Single heating platen double-sided sublimation printing process and apparatus

A method for sublimating images on a product in a retail environment, comprising:

• printing one or more images identified by a customer for the product on a transfer media;
• positioning the transfer media on a substrate;
• selecting a product from a plurality of products, each of the plurality of products comprised of a material capable of incorporating sublimation dye;
• retrieving the selected product, and positioning it onto the transfer media;
• manipulating the transfer media to substantially surround the selected product, wherein at least one printed image is positioned onto each side of the product to be sublimated;
• configuring a single thermal cycle for a single heating platen such that the images will be sublimated substantially simultaneously onto each side of the product in a single thermal cycle;
• moving the single heating platen into contact with the transfer media;
• sublimating at least one image from the transfer media to each side of the product using the configured single thermal cycle of the single heating platen;
• cooling the sublimated product to at least about an ambient temperature;
• and
• providing the cooled, sublimated product to the customer.

An apparatus for sublimating an image on a product, comprising:

• a dye sublimation transfer printer configured to receive one or more digital image files representing one or more images, the dye sublimation transfer printer configured to print the received images on a transfer media;
• a substrate configured to receive the transfer media from the printer;
• and
• a single heating platen configured to engage the transfer media, and a control unit for configuring a single thermal cycle for the single heating platen such that the images will be sublimated substantially simultaneously onto each side of the product in a single thermal cycle.

A method for sublimating images on a product, comprising:

• printing one or more images identified by a customer for the product on a transfer media;
• positioning the transfer media on a substrate;
• positioning at least one product onto the transfer media;
• manipulating the transfer media to substantially surround the product, wherein at least one printed image is positioned onto each side of the product to be sublimated;
• configuring a single thermal cycle for a single heating platen such that the images will be sublimated substantially simultaneously onto each side of the product in a single thermal cycle;
• engaging the transfer media with the single heating platen;
• and
• sublimating at least one image from the transfer media to each side of the product using the configured single thermal cycle of the single heating platen.

A method for sublimating images on a product in a retail environment, comprising:

• printing one or more images identified by a customer for the product on a transfer media;
• positioning the transfer media on a substrate;
• selecting a product from a plurality of products, each of the plurality of products comprised of a material capable of incorporating sublimation dye;
• retrieving the selected product, and positioning it onto the transfer media;
• manipulating the transfer media to substantially surround the selected product, wherein at least one printed image is positioned onto each side of the product to be sublimated;
• configuring a single thermal cycle for a single heating platen such that the images will be sublimated substantially simultaneously onto each side of the product in a single thermal cycle;
• engaging the transfer media with the single heating platen;
• sublimating at least one image from the transfer media to each side of the product using the configured single thermal cycle of the single heating platen;
• cooling the sublimated product to at least about an ambient temperature;
• and
• providing the cooled, sublimated product to the customer.