What is Sublimation Printing?

In short sublimation printing is the process of using heat to transfer dye onto materials such as t-shirts, tote bags, tumblers, plastic cups and so much more. Sublimation printing is a favored method for printing high-quality vibrant images onto a variety of items and products without losing the original image resolution.

The actual technical process of dye-sublimation is a chemical process where a solid turns into a gas without going through a liquid stage. This allows full-color artwork to infuse with polyester and polymer-coated substrates; also known as digital sublimation.

How does dye-sublimation printing work?

In order to produce a sublimation-ready image a digital printer equipped with sublimation ink must be used. The printer will then transfer the image onto a special sublimation transfer paper.

After the image has been printed onto the transfer paper, the image is placed onto a heat press with the material and the image exposed to high temperatures that range between 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit.

This will start the chemical process of turning the ink; a solid; into a gas infusing the image onto the fibers of the material. Once the heat is removed, the ink will solidify and lock permanently into place.

What Can Sublimation be Used On?

Sublimation is best used on 100% polyester apparel in white or light colors (note that the color white cannot be printed onto non-white surfaces) or surfaces that have been coated with a layer of polyester. 100% polyester is best for vibrant design with no-loss in image resolution.

Polyester blend fabrics such as 65/35 Poly-Cotton Blend can be used to achieve a vintage-style transfer. Only the percent of polyester used in this synthetic material will capture the image being transferred.

The process may seem limited due to the required 100% polyester, but there are thousands of promotional items that have been coated with a polymer to allow 100% of an image to be transferred. These products include baby onesies, t-shirts, mugs, mousepads and more.

We hope this article was helpful in defining sublimation printing and how it works. Make sure to check out our other articles on the Benefits of Dye-Sublimation and Sublimation Tips & Tricks.

Let us know what you think in the comments below and make sure to share this article with someone who is interested in sublimation printing.