Ski Builders Forum

We have overcame the problem with edge. The problem was in the UV inks and temperature regime as Chris said before. Combination of pressure and temperature destroys bonding effect in the places of protrusions like edges, inserts of some other bulges. Despite this we have reached desired result using right backflooding inks. Still those UV inks are nonstable as black color is more prone dissolving while other colors are more stable. This method might be suitable for non temperature press regime.




In this case silkscreening or sublimation is much better and important cheaper. So we will get beck to that technologies.

Thank you all guys for good advises. You have helped us for real.
If somebody will be in Poland or in Ukraine, write me, and we will drink a couple of glasses of beer))

Glad you could sort it out...still, there must be UV inks that work with heat as J-Skis are successfully using them. Quite hard to tell though which ones could work. All I know is that they're using a Fuji Acuity printer and apply a white backscreen after printing which is a non-uv cure. Don't know if they run it with stock inks though.

Definitely there are inks that might work good. But this way is too energy and time consuming, that is why now we work hard on our sublimation press. Guess, soon I will show some pictures of it, and the result of printing as well.

Just so you know before investing in anything bigger: sublimation works well for many types of topsheets and delivers sharp and vivid results. Not so much for base graphics though. Those will always look washed out through a transparent base and you won't be able to get sharp graphics with small details on bases. Plus, bases can warp badly under the high heat of sublimation presses.

Apart of UV inks, we have also experimented with sublimation. Yes, running base is hard to sublimate (too high temp - melting, too low - picture won't be bright or inks won't even move to the base) , but it is possible, just right temperature regime, pressure and cooling. Now we are working on press that will be suitable for base material.
Base with graphics looks so cool that it is worthwhile!!))