it would still technically be dyesubbed. Maybe a decoupage or watercolor effect could be achieved? And we wouldn't have to fuss over getting everything "perfect" with a printer or get a perfect alphanumeric imprint.
I've found an incredibly good paper for sublimation, it's not actually paper, but a series of films (PET thermo-forming+metal+coating for dye inks). It's called gold film and it basically wraps around objects and sticks on them. It's incredibly good for 3d sublimation.do you know the set of people who make this? it sounds like either a saint-gobain or dupont thing. not a lot of companies have the facilities to bond metal to PET without any adhesive
I've found an incredibly good paper for sublimation, it's not actually paper, but a series of films (PET thermo-forming+metal+coating for dye inks). It's called gold film and it basically wraps around objects and sticks on them. It's incredibly good for 3d sublimation.do you know the set of people who make this? it sounds like either a saint-gobain or dupont thing. not a lot of companies have the facilities to bond metal to PET without any adhesive
I've found an incredibly good paper for sublimation, it's not actually paper, but a series of films (PET thermo-forming+metal+coating for dye inks). It's called gold film and it basically wraps around objects and sticks on them. It's incredibly good for 3d sublimation.do you know the set of people who make this? it sounds like either a saint-gobain or dupont thing. not a lot of companies have the facilities to bond metal to PET without any adhesive
Suggestion: maybe use this film/dyesub to make more "artistic" keycaps to start, rather than just reproductions.
EDIT: What I mean is, let's take the film, brush on some ink in an artistic way, let it dry, and then layer multiple colors onto some PBT caps. Sure, it might look like every color was just painted on, but it would still technically be dyesubbed. Maybe a decoupage or watercolor effect could be achieved? And we wouldn't have to fuss over getting everything "perfect" with a printer or get a perfect alphanumeric imprint.
hmm, Jacquard's Dye-Na-Flow ink may be the answer. http://www.amazon.com/Jacquard-Products-Dye-Na-Flow-Exciter-9-Color/dp/B0006IKE70/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1389061384&sr=8-3&keywords=dye+paint (http://www.amazon.com/Jacquard-Products-Dye-Na-Flow-Exciter-9-Color/dp/B0006IKE70/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1389061384&sr=8-3&keywords=dye+paint)
Hand drawings for hand-touching plastic commodity seems cool. Handle of umbrella, iPhone case, wallet etc... And keycap, of course.
something like thisShow Image(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cXef1XdaOOo/TuJGJuQd2SI/AAAAAAAAAdU/euzMkaJCCtU/s400/11-28-c.gif)
something like thisShow Image(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cXef1XdaOOo/TuJGJuQd2SI/AAAAAAAAAdU/euzMkaJCCtU/s400/11-28-c.gif)
something like thisShow Image(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cXef1XdaOOo/TuJGJuQd2SI/AAAAAAAAAdU/euzMkaJCCtU/s400/11-28-c.gif)
Yeah, or even a solid color, or brushstroke of color, and then layer them. To do a single legend perfectly is probably going to be tough -- but an artistic design that could survive a minor inconsistency and still look good would make it easier to get some experience.
I think treated lower one appears sharper. Does this theory sound reasonable at all?
here you can see the gold film in action
Can ABS keycaps withstand that kind of temperature?
Naturally, no prices listed.
http://sublimet.com/sublimation-products/sublimation-film/
Regarding the video with Phone case and goldfilm:
Think of the positibility of this:
Instead of placing two pieces in The fixture, why not place 105 keycaps at a time and then cover with a goldfilm with the whole 105 keycap layout/design all perfectly aligned and then make a whole set in One go!
Mind = blown ;-)
Nkzt, where did you buy the film? Which company did you use, if you don't mind me asking?
Regarding the video with Phone case and goldfilm:
Think of the positibility of this:
Instead of placing two pieces in The fixture, why not place 105 keycaps at a time and then cover with a goldfilm with the whole 105 keycap layout/design all perfectly aligned and then make a whole set in One go!
Mind = blown ;-)
Regarding the video with Phone case and goldfilm:
Think of the positibility of this:
Instead of placing two pieces in The fixture, why not place 105 keycaps at a time and then cover with a goldfilm with the whole 105 keycap layout/design all perfectly aligned and then make a whole set in One go!
Mind = blown ;-)
What I picture is taking a long section of the film and painting it directly with dyesub inks (in an artful way), letting it dry, and then putting it either into a rigged up oven, or using the blowtorch method to get the film to then conform to the sides of an array of keycaps. All these companies are very tight-lipped about the specs on the devices. Not a single one I found would declare prices or the temperatures necessary: just buy our stuff! *grumble*grumble*
I put in a request for more information to one of the companies, so hopefully I can get some information.
Nkzt, where did you buy the film? Which company did you use, if you don't mind me asking?
Regarding the video with Phone case and goldfilm:
Think of the positibility of this:
Instead of placing two pieces in The fixture, why not place 105 keycaps at a time and then cover with a goldfilm with the whole 105 keycap layout/design all perfectly aligned and then make a whole set in One go!
Mind = blown ;-)
What I picture is taking a long section of the film and painting it directly with dyesub inks (in an artful way), letting it dry, and then putting it either into a rigged up oven, or using the blowtorch method to get the film to then conform to the sides of an array of keycaps. All these companies are very tight-lipped about the specs on the devices. Not a single one I found would declare prices or the temperatures necessary: just buy our stuff! *grumble*grumble*
I put in a request for more information to one of the companies, so hopefully I can get some information.
Nkzt, where did you buy the film? Which company did you use, if you don't mind me asking?
one of the "iphone case dye sub with gold film" videos on Youtube that i watched included preheat times (few minutes - don't remember) and temp (130 C). but i think the video was in Portuguese. it might have had info about printer and ink too, i just don't remember.
I've been contacted by one of the companies. The cost of the whole system is around €3000 for the oven and accessories and €1000 for the printer and dye sub film.
I've been contacted by one of the companies. The cost of the whole system is around €3000 for the oven and accessories and €1000 for the printer and dye sub film.
I see what you mean. There's little you can do about it I guess, apart from making dark graphics a pinch smaller I guess.
Even with the color bleed, how well does a single character reproduce onto the keycap? Is it of acceptable quality? Can you post a picture of a keycap that displays the dot gain or bleeding?