The most basic materials for transfer printing are dyes that can encounter heat sublimation. These dyes can be used to make water-based, alcohol-based and oily inks for screen printing, gravure printing, offset printing and embossing. The offset printing ink must be made of pure dyes, because the commercially available disperse dyes contain hydrophilic dispersants and cannot be used for offset printing.

Isopropanol is more suitable for alcohol-based toner, and ethyl cellulose can be used as binder. Because the fabric is different from paper, it is generally required to be reused after washing, so it must have washing fastness. Through research, it is found that the average molecular weight of the dye is closely related to the washing fastness.