The Value of Sublimation

Sublimation ink consists of a solid, heat-sensitive dye, which provides the color, dissolved in liquid. Under heat and pressure, the solid dye particles change into a gas and bond with any polymers on the substrate and then solidify again. The high temperature used in sublimation opens the pores of the polymer and allows the gas to enter. When the substrate is removed from the heat source and immediately begins to cool, the pores close and the gas reverts to a solid and becomes a part of the polymer.