An apparatus for texturing a plastic substrate, while forming a dye sublimation image in the plastic substrate, wherein the plastic substrate has a first side and a second side, is provided. A textured cover is on a side of a platen, wherein the platen is on a first, untextured side of the textured cover. A first side of the dye carrier is on a second, textured side of the textured cover, and wherein the plastic substrate is supported on a second side of the dye carrier, wherein a first side of the plastic substrate is supported by the dye carrier, wherein the textured side of the textured cover has a texture to be transferred to the plastic substrate. A membrane is on the second side of the plastic substrate. A vacuum pump provides a vacuum between the membrane and the platen. A heater is positioned to heat the plastic substrate.

An apparatus for texturing a plastic substrate, while forming a dye sublimation image in the plastic substrate, wherein the plastic substrate has a first side and a second side, is provided. A textured cover is on a side of a platen, wherein the platen is on a first, untextured side of the textured cover. A first side of the dye carrier is on a second, textured side of the textured cover, and wherein the plastic substrate is supported on a second side of the dye carrier, wherein a first side of the plastic substrate is supported by the dye carrier, wherein the textured side of the textured cover has a texture to be transferred to the plastic substrate. A membrane is on the second side of the plastic substrate. A vacuum pump provides a vacuum between the membrane and the platen. A heater is positioned to heat the plastic substrate.

Various of the disclosed embodiments concern printing systems configured to deposit flexible dye sublimation inks onto flexible transfer materials. Together, the flexible ink and transfer material allow images to be transferred onto complex-shaped, i.e. non-planar, surfaces of a substrate. The flexible ink may be, for example, a thermoformable UV dye sublimation ink or a superflexible UV dye sublimation ink. In order to transfer an image onto the substrate, the transfer material is pressed onto the surface of the substrate. The substrate, transfer material, or both are heated to a temperature sufficient to cause the ink to sublimate. During the sublimation process, dye is able to permeate the substrate and form a transferred image. The flexible ink formulation may also include a soluble or solvent-sensitive component. In such embodiments, a solvent can be jetted onto the substrate and/or transfer material to remove residual ink.

The present invention concerns a new use for shrinkable plastic film, particularly shrink sleeve label film, which can be directly anchored to a frame (which may or may not already have a canvas) to form a novel shrink film canvas. The inner and/or outer surface of said film can be printed and/or painted on, preferably heat shrunk to conform to the edges of said frame, and can be further treated by methods and means known to the art, to serve as a painting on a shrink film canvas. If only the inner part of the canvas is printed or painted on, the outer surface of the shrink film can serve as a protective layer, while also providing a glossy sheen normally achieved through the application of a varnish medium. The painted or unpainted plastic film, can further be treated as necessary to further alter and/or enhance the appearance of the image it carries, and need not be limited to canvas art work, and instead be used as a singular product, such as, for example, gift wrapping material, or in combination with other products, such as in a kit.

A panel includes a thermoset material, and an image comprising sublimation ink. The sublimation ink is absorbed in the thermoset material. The rigid component may be a rigid structure formed by the thermoset material. The panel may be for a bath or shower enclosure.

A method for decorating objects by means of sublimatic inks, which provides for the steps that consist in providing a shrink-wrap sheet-like element to which at least one layer of sublimatic inks is applied and joining two opposite ends of the sheet-like element in order to obtain a sleeve with the face of the sheet-like element directed toward the inside of the sleeve, inserting axially in the sleeve at least one object to be decorated, applying heat in order to obtain an at least partial shrink-wrapping of the sleeve, creating a difference in pressure between the internal side and the external side of the sleeve in order to establish a lower hydrostatic pressure on the inner side of the sleeve than on its outer side, and applying heat in order to cause the sublimation of the sublimatic inks.

An apparatus for texturing a plastic substrate, while forming a dye sublimation image in the plastic substrate, wherein the plastic substrate has a first side and a second side, is provided. A textured cover is on a side of a platen, wherein the platen is on a first, untextured side of the textured cover. A first side of the dye carrier is on a second, textured side of the textured cover, and wherein the plastic substrate is supported on a second side of the dye carrier, wherein a first side of the plastic substrate is supported by the dye carrier, wherein the textured side of the textured cover has a texture to be transferred to the plastic substrate. A membrane is on the second side of the plastic substrate. A vacuum pump provides a vacuum between the membrane and the platen. A heater is positioned to heat the plastic substrate.

An apparatus for texturing a plastic substrate, while forming a dye sublimation image in the plastic substrate, wherein the plastic substrate has a first side and a second side, is provided. A textured cover is on a side of a platen, wherein the platen is on a first, untextured side of the textured cover. A first side of the dye carrier is on a second, textured side of the textured cover, and wherein the plastic substrate is supported on a second side of the dye carrier, wherein a first side of the plastic substrate is supported by the dye carrier, wherein the textured side of the textured cover has a texture to be transferred to the plastic substrate. A membrane is on the second side of the plastic substrate. A vacuum pump provides a vacuum between the membrane and the platen. A heater is positioned to heat the plastic substrate.

Building panels, especially floor panels, and a method of forming embossed in register surfaces with a digital ink head that applies a curable ink on the panel surface or on an upper side of a foil as a coating and forms an ink matrix that is used to create a cavity in the surface by applying a pressure on the ink matrix.

An apparatus for texturing a plastic substrate, while forming a dye sublimation image in the plastic substrate, wherein the plastic substrate has a first side and a second side, is provided. A textured cover is on a side of a platen, wherein the platen is on a first, untextured side of the textured cover. A first side of the dye carrier is on a second, textured side of the textured cover, and wherein the plastic substrate is supported on a second side of the dye carrier, wherein a first side of the plastic substrate is supported by the dye carrier, wherein the textured side of the textured cover has a texture to be transferred to the plastic substrate. A membrane is on the second side of the plastic substrate. A vacuum pump provides a vacuum between the membrane and the platen. A heater is positioned to heat the plastic substrate.