Sublimation printing is a method of printing that is now very popularly used for transferring any pattern or image to cloth or other complex objects. This method makes use of heat and pressure to cleanly transfer the pattern onto the fabric. There are special sublimation printers that you can buy for this specific purpose but it is also possible to do it using some of the more common types of printers. If you have an HP printer and want to do some sublimation printing, this article will teach you just how to convert an HP printer to a sublimation printer.
Can I Use My HP Printer for Sublimation?
If you have just purchased your printer from the store, or even if you have already been using it for some time, you cannot immediately use it for sublimation just like that. You can convert it into a sublimation printer but there are some very important and very specific steps that you need to follow to make sure that everything turns out alright.
Convert a Brand New Inkjet Printer to Sublimation Printer
If you haven’t bought a printer yet and your intention is to get one for sublimation, then we suggest that you choose a CISS or continuous ink supply system printer instead of one that makes use of ink cartridges. Sublimation printing requires a considerable amount of ink and it would be a hassle to constantly stop to refill or replace a cartridge. With CISS printers, on the other hand, there will be no such interruptions since the cartridges are continuously fed by an external ink supply.
What You Need
With that said, what you need is the brand new HP inkjet printer to convert, a refillable cartridge, sublimation ink, an injection syringe and needle, and a pair of plastic gloves.
What to Do
The first thing to do is to confirm that the printer works properly. Set it up and put in the cartridges that come with the printer. Check the performance of the nozzle by doing a test print on a blank sheet of paper. Verify that the printed images are vivid and clear.
Put on gloves for protection and using the syringe and needle, transfer the sublimation ink into the refillable cartridges, taking care to follow the cartridge manufacturer’s refilling instructions. Take out the cartridges that are in the printer and replace them with the cartridges that have the sublimation ink. Put the original cartridges in a safe place as you might still need them later.
Remove the previous ink from the print head by following the print head cleaning instructions in your printer’s manual. Five cleanings should be enough to completely remove the old ink and be ready to print with the sublimation ink. Finally, check the nozzle again and see if the lines are straight.
Convert a Used Inkjet Printer to Sublimation Printer
Now, if you already have an old printer that you want to use for sublimation, you can still convert it just like a new printer but you will have to take some extra steps in cleaning out the print head. If you can get a cleaning cartridge, it is recommended that you use one to get rid of all the old ink. Alternatively, you can also use a refillable cartridge with purge fluid.
Things You Need
You will need pretty much the same things as before — a refillable cartridge, sublimation ink, an injection syringe and needle, a pair of plastic gloves, and of course, the old HP inkjet printer that you want to convert into a sublimation printer.
Steps to Follow
You already know that the printer is working properly but if you are not sure, you can do a nozzle check first. Then put your gloves on, take out the cartridges, and install your cleaning cartridges or the refillable cartridges that you have filled with purge fluid. Make sure you have installed these cleaning cartridges properly then repeatedly use them to do power cleanings in order to eliminate all the old ink from the print head. Once you are sure that all the ink has been removed, you must leave the printer for an hour at the very least.
In the meantime, fill up the refillable cartridges with sublimation ink using the syringe and needle. If you have found cartridges that already have sublimation ink, then no refilling needs to be done at this point. Install the cartridges into your printer and make at least 5 rounds of print head cleaning to make sure that all the old ink has been removed entirely.
What to Do After Converting the Printer
Once you are done converting your HP printer, there are still some things that you have to do before you can actually use it for sublimation printing.
Run Print Head Cleanings and a Nozzle Check
If you have already done the 5 print head cleanings, you can proceed to do several nozzle checks until the printed lines are straight and unbroken. If you have already done several passes without getting good results, you should let the printer rest for several hours in order to prevent damaging the print head.
Acknowledge Prompts
After completing the conversion, a screen will pop up notifying you that you have installed 3rd party ink cartridges and another screen will tell you that your warranty is now void. Click OK on both prompts.
Troubleshooting and Test Printing
Not all printer conversions will be seamless. Sometimes the printer will not be able to recognize the new cartridges with sublimation ink. In this case, you need to take them out, wait 10 minutes and start the process all over again. When everything is properly set up, you can finally do a test print onto a piece of sublimation paper and then check the quality of the print.
As you can see, the process of how to convert an HP printer to a sublimation printer is not that hard. You might need some patience because it won’t always go perfectly the first time. Before you start the process, it is also crucial to check that the printer is compatible with sublimation printing.