I'm using single color laser sublimation (Black). A friend of mine told me, but I didn't believe him, that if you sublimate a piece of amuminum and leave it exposed to the outside elements, eventually, it will fade away.
It's true!
Is there any way to prevent this?
Thanks,
Steve
Custom ID

Unfortunately what your friend said is true...

Sublimation fades badly when used outdoors.

There are oversprays that can buy you time, but ultimately, even if you use Unisub materials (the best for outdoor durability) you can only expect around 15-18 honest months without any other treatment.

I have had low cost metals fade to the point of not being able to read the sign in as little as 3 months outdoors.

The bottom line is that sublimation is not a good option as an outdoor product. There are much better technologies for these types of products. Vinyl would be one of the best, Screen printing would probably be second best with direct digital being the last as it gives you 3-5 years outdoors depending on which type you use.

If full color is your only option, digital is the way to go.....with the understanding of the real outdoor life limits.

Steve,

I assume, when you said black sublimation, you were referring to (magnetic) laser toner sublimation.

Although I haven't tested the theory, I've heard that laser toner sublimation has less UV resistance than ink jet sublimation.

In either case, as Brian correctly points out, the substrate plays a role in the longevity of the image, but neither method of sublimation is recommended for outdoor use.

That's what I figured.. thanx.

Steve