What does the sublimation process look like in clothing printing?

T-shirts with unique prints are becoming more and more popular. Nowadays, you can not only buy them, but also design them yourself. People who want to do this are looking for an appropriate method. The original design can be used as a T-shirt as a gift, a souvenir outfit for a team of employees or participants of a project (e.g. competition, tournament, etc.). However, you should know that not every type of print will be suitable for small quantities. If we are thinking about one or at most several pieces, it is worth considering sublimation. This is one of the most innovative printing techniques, providing many possibilities thus we are using sublimation printing in Dallas to help our customers print their shirts.

What is sublimation?

Starting with the topic of sublimation printing on clothing, it should be said that it is one of the most durable and popular clothing marking techniques. It can be successfully used when implementing photo-based projects. It perfectly reproduces details, colors, tones and shades, making the motif on clothing look realistic. Suitable for both simple and extremely complex patterns.

Apart from the advantages, there are also limitations to a method such as sublimation. Printing on light-colored clothing made of materials dominated by polyester – these are the basic guidelines that must be followed by a person who intends to implement their project using this solution. In addition to clothes, you can mark bags, pillowcases, umbrellas or lanyards in this way. Virtually anything containing at least 80% polyester is suitable for sublimation printing.

Sublimation – what is it?

What exactly is sublimation printing on clothes? It uses a special ink that is applied to sublimation paper. Another name for it is transfer paper. In the next step, the print is transferred from paper to fabric using a sublimation press. The dye is heated using high temperature. Thanks to this, it can change its state of matter (from solid to gas) and penetrate the polyester fibers. When the entire print penetrates the fibers, the temperature decreases and the fibers themselves close like hair cuticles. This means that the motif does not reach the surface of the material but is instead imprinted into it.

This is a brief description of the sublimation marking process. Sublimation printing on clothing allows you to apply any, even complex, patterns to the material, which will look great for a long time. Invisible on clothes, yet very durable, they can decorate T-shirts or other elements of clothing (sweatshirts, pants, leggings, etc.). They can usually be seen on sportswear because they are made of polyester.

Sublimation printing on clothing – advantages

The sublimation method has many advantages. The most important thing is its amazing durability. Prints made using this option look attractive for a very long time. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they can look better much longer than the clothes they are on. If sublimation is used correctly, the print will be virtually indestructible. No wonder this solution enjoys constantly growing interest from retail customers and large enterprises.

Another advantage is the ability to print most elements, graphics, photos and inscriptions of very good quality and durability. Compared to sublimation, other techniques currently available on the market provide results that are visible up to a certain point. Usually, after a few or a dozen washes, the print becomes less expressive or fades. Sometimes it disappears completely from the surface of the clothes. Meanwhile, sublimation allows you to enjoy it for a long time.

The method is most often used in the sportswear industry. This sector is based on materials containing mainly polyester. Fabrics based on it are characterized by high breathability, lightness and quick drying, which makes them perfect for training. For this reason, companies producing sportswear are eager to use sublimation printing. They can offer customers attractive models of clothes that will look great even after intensive use. They also pay attention to sublimation because the excellent quality of the print is accompanied by a relatively low production cost.

Sublimation printing on clothing – possibilities

When talking about sublimation printing, it is worth emphasizing that it is suitable not only for the central parts of the torso. It works without any problems in situations where we want to cover the entire T-shirt or, for example, the surface of trousers with a specific pattern. Using this technique, large orders can be completed quickly, meeting the expectations of even the most demanding customers.

The quality of the sublimation print is impressive, as is its resistance to washing. It is easy to understand why more and more companies specializing in this type of activity offer prints. The purchase of a machine for sublimation printing on polyester materials is an investment in the development of the company.

Sublimation printing – the most important features

As you can see, sublimation has numerous advantages. The most important features that make it stand out include an extremely realistic and resistant print. The image obtained using this mode (photo, graphic, etc.) will survive many washes unscathed. It will not wash off because the dye has penetrated deep into the structure of the material. It is not afraid of manual cleaning, washing, abrasion or harmful weather conditions.

In addition to its excellent durability, the print impresses with its digital quality – you can see every, even the smallest, detail. As with digital printing, thanks to sublimation you can easily reproduce the full color range of the motif. There will be no problems with, for example, tonal transitions or shadows. The last advantage is the ability to print even from one piece. If someone would like to give a gift to a loved one or themselves a copy of a unique T-shirt, nothing stands in the way. When ordering individually, it’s hard to find a better choice than the sublimation printing method on clothing.