Most printers are designed for a specific type of dye sublimation ink and cannot easily be switched to different inks. However, inks from third-party suppliers that are the same type can often be used as they offer cheaper bulk prices. Printer manufacturers make most of their profits from ongoing ink sales so they may discourage using third-party inks. In rare cases, a printer can be converted to use a different but closely related type of ink, such as changing from light solvent to solvent-UV hybrid inks. Older printers can sometimes be retrofitted on-site to use a different ink type by flushing out the lines and adding new components like a UV curing lamp.

2. Note that most printers
are built for a particular
type of dye sublimation
ink and you can’t
easily swap them
around. You can
however, often use the
same type of ink from
a different after market
supplier, usually
because they offer
cheaper bulk prices.

3. Dye sublimation printer manufacturers normally make most of their profits
from ongoing ink sales, so they may try to discourage this by offering
long-term lease contracts that include consumables, or by saying the
warranty is void if you don’t use their inks. Some of the aftermarket ink
suppliers get around this by offering insurance deals that cover some
maintenance and repair claims.

4. In rare cases, a third party conversion between types will be
offered, but only between closely related inks such as strong
solvent to light solvent, or light solvent to solvent-UV hybrid.

5. In most cases these will be
conversions of new
machines before delivery,
but retrofits are sometimes
possible. An example is the
Colorific Lightbar
conversion of light solvent
Mimaki, Mutoh and Roland
UV inkjets from light solvent
to solvent-UV. In this case,
older machines can be
retrofitted on-site by
flushing out, changing the
feed lines and adding a new
UV curing lamp system.

6. Thank you
Company: Nanjing Fei Yue Paper
Industrial Co.,Limited
Add: Li Ao Building,No.323 Central
Road,Nanjing,Jiangsu,China
Tel: 86-25-85288894
Fax: 86-25-85288894
Website: www.feiyuepaper.com