Compare inks
Three chemistries, side by side.
Which ink you run is decided by the fibre, the printhead and the finishing line you have. This table puts all three Bravo inks on one page so you can settle it in a minute.
| Property | Reactive | Sublimation | Pigment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Reactive dye. Forms a covalent bond with the fibre, so the colour becomes part of the cloth. | Sublimation dye. Printed to transfer paper, then turned to gas under heat and pressed into polyester. | Pigment held in a binder on the fibre surface. No chemical bond to the fibre. |
| Fabrics | Cotton, viscose, silk, wool, linen and other cellulosic and protein fibres. | Polyester, high polyester blends, and polyester coated hard surfaces. | Cotton, polyester, viscose, linen and blends. To be confirmed |
| Does not print | Polyester, nylon or synthetic blends. | Cotton, viscose, silk or wool. Pale on poly cotton blends. | To be confirmed |
| Fixation | Saturated steam. | Heat press. | Dry and cure with heat. |
| Washing needed | Yes. Wash off after steaming removes unfixed dye and thickener. | No. | No. |
| Pretreatment | Yes. Padded with alginate thickener, urea and alkali, then dried. | None. Prints to transfer paper. | To be confirmed |
| Process steps | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Colours available | 9: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Deep Black, Grey, Red, Orange, Blue. | 8: Yellow, Cyan, Magenta and Black, in HD and Super HD grades. | To be confirmed |
| Printheads | Kyocera, Epson, Starfire, Ricoh. | Kyocera, Epson. Starfire and Ricoh To be confirmed | To be confirmed |
| Best for | Fashion and apparel, home textiles, scarves and silk, bedding and furnishing. | Sportswear and activewear, soft signage and flags, banners, promotional and coated hard surfaces. | Mixed fibre inventory and short runs on one line. |
| Page | Reactive inks | Sublimation inks | Pigment inks |
Scroll sideways on a narrow screen. The first column stays in place.
Still not sure?
Tell us the fabric, the printer and printhead model, and what the end product is. We will tell you which ink we would run and why.