Understanding All-Over Sublimation Printing in brief

by Scrappy Apparel Best Custom T Shirt Printing Apparel Company

When we talk about t-shirt printing, the first word that comes to our mind is “Screen printing”. Many people still think that these words are synonymous with each other. In reality, it’s just one specific method used to print designs and graphics over clothes and other apparel like mugs. If you are new to the t-shirt printing industry, you have many other alternatives to explore. One such method that’s quite popular nowadays is called all-over sublimation printing and in this article, we will try to cover all of its pros and cons.

What is sublimation?

The dictionary defines this term as the process in which a solid is directly converted to its vapor form without passing through the liquid state. All over sublimation printing companies use this phenomenon to print amazing graphics on t-shirt fabric.

This is a complex procedure that requires a special sublimation printing machine, special transfer paper, ink, and a skilled workforce. The process starts with coating the transfer paper with the special ink after which it is pressed against t-shirt fabric. A specific level of heat is also applied in this process to transform the ink into gas allowing it to properly fuse and bind with the fabric. The sublimation printer will continuously keep the transfer paper under pressure.

After the process is complete, heat and pressure will be restored to normal conditions which allow the garment to cool down so that the ink can return to its solid-state. This process may sound a bit complex to understand which is why we need skilled men to operate the machines.

Benefits of using this method.

The biggest benefit of this method is that the quality and durability of the image you printed will be unmatched. The design will never fade away and the t-shirt will always look brand new. Also, the design will be extremely flat giving the fabric a very smooth feel. Since the ink is fused with the fabric and not sitting on the top, the cloth will be extremely soft to touch giving it a premium feel.

When compared with screen printing, sublimation t-shirt design doesn’t require multiple screens for different colors. It’s kind of a single-step process where everything happens simultaneously which helps in reducing time consumption.

Limitations of this process.

Like with any other printing method, this also has limitations that can make it unfavorable for your needs. The most obvious and common limitation is the material choice. It is necessary that the material is either 100% polyester or is coated with a special polymer.

Another limitation of this process is that it only works best with light color fabric. So, if someone wants to print a design on a black t-shirt, going for sublimation printing is probably not the most practical approach.

Every method has its benefits and limitations and if you think that sublimation printing is suited for your requirements, you should contact a good all-over sublimation printing company.