Cathy...there is a full detailed thread under sublimation...basically it is using special ink/paper/printer and that image is transfered to a garment or object...with garments..it has to be 100%polyester (not cotton or blends) in white/pastel and the heat of the press turns the ink into a gas and the pressure forces the gas into the garment where it bonds with the polyester fiber..it cotton is presence..it will not bond and will wash out If you are doing mugs, tiles, etc the objects must have polymer coating...incidently the ink is quite costly...for 4 carts of dye sub ink will cost about $300
Cathy...there is a full detailed thread under sublimation...basically it is using special ink/paper/printer and that image is transfered to a garment or object...with garments..it has to be 100%polyester (not cotton or blends) in white/pastel and the heat of the press turns the ink into a gas and the pressure forces the gas into the garment where it bonds with the polyester fiber..it cotton is presence..it will not bond and will wash out If you are doing mugs, tiles, etc the objects must have polymer coating...incidently the ink is quite costly...for 4 carts of dye sub ink will cost about $300
I see. Does the print last after washing? Sounds cheap.
I see. Does the print last after washing? Sounds cheap.
It's not cheap, and it does last. The biggest enemy of a finished dye sublimation article is heat: if it gets hot enough again (through ironing for example) the ink can heat back into a gas and escape, resulting in fading.
Dye sublimation is a specialist technique - it's not appropriate for all applications, but the one's it is appropriate for it is exceptional at.
What exactly is dye sublimation? 
