Sublimation printing has rapidly become one of the most popular forms of product printing. It produces long-lasting, photo-realistic images on promotional items like apparel, mugs, bags, and more. If you’ve seen people sporting seam-to-seam designs on shirts and dresses, you’ve probably seen sublimation printing. So how does sublimation work, and why are sublimation designs so popular with promotional marketers?
What is sublimation printing?
Sublimation is a chemical process that occurs when a solid turns into a gas without passing through a liquid phase. A common example of sublimation is “dry ice,” where frozen carbon dioxide turns into a gas without melting into a liquid. Sublimation printing works with special dyes that go straight from solids to gases when exposed to heat and pressure.
How does sublimation work?
This is where things get cool. Actually, it’s where things heat up. Sublimation designs are printed on paper using special inks called “dye-sub” inks. The design is printed on the paper as a mirror image, so it’s correctly oriented when it transfers to fabric or other materials.
Sublimation designs are lined up with the object being customized and subjected to high heat and pressure. The heat causes the dye-sub inks to vaporize instantly. Still under pressure, the cooling ink bonds with the fabric, ceramic, or other materials.
Advantages of sublimation designs
The ability to bond inks into the fabric and other materials is a massive advantage for a sublimation printer. Because the ink is now part of the fabric, it won’t fade, crack, or peel, giving the promotional item a much longer life. Sublimation shirts, for instance, can withstand multiple wash cycles and still look great.
The colors produced by a sublimation printer are vibrant and only limited by the colors available on your computer. Sublimation designs can also be incredibly detailed, producing photo-realistic results such as those seen on Crown’s sublimated seamless neck gaiters.
Ideal fabrics for sublimation printing
Sublimation works best on artificial fabrics, such as 100% polyester, polyester blends, and polymer-coated fabrics. While it’s possible to print sublimation designs on cotton, the image won’t be as detailed or durable and generally not worth the effort when you can get better design reproduction and a longer-lasting image with synthetic fabrics.
You can also use sublimation on more rigid products, such as coffee mugs, phone cases, and home decor.
Sublimation shirts, gaiters, and more
Merely describing the sublimation process doesn’t do it justice. Check out these examples of sublimation shirts and other apparel to see the effect of sublimation designs:
The bold, eye-catching nature of sublimation shirts and apparel make them ideal for promotional use. To explore how to put sublimation to work for your brand, contact Triple Crown Products, and we’ll help you choose the right products for your next promotional campaign.