Query: For T-shirts, is it necessary to use polyester T-shirts/fabric with dye sublimation printing?

Answer: There was a lot of experimentation with numerous natural fibers and blended pure fibers (just like the 50/50 cotton tee), and for the most half, it's best, when utilizing true dye sublimation printing on cloth, to use polyester fabrics.

Some have reported success with the 50/50 cotton tees, but most desire to use available digital printers which have the correct inks for adhering to cotton, or screen-print inks which are additionally formulated for cotton or 50/50 t-shirts.

It is important to perceive how dye sublimation printing works to be able to justify the above statements, though.

The sublimation printing process consists of a dye ink that is commonly notated as a CMYO ink (cyan-magenta-yellow-overprint) as opposed to normal inkjet printing ink which is the standard CMYK (cyan-magenta-yellow-black). The dye is printed to a paper, commonly generally known as sublimation switch paper or dye sublimation transfer paper, then switchred through warmth and pressure to mugs, coasters, mouse pads, polyester materials that are utilized in clothes and advertising shows and banners, and many different items.

Because of the chemistry involved with these dyes, with heat and pressure transforming the dye to a gasoline, it truly turns into a part of the substrate which it's fused to. The heat not only transforms the dye to a fuel, it also expands the pores of polyester or polymers (such because the polymeric coatings on numerous substrates or supplies) and allows the fuel to be drawn into the pores. Once the substrate cools again, the pores close and permit the dye to grow to be strong, permanently embedded within the fabric or polymeric material. This dye also is fade resistant and more likely to last for a lot of, many years.

Because the pores of the substrate must hold the dye when the pores close, other materials or substrates won't hold the dye. Therefore, if you happen to have been to print a one hundred% cotton t-shirt using the dye sub t-shirts sublimation printing process, the cotton would not have the chemistry needed for the pores to close solidly around the dye to be able to hold on to the fabric or substrate. Even gadgets like coffee mugs must be pre-treated with a polymeric coating or the dye sub print will not work. Be aware that sublimation also would not work on dark substrates, and that white or a slightly off-white material will at all times work best.

There is a kind of warmth transfer printing that will work nicely with cotton or pure fibers that can truly chemically cross-link the ink with cotton. This methodology, which I can not name because of constraints with some of the sites I put up my articles on, gives cotton the soft really feel of a dye sub print, vibrant colors and superior washability, related also to actual dye sublimation printing on polyester fabrics. The resulting print using this process is probably the most enticing printing on cotton t-shirts available available on the market today.

Compared to screen-printing inks which also can be utilized on cotton t-shirts, this warmth switch dye doesn't sit on high of the fibers like screen printed ink does, and is very useful the place a photograph or full coloration image is desired. And, in contrast to screen printed inks, heat sublimation printing on cotton tees leaves a breathable cloth, not plugged up with ink particles that are glued to the cotton fiber. And the fiber stays soft as well.

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