FOUR DYE SUBLIMATION TRICKS TO BRIGHTEN AND IMPROVE QUALITY WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER ADDING THIS PROCESS TO YOUR SHOP'S OFFERINGS. WITH THE INJECTION of performance fabrics and garments being developed for many niche markets, the demand for innovative ways to decorate them has drastically increased. Enter dye sublimation printing. The beautiful thing about this process is the lack of any "print feel" to the garment. Because it takes a white fiber and dyes it through heat and pressure, there's no residual ink on the surface to create a texture or to block airflow. Many sport teams have moved toward sublimated apparel for training gear and uniforms because the garment retains all of the dry-wicking properties that an undecorated garment would, plus it's a lot more colorful. To create a sublimated product is a relatively simple process: a. The artwork is adjusted and sized in the computer for printing. b. T he design is then printed as a mirror image onto a sublimation paper using an inkjet printer that has been 24 SCREENPRINTING | JUNE + JULY 2020 By Thomas Trimingham loaded with sublimation inks. c. These inks are then trapped into the coating on the paper. d. N ext, the paper with the sublimation print is aligned with the product area that is to be decorated. In the case of a garment, the shirt is either printed as pieces of fabric prior to being sewn together, or the print is applied to a finished T-shirt. e. If the garment is being decorated prior to being sewn, it's likely a much larger image and print will be used. As a result, a much larger heat press will be needed to create the fabric piece for the front and back of the shirt. Often the sleeves are done at the same time to save steps. f. The aligned garment and print are then heat pressed at the right temperature and pressure to convert the solid ink on the coated paper into a gas that can penetrate the fabric fibers. g. Once the heat press is finished, the paper is peeled off of the fabric or