Dye Sublimation and Laser Printing - Can Both Print Cloth Fabric Banners

Question: I was told by a vendor that dye sublimate printing is the same as laser printing. Is this true?

Answer: If by laser printing, they were referring to inkjet printing, the answer would be partially yes, but it's a bit more complicated than that.

Inkjet printers are generally known to print such items as vinyl (PVC) banners, vinyl stickers, and even fabric that has been treated to accept ink. However, this is not dye sublimation printing, or dye sub printing for short. Dye sub printing, as stated within the name, uses dye, not ink, a subtle but meaningful difference as they have completely different functions.