SubliJet, EasySubli, and ChromaBlast: Sawgrass Sublimation Inks Explained
If you’re here, you may have been browsing the Sawgrass SG500 and SG1000 sublimation printers and wondering, “What’s the difference between the SubliJet, EasySubli, and ChromaBlast packages?” And that’s a great question! SubliJet, EasySubli, and ChromaBlast are three different inks that your Sawgrass printer can use, and every printer package will come with one of those three inks. But which one you choose is very important and depends on what you plan on using your printer for, so let’s waste no time and dive in!
SubliJet
SubliJet is the standard sublimation ink for the Sawgrass SG500 and SG1000 sublimation printers, and it is what most Sawgrass users and sublimators will need. SubliJet allows you to print vibrant transfers on a wide array of hard and soft-surface substrates such as mugs, mouse pads, photo panels, socks and T-shirts. If you are wanting to get into sublimation, this is most likely the ink you will want as it is the most versatile.
HD vs. UHD
You will also notice that there are both SubliJet HD and SubliJet UHD inks. SubliJet HD is designed to work with the last generation of Sawgrass printers, the SG400 and SG800, while the new-and-improved SubliJet UHD is made for the new Sawgrass SG500 and SG1000 printers.
EasySubli
EasySubli is a relatively new ink that entered the market through a collaboration between Sawgrass and Siser, a manufacturer of heat transfer vinyl. Sawgrass EasySubli ink is designed to work specifically with Siser’s EasySubli sublimatable heat transfer vinyl. This ink and vinyl combination allows you to use your Sawgrass sublimation printer to customize garments that you previously could not with sublimation including cotton fabrics and dark-colored garments. Because sublimation by itself only works on light-colored polyester fabrics and poly-coated substrates, printing onto the EasySubli heat transfer vinyl allows you to get around this.
ChromaBlast
All right, and finally, let’s discuss the third and perhaps most misunderstood of the three inks: ChromaBlast. The first thing you should know about ChromaBlast is that it’s not actually a sublimation ink. And right now, you might be saying, “Wait a second, I thought these inks were for sublimation printers?” That’s true – the Sawgrass systems are primarily sublimation printers, but they can also use ChromaBlast ink, which is a patented ink similar to inkjet that’s made exclusively for cotton apparel.
The way ChromaBlast ink works is when pressed onto a garment using ChromaBlast transfer paper, it forms a chemical bond with 100% cotton, achieving a similar – but not identical – result as sublimation would on 100% polyester. The main difference between ChromaBlast and sublimation ink is that ChromaBlast does have a feel on a garment (you cannot feel sublimation transfers). Additionally, ChromaBlast transfers will begin to fade after 30 or so washes whereas sublimation ink is permanent and does not wash out of 100% polyester.
As with SubliJet ink, ChromaBlast will only work on light-colored garments, so if you need to print on black or dark-colored apparel, you will need to go with EasySubli or another decoration method (such as heat transfer paper or direct-to-garment).
Frequently Asked Questions
“Can EasySubli ink also work on other products?”
Yes – with a caveat. While EasySubli ink is designed to be used primarily with the Siser EasySubli heat transfer vinyl, it can also be used to print on other substrates like with the SubliJet ink. However, the colors produced on other products will not be quite as vibrant as with SubliJet. It’s really the difference between colors that are “good enough” and “excellent.”
“Can I use SubliJet ink on Siser EasySubli Heat Transfer Vinyl?”
On the other hand, while EasySubli ink is designed to be used with EasySubli HTV, you can in fact use SubliJet ink on EasySubli heat transfer vinyl. However, like EasySubli ink isn’t as good for other products, SubliJet ink is not as good for EasySubli heat transfer vinyl.
“Can I switch between inks?”
While it is possible to switch between inks, this is strongly not recommended. First, by switching between SubliJet, EasySubli, and ChromaBlast inks, you will void your Sawgrass printer’s warranty. Second, in order to switch between inks, you will need to perform a full flush of your ink, which can waste upwards of several hundred dollars of ink each time you switch. In most cases, you are better off purchasing a second printer and dedicating it to a different ink.
Bottom Line: Which Sawgrass Ink is Right for Me?
We hope our explanation of the three inks helps you on your path to deciding on a new Sawgrass printer! To make the decision even easier, please consider the following:
- If you primarily want to create a wide range of custom products like mouse pads, key chains, mugs, photos panels, and light-colored polyester apparel, choose SubliJet.
- If you primarily want to decorate cotton and dark-colored garments using Siser EasySubli heat transfer vinyl, choose EasySubli.
- If you want to decorate light-colored cotton T-shirts, choose ChromaBlast.
And that’s it! We know that this topic can be particularly confusing, and we hope that this clears up any questions you might have. However, if you have any lingering questions, do not hesitate to contact our Customer Success Team at by phone 800-562-7760 or by email at [email protected].
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