As amazing as sublimation is, it’s not suitable for all types of clothes. In fact, using the wrong shirt fabric would make the printing dull and unattractive. Worse, the shirt could melt.
These are some qualities to note when picking the type of shirt you want to sublimate:
1. Durability
The first quality of a shirt that makes it ideal for sublimation is that it must be durable. How long-lasting is the shirt, can it withstand pressure, heat, and harsh weather conditions?
For a fabric to be considered ideal for sublimation printing it must have a high resistance to wear and tear. If not the sublimation design will eventually start to fade and crack within a short period of time.
So, it’s important that you always select a T-shirt with unique durability and adequate amount of polymers.
2. The Fit
Another key factor to consider is the T-shirt’s wearability. It’d be a waste of time and resources to imprint a design on a shirt that you won’t wear in the long run.
There are many shirts that are uncomfortable because of tight fittings and stickiness to the skin when sweating.
Tight-fitted shirts may lead to the cracking and peeling of the sublimation design while loosely-fitted may cause design distortion.
Therefore before purchasing a shirt for sublimation you should try it out and ensure you feel comfortable in it.
3. Eco-friendly
Every fabric on the sublimation material list must be able to adapt to change in environment and surroundings.
Recycled polyester and organic cotton fabrics are regarded as eco-friendly materials because they are made from nature and free from the use of chemicals and carcinogens.
4. Texture
The feel of the fabric actually has a lot of impact on the quality of the sublimation printing. In essence, the best fabric texture to work with are T-shirts with very smooth and tight surfaces like the polyester shirts.
Having a smooth surface allows for a coherent and clear sublimation design while a rough texture may cause distortion of print.
5. High Melting Point
During sublimation, fabrics pass through a heating press of about 170°C – 200°C. At this temperature, materials with a low melting point will easily melt away or decompose before the process is completed.
Hence, you need a shirt material that can withstand this heat for at least one minute without causing any form of permanent deformation to its intricate molecules.
