Do you ever wonder how the design of your t-shirt was made? There’s no way they were individually ironed on or hand-painted on. Chances are it went through a sublimation printer. But what is sublimation printing? First thing is to break down the words.
Sublimation is a process in which a solid turns to gas without having to go through the liquid phase. In sublimation printing, heat is used for the dye to transfer onto another material, such as polyester, metal, or other surfaces where regular ink might run if a regular printing process was used.
Do you notice with a regular printer, sometimes the ink comes out wet on paper? That’s what sublimation printing can avoid. The process of ink or dye drying will be eliminated, which in turn can help avoid smearing or running ink.
Printing Sublimation Process
If you still have yet to grasp how sublimation printing works, here’s a little bit more detail on how it works. First, a design is made, usually through a computer. You can then choose the material on where the design will be printed on. Will it be metal? A fabric? A special type of paper?
Printing sublimation depends highly on the process where the ink is transferred onto another surface. So, you can either opt for a special type of printer or ink. The best sublimation printer uses heat to combine the ink with another material instead of simply putting the ink on top of it. For example on a piece of cloth, the ink and fabric will mesh together.
Benefits of Sublimation Printing
You might be wondering, what is sublimation printing even good for if there is a traditional way to print things? Here are just some of the advantages of sublimation printing:
Creative Freedom
With a sublimation printer, you can choose to design any way you want. You can do tons of ideas that can’t be done through other printing processes. What’s more, it can even offer a seam-to-seam product if you are thinking of dyeing an entire piece of cloth.
Different Media
Another advantage of using a sublimation printer is it can print on a wide range of items. Whether you need personalized mugs or a large tarpaulin, a sublimation printer can do the job.
Longevity
When it comes to long-lasting prints, sublimation printing comes out on top. For prints on fabrics, sublimation printers are able to produce long-lasting colors and designs. T-shirts with sublimation prints can last even through many uses and washes. The same goes for other materials, sublimation prints will have colors that won’t fade, peel, or crack.
Batch Printing
You are able to produce more printed materials with the use of sublimation printing. Unlike other methods of printing, you can do small batch orders for signages, printed shirts, and more.
Summary of Sublimation Printing
To wrap up, sublimation printing is a way of printing where dye is transferred without going through the liquid phase. Dye is changed from solid to gas via a chemical reaction, which in turn helps in preventing problems that might occur when liquid ink is involved.
There are definitely many advantages to using sublimation printing, however, it is not perfect. There are also a few drawbacks to using a sublimation printer, such as white creasing. For example, if there is moisture on the transfer paper that accumulates or there is a small fold on a piece of fabric, these areas will not be printed on and will rather remain white.
As long as the proper materials and processes are followed, there shouldn’t be any trouble with sublimation printing. You can expect high-quality results from a good sublimation printer and superior materials.
