Sublimation printing on fabrics is an effective way to apply images to synthetic textiles. It is based on the use of special inks, which, under the influence of high temperature and pressure, turn from a solid state into a gaseous state and penetrate into the tissue structure, forming bright and high-quality images.
The image is printed in a mirror image on a special paper called "transfer". This paper has a special coating that provides better transfer of ink to the fabric. The image is then transferred to the fabric using a heat press. At this point, sublimation itself occurs: the ink turns into a gaseous state and penetrates into the fabric structure. After the tissue has cooled, the image becomes permanent and is not washed off.
Advantages of the sublimation printing method:
1. Sublimation printing allows you to create bright, rich and very durable images.
2. Sublimation printing allows you to apply images over large areas without loss of quality, which makes it especially popular for the production of sportswear, home textiles, banners, flags, and also for creating souvenirs.
3. Sublimation printing penetrates the structure of the material on which it is applied and is absolutely not felt to the touch.
Disadvantages of the sublimation printing method:
1. Sublimation printing only works with textile materials containing at least 50% polyester, as the ink will only sublimate on this material.The presence of synthetic threads is one of the main conditions for sublimation on textiles, and the more of them, the better, since this technology does not work on cotton, wool or linen. As a result, the more natural the material, the paler the image. The best material is polyester.
2. Sublimation printing works great on white materials. When printing on dark surfaces, the effect of multiplication (mixing) of the color of the image and the color of the surface occurs, which leads to color distortion.
Overall, sublimation printing on fabrics is a high-tech and high-quality way of applying images to synthetic and semi-synthetic fabrics.
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