What is sublimation printing?

The World Boxing Training T-shirts , shorts and sets are printed using sublimation printing.

Sublimation printing, what is it actually? You can find a detailed explanation, the advantages and disadvantages, as well as information on how thermal sublimation compares with other printing processes here.

Thermal sublimation at a glance

To answer the question "Sublimation pressure, what is that actually?" we have to go back to chemistry class. Don't worry, the visit is only brief. The term "sublimation" refers to the direct transition from the solid to the gaseous state, without the otherwise usual intermediate step of the liquid state. The "thermo" in the name of thermo-sublimation stands for the fact that this sublimation is produced with the help of heat.

Are you wondering what this has to do with the actual printing process? Well, it's very simple: heat of up to 200°C turns the color pigments into gases, which then penetrate the fibers of the textile. We'll explain the exact process of the printing process in the next section.

Sublimation printing: What is it and how exactly does it work?

So now you know what thermal sublimation is technically But how exactly does the process work in practice?

In the first step, your design is mirrored and printed on a carrier paper using special printing inks. The inks are water-based, which are more environmentally friendly than chemical-based inks. The paper is then placed on a textile with the printed side facing down. Using a special heat press, the fabric and the printed paper are treated with heat and high pressure.

This is where sublimation comes into play. The colors penetrate the fibers of the fabric as gases and bond with them on a molecular basis. However, the fabric must contain at least 85% polyester for this process to work. The result is incredibly true to the original, even when using photos and highly detailed motifs. Since the colors are anchored in the textile fibers, the color application itself cannot be felt. The feel remains pleasantly soft and without any coatings.

The advantages

The advantages of thermal sublimation are the clear, distinct print, the ability to produce both small and large runs economically and the fact that the print itself cannot be felt. Most other printing processes such as screen printing, direct-to-garment printing and transfer films leave all a coating on the fabric. Sublimation printing is almost unique for this reason. The strong bond between fabric and color also makes garments printed with thermal sublimation extremely easy to care for.

Since it is a digital printing process, any color imaginable can be used. You create your design on the PC - and we then print it onto the fabric as desired. Regardless of whether it is photos, graphics, illustrations or traditional works of art, thermal sublimation always produces a result that is true to the original.

In addition to individual motifs, even large-scale designs can be printed on entire strips of fabric - it all depends on the size of the heat press. With the help of special backing paper, even solid objects such as cups or key chains can be printed using the sublimation process.

The disadvantages

First of all, there are the initial costs. And this is not just the heat press. The backing paper and the inks also have to be purchased specifically for sublimation printing. However, this is also the reason why the process is also suitable for large print runs: the initial costs can be quickly covered with the help of large orders and the relatively fast production time.

Another point is that thermal sublimation only works with fabrics that have a polyester content of at least 85%. This is because the evaporated color molecules can only bond with polyester fibers. If you try to print other fabrics, such as pure cotton or silk, using thermal sublimation, you will quickly find out why this is not recommended. The result would not only be less durable, but also pale and desaturated.

When printing using the sublimation process, white colors cannot be used, which is another disadvantage. Of course, this is not a problem if the item of clothing you have chosen is already white. However, if you want to have textiles printed with other colors, then sublimation is not appropriate - in this case, all white fields will take on the color of the textile. The other colors do not have a particularly high opacity, so in this case they will also be tinted in the direction of the color of the fabric.