Sublimation Printing – Ink & Transfer Paper Ratio Guide
Q: When Will I Need More Sublimation Transfer Paper or ink?
A: Hopefully the following comments notes will help to work that out.
Sublimation Printer Bundle, Consumables Contents
When purchasing a sublimation printer bundle, it is important to check both the amount of sublimation ink and the quantity of transfer paper included.
The ideal bundle would balance the amount of ink supplied to the number of sheets of transfer paper supplied. This is not always the best approach if ink volumes supplied are high as it would require more spend for a matching quantity of transfer paper.
This in part is why HobbyPrint® introduced the 30ml and 50ml bottles of inks. It allows startup or medium volume users to balance the consumables in the package and to keep the start up costs lower. Why buy something that you will not need to use for a couple of years. Buy as you need.
Ink and transfer paper are both consumables. A bundle may look generous because it includes a large amount of ink, but if it only includes a small quantity of transfer paper. That would also apply if the bundle had a small amount of ink and an excessively high quantity of transfer paper. you may need to buy more ink or paper almost immediately in order to make proper use of the consumables supplied.
A Well Balanced Bundle Is The Ideal Bundle
HobbyPrints® approach is to offer considered sublimation bundles in terms of including a sensible and balanced quantities of transfer paper to match the ink supplied. Alternatively, to clearly advise customers of the ink-to-paper ratio and offer the option to add extra paper or ink at the time of purchase.
At HobbyPrint®, our sublimation printer bundles are supplied with sublimation ink and transfer paper to help you get started at a sensible level. We also offer additional consumables at lower bundle add-on prices so customers can build a more balanced bundle to suit their needs, before checkout.
Always check your bundle contents before you buy. Paper and ink quantities vary between suppliers, and the balance between the two can make a big difference to how useful the bundle is when it arrives.
We have had this argument in the supply of edible printer bundles, where consumable supplies are critical in terms of food sell & use by dates. The consumable supplied in bundles will most often be out of date before most customers get to use them. In our opinion, that is not a value for money edible printer bundle. it is in fact a waste of money re the binned consumables.
Why Ink and Paper Balance Matters
The amount of transfer paper you need will depend on how much ink is used for each design. Before reading the ratio chart, we ask that you bear in mind a couple of points noted below.
- As a general guide, one full cartridge set or ink fill can produce approximately 25–40 A4 images, depending on image coverage, print quality, printer settings and maintenance cycles.
- A full-page photograph will use more ink than a small logo or simple design. Colour usage also varies. For example, an image with a lot of blue sea or sky will use more cyan ink than other colours.
- We have expressed the ratio in terms of full A4 sheets of transfer paper. Remember, 3 mugs can be produced from a single A4 sheet of sublimation transfer paper.
- Using ARC chips and transparent cartridges causes confusion. The cartridges are deemed empty when the ink droplet countdown has been recorded to the chip. At this time it needs resetting, even though the cartridge may be half full of ink.
For these reasons, the figures below should be treated as a guide rather than an exact print yield.
Ink & Transfer Paper Guide
| Ink Supplied | Approx. Cartridge Set Fills | Approx. A4 Prints | Transfer Paper Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30ml of each colour | 3–4 | 75–160 | 75–160 sheets |
| 50ml of each colour | 6–7 | 160–280 | 160–280 sheets |
| 100ml of each colour | 13–14 | 325–560 | 325–560 sheets |
| 250ml of each colour | 32–35 | 800–1,400 | 800–1,400 sheets |
| 500ml of each colour | 64-70 | 1,600-2800 | 1,600–1,400 sheets |
What Does This Mean for Your Supplies?
A 30ml bottle of each colour should provide enough ink for approximately 75–160 A4 prints, meaning you may use around the same number of sheets of A4 transfer paper.
A 50ml bottle of each colour should provide enough ink for approximately 160–280 A4 prints, so a very small pack of paper may not last long.
A 100ml bottle of each colour could provide approximately 325–560 A4 prints, requiring around 325–560 sheets of transfer paper. This is equivalent to approximately 4–6 packs of 100 sheets.
A 250ml bottle of each colour could provide approximately 800–1,400 A4 prints, depending on coverage and settings. If a bundle includes this amount of ink but only a small quantity of paper, the paper will only cover a small fraction of the potential print output.
800–1,400 A4 prints will require around 800–1,400 sheets of transfer paper. This is equivalent to approximately 8-14 packs of 100 sheets.
A 500ml bottle of each colour could provide approximately 1,600–2,800 A4 prints, depending on coverage and settings. If a bundle includes this amount of ink but only a small quantity of paper, the paper will only cover a small fraction of the potential print output.
1,600–2,800 A4 prints will require around 1,600–2,800 sheets of transfer paper. This is equivalent to approximately 16-28 packs of 100 sheets.
Check the Bundle Before You Buy
Before buying a sublimation printer bundle, check:
- How much sublimation ink is included.
- How many sheets of transfer paper are included.
- Whether the paper quantity is realistic for the ink supplied.
- Whether additional paper or ink can be added at the time of purchase.
- Whether the supplier clearly explains the balance between the consumables.
A low paper quantity may be fine if the bundle is clearly described and additional paper is easy to add. The important point is that customers should know what they are buying and what they are likely to need next.
Quick Reference
30ml ink supply: 75–160 A4 prints → approximately 75–160 sheets
50ml ink supply: 160–280 A4 prints → approximately 160–280 sheets
100ml ink supply: 325–560 A4 prints → approximately 325–560 sheets
250ml ink supply: 800–1,400 A4 prints → approximately 800–1,400 sheets
500ml ink supply: 1,600–2,800 A4 prints → approximately 1,600–2,800 sheets
Top Tip: Do not wait until your transfer paper runs out. If you still have plenty of sublimation ink remaining, make sure you have enough paper available to use it.
Always check your individual HobbyPrint® bundle for the quantity of ink and transfer paper supplied.
HobbyPrint® – We will not be beaten on customer support.
Note
HobbyPrint® is not stating that supplying bundles with unbalanced amounts of inks and papers is wrong, or bad practice. We are suggesting that customers need to be aware or the ratio, especially as many of the customers will be new to sublimation printing and could do with the heads up.
