Killing time printing Colorlyte Dye Sub with converted Epson P8000

[dgberg]

Could not be more pleased with my conversion of  my Epson P8000 to dye sublimation ink.
The refillable carts were 700 ml and after two full years I still have around 40% of the first fill remaining.
No ink switching, only one black ink. The InkOwl Ultra ink has the best color and all for .10 per ml.
I do regular nozzle checks and maybe a pairs clean at most once a month.
If you are thinking of starting dye sublimation it is a great way to go. I remember all the naysayers telling me I could not convert that printer..
Struggling a little getting a good neutral B&W metal print but have a new grayscale profile. Getting closer.

I ordered 50-5"x7" Colorlyte dye sub glass panels to send out to clients. Printing some of the artists work for samples to display in their studios.
They don't quite have the punch of the gloss white metal but still pretty good.

[stockjock]

What is the advantage of the glass panels if they don't have the punch of metal?

[dgberg]

Cost has come down a little but are around the cost of metal prints.. Still have a good look just softer than metal.
Popular for wedding photography clients and artisan reprints where super high resolution is not really needed. Business awards plus a lot more.
You are looking through the glass at your image on the backside. Has a nice backlit effect.
I made several light boxed frames with 20x30 glass and they look really good. All kinds of things you can do with them.

[Alistair]

That looks great Dan. I have not tried that substrate - looks like it is worth me sourcing some and giving it a go.

Have you tried sublimation film? https://www.subli.biz/ or similar. Can be mounted on metallic or pearl white paper and face mounted to acrylic or museum glass. It is a nice  product if you have the facility to face mount.

[dgberg]

Thanks
I wonder if that is the same product that my supplier Conde System sells?
Always looking for new things to demonstrate at workshops. We are set up for face mounting

I believe I may have shown this picture several years ago.
For those that have not seen it here is a 20x30 ColorLyte panel in a lightbox frame I made for the studio.
I may have inadvertently said the glass is not as good as metal. In this case it is better.

[stockjock]

The print with the light box looks spectacular.  How much does the light box add to the cost of the 20x30" glass print?  It doesn't look like a standard product you offer on your website.

[dgberg]

I have that one in my studio for $795, the glass is $198 of the total. All but $600 to build. Approximately $100 for materials and $500 labor. Took me a little longer than a full day.
I still do not have the lights perfected. I should probably be getting closer to a thousand but for now that is where I have it priced.

[Alistair]

Thanks
I wonder if that is the same product that my supplier Conde System sells?
Always looking for new things to demonstrate at workshops. We are set up for face mounting

I believe I may have shown this picture several years ago.
For those that have not seen it here is a 20x30 ColorLyte panel in a lightbox frame I made for the studio.
I may have inadvertently said the glass is not as good as metal. In this case it is better.

I am not familiar with the Conde product but it looks a little different to what I had in mind. (Good, but different).

What I had in mind was something more akin to what these guys are calling Lumachrome Prints: http://www.nevadaartprinters.com

It is a thin optically clear printing film mounted on a white substrate and then face mounted to acrylic. The character of the white substrate (metallic, pearl etc.) lends its character to the print. These guys are probably not using sublimation for printing the film (but I do not know this for sure). For the right image (saturated and colourful) I feel a sublimated film would make a superior product.

It is a front lit product rather than a back-lit. We are not set up here for face mounting (we are textile printers but also print metal for my personal projects and for friends as we have a large format vacuum press) so have not tried it but may do so for my personal work. We have used the film I link to in architectural projects and it is very high quality. There are surely similar products available in the US. I am in New Zealand so am used to having to import pretty well everything that is not mainstream!

[dgberg]

Thanks for your input. I would love to find that product in the US. I am familiar with SubThat but I believe it is a different product than what you mention.