Dye Sublimation
Dye Sublimation The Sublimation Secret It seems to me that there is a secret out there that is slowly spreading across the country. Despite a lot of marketing money being spent to spread the w...
Dye Sublimation
The Sublimation Secret
It seems to me that there is a secret out there that is slowly spreading across the country. Despite a lot of marketing money being spent to spread the word the most people don't seem to know the secret. That secret is sublimated wrestling singlets. Now maybe the majority of people are just afraid to spend their budget dollars on a new an innovative product. Perhaps people like to stick with the tried and true silk screen singlets. I'm not sure what the reason is but anyone in the market for custom wrestling singlets should be thinking sublimated.
Incase you are one of those who have yet to hear about this marvel of modern technology let me lay it out for you. First let's check out the science class explanation...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...
"Sublimation of an element or compound is a transition from the solid to gas phase with no intermediate liquid stage. Sublimation is an endothermic phase transition that occurs at temperatures and pressures below the triple point. At normal pressures, most chemical compounds and elements possess three different states at different temperatures. In these cases the transition from the solid to the gaseous state requires an intermediate liquid state. However, for some elements or substances at some pressures the material may pass directly from a solid into the gaseous state. This can occur if the atmospheric pressure exerted on the substance is too low to stop the molecules from escaping from the solid state."
Basically what all that means is that the dye molecules that your design is made of are applied to the cloth with pressure that eliminates the liquid state and moves directly to the solid state. When the transition from gas to solid is made in that rapid fashion the cloth molecules expand and bond with the dye molecules as the pressure is relived, so.........
The long and the short of it is... sublimated singlets have all of your logos and team name dyed directly into the fabric.
There you have it. The benefits of using this process rather than standard silk screen printing is that your design will not peel, crack or fade prematurely. Your team logo and name will last as long as the singlets do. The singlets will be more comfortable as the fabric will not be bound by silk screen printing on the outside layer.
Best of all sublimated singlets cost about the same as standard custom singlets and you can have any design you can dream up. While most manufacturers offer a few styles that they have designed you can also design your own singlet.
Here are a few samples of sublimated wrestling singlets ranging from basic designs to modern designs...
As you can see sublimated wrestling singlets can add some series flash to your squad. The price is right and if you design your own you can be sure none of your opponents will walk into the ring with a similar singlet.
Sublimated singlets are the way of the future and next time your in the market for new singlets you should take a closer look. You will find a great selection of sublimated wrestling singlets and all of your other wrestling needs at www.morleyathletic.com.
About the Author
Morley Athletic Supply Company Inc. has been in business since 1931. As a fourth generation family member involved in the company, team sports is more than a job it's an obsession. With thousands of new products being developed and marketed every year it is important to keep coaches and players updated on what's new for their sport. I write articles to provide them with this information.
Three Techniques On Textile Printing With Wide-Format Printers
Textile printing using wide-format printers is becoming more and more viable as a business these days. The demand for textile prints for outdoor signage and banner advertisements, to say the least, is growing because of the many advantages consumers perceive that polyester, cotton and more natural fabrics have over paper and vinyl as printing mediums.
But when we speak of textile printing, we do not just mean a single process by which printouts are created on fabrics. There are at least three techniques used in creating printouts on fabric, and each technique has advantages and disadvantages over the others. The three major techniques used in textile printing using wide-format printers are discussed below.
Dye Sublimation Transfer Printing
Dye sublimation works by transforming solid dye directly into gas, completely bypassing the liquid state. Heat is an essential factor in this process because it is the one that "melts" the solid ink and turns it into gas.
In dye sublimation transfer printing, the image is first printed out in reverse on a sheet of transfer or carrier paper. Whatever is printed on the carrier paper is then transferred to the fabric with the use of roll-to-roll heat press. The heat allows the ink on the carrier paper to bind directly with the fibers of the fabric.
Many print service providers like dye sublimation transfer printing because it allows them to have more control with the quality of the image being printed. However, the process is considered to be wasteful and time-consuming because of the necessity of having to use transfer paper.
Direct Dye Sublimation Textile Printing
Direct dye sublimation textile printing completely does away with the use of transfer paper. The ink gas created in the sublimation process is pushed directly onto the fabric so that it binds and solidifies with individual fibers to create the printout.
The main advantage of direct dye sublimation printing is that it reduces the time needed to produce the printouts, simply because the step involving transfer paper is eliminated. Nonetheless, the process is still limited to polyester fabrics and the fabric itself needs to be coated so the ink would bind with the fibers. Also, the resulting image is not as crisp as with dye sublimation transfer printing because the ink tends to spread and blot on the fabric.
Direct Digital Textile Printing
Direct digital textile printing is popular among those who do not wish to be limited to polyester when printing on fabric. This textile printing technique works with the wide-format printer placing ink directly on the fabric without having to transform it first from solid to gas.
In this technique, however, the ink to be used should be appropriate to the fabric to be printed upon in order to attain the best printing results. For example, reactive inks must be used for cotton while acid inks are utilized for wools and silks. This nonetheless results in brilliantly colored textile printouts. However, the process of finishing the printout can be tedious because after the printing, the fabric would need to be steamed, washed and then dried.
There are three major techniques to textile printing with the use of a wide-format printer. Each technique has its best uses, its advantages and its disadvantages.
About the Author
John C Arkin from printerinkcartridges.printcountry.com the contributor of PrintCountry Articles. More information is at Three Techniques on Textile Printing with Wide-Format Printers, and related resources can be found at Discount Ink Cartridges.