T-shirt printing by sublimation has grown into a substantial industry over the last 25 years and has filled a market gap for high- quality, short-run printing of shirts and other promotional items. It is basically a heat transfer process, whereby a paper release liner is using sublimation dyes for sublimation textile printing.
The main feature is that printed image turns into a gas with the application of heat, transferring the dye to the garment or item. Sublimation is the best way to give your older t-shirts a newer look.
History
Sublimation transfers were printed on commercial offset printing presses during the 1960s and 1970s until the advent of the personal computer and inkjet printer in 1980s. Development of sublimation dyes for inkjet used in a progressive manner.
Significance
Changing from printing presses to inkjet meant that as few as one sublimation transfer could be produced cost-effectively, then the long runs and high set-up costs associated mainly with commercial printers. You also can create customized designs.
Considerations
Sublimation clothing printing dyes present brighter colours when applied to polyester fabrics, but their transparent nature makes them more ineffective on darker coloured garments. Since the application of transfers is largely done by hand, and most of the transfer materials and dyes are high.
Attributes
T-shirts printed by sublimation have a touchable softer feel to the printed area. Since imprints are dye-based, rather than ink based, the dye actually becomes part of the fabric colour, embedded with the soft fibres. Sublimation yoga pants are the best example to print the best design on your yoga pants.
Potential
Printing by dye sublimation has grown successfully since the 1980s. Improvements in dye colour opacity, ease of transfer combined with the type, quality and quantity of products that can be printed by the process ensures sublimation will remain a viable speciality process with a bright future.
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