How to Do Sublimation On Colored Shirts?

The following article goes into the finest details of How to Do Sublimation On Colored Shirts? and how to use it as a beginner.

Do you find that wearing the same colour repeatedly makes you feel bored? Are you someone who like the way your shirt is stitched but dislikes the colour of the garment? Do not be concerned; we will instruct you on how to perform sublimation on colored shirt in order to give it a fresh appearance.

Sublimation On Colored Shirts

Sublimation can be applied to shirts of any colour. The contrast and vibrancy of the printed image will appear differently for each individual. However, the outcomes will vary. The white shirt draws attention to the colours on it, making them pop. The dark shirt, on the other hand, has the least amount of contrast, and the blue shirt appears slightly different than the white shirt. As a result, we conclude that if the clothing is darker, the printed image will be less visible.

White or other light-colored shirts work the best when sublimated onto, as opposed to darker colours. Sublimation can be applied to dark-colored or black shirts, but in order for this to work, a unique procedure must be used, such as adding a layer of white heat-transfer vinyl beneath the picture. This must be done before the sublimation process can begin.

The inaccuracy of the colors produced by colored shirt sublimation is a significant issue. When printing on shirts that aren’t white, getting the colour just right can be a real challenge. However, there is no need to be concerned about anything at all because we will explain everything in great detail.

We have high hopes that you will be able to find the answer to the question “can you sublimate on coloured shirt?” after reading this article, and we encourage you to do so.

How to Do Sublimation On Colored Shirts

If this is the case, then performing sublimation on coloured shirts seems like it would be a compromise. Therefore, the test is about to begin. On a coloured T-shirt, I carried out a number of tests and experiments, such as pressing with a variety of images, altering the time, temperature, and pressure of the heat press, conducting a wash test, and so on. The most challenging aspect of this project was executing a flawless colour reproduction on a background that was not white.

 Because there is no white ink available for sublimation printing, it is not possible to print on a white background and obtain the same level of print quality as with the white shirt.

People who followed my approach were successful in sublimating onto objects that were not white. Because the method was put to the test and shown to work for a number of people, including myself, I will explain to you the steps that need to be taken in order to do sublimation on colored shirts. This approach is going to work for you even if your shirt is not made of 100 percent polyester or a combination of cotton and polyester that is 65 percent polyester and 25 percent cotton. Proceed by going through the steps that are listed below:

1. Ensure that your design is darker than the garment.

This is the most important strategy. During the course of my design trials, I discovered that light-hued graphics looked great on white shirts but did not look as good on coloured shirts. This was the case regardless of the colour of the shirt. As a result, I considered the idea of preparing artwork that was considerably darker than the fabric.

Solid colours, whether they are flat or toned, work well. Any sections of the photograph that are white will not be printed onto the fabric and will instead seem to be the same colour as the garment. You can use Sublijet HD ink if you want to create photos of a high quality and give them a print finish that looks professional. If your ink is functioning properly, there is no need to switch brands. If you are going to purchase fresh sublimation ink, you might be ready to retrieve it.

2. Preheat your heat press.

After you have finished printing your design onto the sublimation paper, get the heat press ready to use. Maintain a temperature of 190 degrees Celsius and apply a mild to medium level of pressure when pressing.

3. Position your shirt and perform a preliminary press.

Put your shirt into the heat press so that the surface that will be printed on is facing up. Using a lint roller, even out the surface and get rid of any wrinkles or fibres that are sticking out. After that, give the garment a quick pre-press for a few seconds. Put a Teflon sheet on top is most important.

4. Lay your design

Place your design on top of the t-shirt, making sure that the printed side is facing down. Put some heat-resistant tape on it to fix it, and then lay the Teflon sheet on top of that.

5. Firmly press the pattern.

50 seconds should be spent pressing at a temperature that has been set (in step 2) while applying mild to medium pressure. After the allotted time for pressing has passed, lift the heat press, remove the teflon sheet, and then carefully but quickly peel the sublimation paper away from the surface.

Note that the print will still be little moist after the paper has been removed from the garment. Therefore, remove it cautiously so as not to smudge the paper by rubbing it on the fabric. This will result in a ghosting effect during the sublimation process, which will make your print unusable.

Some important tips for sublimation on color shirt:

1. Using the Virtuoso printers (desktop) to figure one penny per inch. Of course the bigger your equipment this changes to less, as you can buy refillable carts with liter inks
2. Sublimation will not work on black or dark garments because there is no white ink. To get black shirts, most operators would completely (full-bleed) print a shirt black with the desired images. Sublimation requires polyester to work.
3. How big your design is depends on how your printer can print, your heat press size, and the size of your garment.

FAQs

Conclusion:

If you follow my method step by step, sublimation on coloured shirts won’t be nearly as challenging as you might think.