Application of sublimation paper print/Comparison with screen printing

Application of sublimation print
Sublimation paper transfer print is widely used on polyester, satin and some other synthetic fibers. The sublimation dye actually penetrates the fibers and becomes part of the fabric.And nothing is felt! The high temperature during the printing also opens the pores of the polymer and allows the gas to enter. When the item is removed from the eat press, the temperature drops, the pores close and the gas reverts to a solid state. It has now become a part of the polymer. Sublimation print cannot be washed out or come off, unless the actual fibers or coating is damaged. This is why sublimation can't be done on natural materials, like 100 per cent cotton.Natural fibers and non-coated materials have no "pores"to open and so the dye just sits on top of the fabric.

Further, sublimation print is done on white substrates.The reason for this is because the inks are actually transparent, when sublimated, and need a back ground to show up. White is the ideal background because it does not clash with the colours. Indeed, the white background actually enhances the colours.

Comparison with screen printing
Dye-sublimation print on polyester material does nota ffect the hand of the material and is more desirable than screen printing for home furnishing and wallpaper fabrics and the apparel industry. The colours are very vibrant, do not wash out and the process is less messy than screen printing, which requires messy solvents and dyes.
Sublimation is also very popular with sportswear manufacturers as many printed uniforms (cycle wear,soccer, basketball and lacrosse) on the market today are done via sublimation. Unlike screen printing,where the ink lays on top of the garment, the sublimation process produces permanent images that will not crack or fade. Also, sublimation infuses the image into the thread of the fabric so that it does not affect the breath ability of the garment. Most athletes prefer sublimated jerseys versus screen printing jerseys. Screen printing leaves a layer on top of the garment, which affects breath ability and the comfort of the athlete. 

Dye-sublimation is also cost efficient and very popular for short-run customisation of fabrics. Special logos,pictures and designs can easily be created or scanned into the computer. Sublimation Transfer paper can be generated and custom prints finished in a matter of minutes as opposed to screen printing, which requires lengthy time for preparation of the stencil and assembly of the mesh fabric/

Pros and cons of sublimation print
Pros
• Dye sub is great for full colour designs on white or light coloured garments• It has no feel to the design
• Vibrant colours can be achieved
• Full colour printing is possible
• The colours are still vibrant after many washes
• There is no crack or fading of colours in this type of printing
• Dramatically reduced waste and maintenance costs
• Excellent coverage and extended ink yield
• Trouble-free unattended printing and maximum up time

Cons
• It can only be printed on white colour
• Suitable for dry fit, silk, polyester fabric
• It cannot be printed on black or dark colour fabric
• Metallic colours are not possible

Conclusion
With the new generation of wide-format digital printers and the expanding variety of speciality media designed for printing, the creative possibilities for producing applications using dye sublimation are endless. Prior to these technological advancements,entering the dye sublimation market required a considerable investment of time and money, but now it is often favoured as a less expensive alternative to other printing methods