Printing on sportswear, uniforms, and gift items, is a great option for sublimation. The post is all about the principles of sublimation sportswear printing, looking at how such printing works and its advantages over others. Common questions will be answered, and the viewers will also have a chance to appreciate the types of materials that can be printed. To this end, one should know what sublimation entails and why it is a good choice for a print-on-demand business.
What is Sublimation Printing and How it Work?
Through heat and pressure, sublimation is considered a digital printing technology whereby dye is transferred onto different elements.
Complete process:
- Design printed onto the special hit transfer paper using sublimation inks.
2. Place the paper on a product and heat it with a heat press.
3. With the heat, the inks are transformed into a gas that penetrates the fabric.
They have beautiful, permanent prints that never fade or crack over time.
Sublimation Printing Benefits:
Now that you understand how it works, let’s start with the benefits of sublimation printing.
- Printing results that are vivid and detailed
The ability to create vibrant, detailed prints is what makes sublimation printing so exciting. The high temperatures in the sublimation process make the lines and colors appear sharp.
- Print durability
It is important to know that dye sublimation doesn’t simply apply the ink on top of the fabric. It’s absorbed into the fabric, making it an integral part. Sublimation prints are much more durable than screen or DTG prints because they don’t fade.
- Quick turnaround time
Sublimation printing also has a quick turnaround. Sublimation printing is quick and easy because it doesn’t need a physical plate or screen.
- The variety of products
Sublimation offers a wide range of options when it comes to materials. It also allows for a lot of creativity. You can create custom clothing, bags and mugs.
- No order minimums
You can order products one-off without having to worry about a minimum order. It also allows for experimentation, as you can try out different products and see which ones your customers prefer without having to invest too much in inventory.
- Eco-friendliness
More than that, this sublimation printing technique is ready to offer you an eco-friendly option. The printing does not really use any solvent or water-based inks like any conventional printing process-the dry inks are infused applied onto the print material thus waste and environmental pollution are reduced. It also wastes ink because only puts down the necessary parts.
Sublimation Printing Drawbacks:
Sublimation printing has its limitations. We’ve listed 3 major disadvantages that you should be aware of before choosing this printing technique.
- Material restrictions
Basically sublimation works very well on materials which are glued 100% polyester or prominent polyester blends. The more polyester is in the fabric, the more faded your prints will look. For actually long-term strong and lasting effects, sublimation dye asks synthetic fibers. Sublimation is not the best for print on cotton, silk, or leather. The dyes may not even stick to natural fibers, or they may wash away easily.
- Base color restrictions
Sublimation takes work primarily on white substrates or very pale blank products. Because sublimation printing does not utilize white ink, it cannot brighten a base color. Dye transfer can happen to black fabric, but it will not show up in the final piece. Printing a bright magenta onto a dark shirt will create a print that looks black with a reddish cast.
- White creasing
There’s always a possibility that certain areas of a garment won’t be printed correctly, leaving streaks of white. This is often the case around seams, or when a garment has been folded accidentally.
What can you sublimate Be Used for?
You can print on a wide range of materials with sublimation. This gives you a lot of options for your products. You can print on anything from apparel, mugs and home decor items to larger items such as banners and signs.
Take a look at the sublimation items we have available at Printful.
Sportswear
Jerseys, uniforms, t-shirts, trousers, promotional t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and tracksuits are all examples of sportswear. School dresses are also included in these. Garment printing is a wonderful opportunity for sublimation because it allows you to print from edge to edge. Such limitations can be thrown away by sublimation.
- Quick turnaround time
Sublimation printing also has a quick turnaround. Sublimation printing is quick and easy because it doesn’t need a physical plate or screen.
- The variety of products
Sublimation offers a wide range of options when it comes to materials. It also allows for a lot of creativity. You can create custom clothing, bags and mugs.
- No order minimums
You can order products one-off without having to worry about a minimum order. It also allows for experimentation, as you can try out different products and see which ones your customers prefer without having to invest too much in inventory.
- Eco-friendliness
Sublimation printing has the final advantage of being a relatively environmentally-friendly process. Sublimation printing, unlike traditional printing methods which use solvents and water-based inks, uses dry inks. Dry inks are infused directly into the printed material, which reduces waste and environmental impact. It also reduces waste ink because it only applies it where it is needed.
Sublimation Printing Drawbacks:
Sublimation printing has its limitations. We’ve listed 3 major disadvantages that you should be aware of before choosing this printing technique.
- Material restrictions
Sublimation is only effective on fabrics that are 100% polyester or blends of fabric that contain a large percentage of polyester. The more polyester you have in your fabric the faded your prints will be. Sublimation dyes need synthetic fibers for proper adhesion and long-lasting results.
Sublimation is not the best option for printing on cotton, silk or leather. Sublimation dyes will not adhere to natural fibers, or they may wash away quickly.
- Base color restrictions
Sublimation is only available on white or very pale blank products. Sublimation printing doesn’t use white ink, so it can’t lighten base colors.
Sublimating on black fabric will result in a dye transfer, but the final product won’t show up. Printing a vibrant magenta on a dark shirt will produce a print that is black with a reddish tone.
- White creasing
There’s always a possibility that certain areas of a garment won’t be printed correctly, leaving streaks of white. This is often the case around seams, or when a garment has been folded accidentally.
What can you sublimate Be Used for?
You can print on a wide range of materials with sublimation. This gives you a lot of options for your products. You can print on anything from apparel, mugs and home decor items to larger items such as banners and signs.
Take a look at the sublimation items we have available at Printful.
Sportswear
There are all kinds of sportswear clothing, including Jerseys, uniforms, Tshirt, Trousers, promotional t-shirt, sweatshirts, hoodies, tracksuits, etc. You can also find school dresses. Sublimation is a great option for garment printing because it allows you to print from seam to seam. Sublimation allows you to remove this constraint.