In today’s modern world, digital printing is in demand more than ever before. Sublimation is a kind of digital printing process which is used for the polyester fabrics or the polymer-coated garments. This is an exclusive process for polyester fabrics.
Polyester is a kind of fabric which is commonly and mostly used in the manufacturing of casual wear garments. Sublimation T-shirt printing is a famous process which is carried out by many manufacturers. Sublimation clothing printing is carried out in three simple steps which are as follows:-
- The first step involves software designing of artwork on the product.
- Then the next step is to transfer the designed product to the sublimation printer, which replicates it on the transfer paper.
- The last step is to print the designed paper with the help of a heat compression.
Dye-sublimation printing services use these three steps and manufacture the products. The ink gets transferred to the transfer paper through the printer, and then with the help of the heat press, the design and the ink get reproduced on the garment.
Steps to carry out sublimation printing:-
Design creation-
Let’s say you’re the owner of an online store, and you would want to integrate product customization into your e-commerce business. To make that possible, you will have to opt for a product design software that will allow your customers to choose a product and personalize it.
Once the order has been placed, you will receive the order details with the attached print file containing the details and information of the graphic, which has been generated by the software.
The above example makes it perfectly clear the aim, which is to create high-quality products using sublimation printing.
As a matter of fact, sublimation printing provides us with dazzling picture quality, clarity, and sharpness. Although, one may find that the image is not exactly as it is initially in the print file, at least in regard to color saturation and sharpness.
Thus, if the image quality is poor in the print file, then inevitably, your finished product will be dull or blurred out.
How to find the best print files?
A product designer software provides you with high-resolution and quality files in any of the standard image formats like JPG, EPS, PNG, TIF, etc.
Generally, A PNG file comes in 300 dpi resolution whereas, The files generated with PDF files are in a format called a vector, which you can learn about.
This ensures that a high-quality file guarantees a good quality final print on the finished product.
It might have come to your attention that the terms design software for products is used repeatedly in this article instead of any of the high-end and popular design software like Adobe Creative Suite, CorelDRAW, Silhouette, etc.
Any business owner interested in getting dye-sublimation printing can easily learn the process and create the best products with aby product design software. There is no need to get popular and expensive software when we can get the same results by any other as well.
How to place the design on the product?
Before going through with sublimation printing, you must be aware of which product is suitable for the printing process.
Sublimation printing utilizes ink that has dye particles, also known as dye-sublimation printing. These particles easily bond with polymers, like they do with polyester type clothing. As the dye will bond, the sharper and clearer print, you get.
This is why sublimation printing does not work on 100% cotton items. This printing method can also be applied to glass, ceramic, and metals.
Now, let’s talk about the best sublimation printer out there that make the work efficient and effective. If you want your prints to have the best quality and high definition, the artwork you choose must be a 300 dpi for getting the best results on the product. You can also use desktop printers for the same, but with proper specifications.
Sublimation Printing Ink:
If an Epson printer is being used, then use the dye sublimation printer Ink, which is compatible with each sublimation printer of Epson.
There are four types and colors of inks that the printer includes, namely cyan, yellow, black, magenta. No color profiles, drivers, or software are needed to use this ink.
The transfer paper
The connection between the heat press and the product is the transfer paper. Low-quality of the transfer papers can result in a dull image, no matter if your files are of high resolution.
Therefore, it is advisable to use high-quality sublimation transfer paper as it can consistently release dye particles onto the product once the heat press is applied.
Do not go for low-cost transfer papers under any circumstances since you may lose printing quality.
Sublimation using heat:
Heat press/ transfer is more than just the type of heat press machine that is used. Different heat press machines vary slightly in regard to the print quality, and this is also the case for the different models of the same manufacturer.
Time, pressure, and temperature are the three major factors that affect the image in sublimation printing. While conducting the process, you must pay close attention to these factors for optimum results.
Therefore, these are simple tips and ways to get your products customized.
