I currently screen print and want to be able to do smaller qtys of t shirts so am looking into sublimation. I would rather stick with cotton since it is cheaper and thta is what I stock but what I would be printing on is all grey t shirts. I understand with chromablast there will be a shadow around the image. Can anybody tell me how bad it will be? Will I be embarrased to send these finished products to a customer or is it very faint?
For sublimation what brand do you recomend? I sell 6.1oz cotton t shirts now and like that heavier quality. I have looked at Vapor a bit, pricing seems high though. Any suggestions for a decent shirt at a decent price that is 100% polyester?
I am not sure there really is an inexpsnsive quality performance shirt. Vapor makes great fabric that prints really well. Considering their shirts are designed for dye sublimation you can not go wrong. Just be advised that sublimation, like screen printing is an art form in itself. many times it is sold as something you can jump into for little many and little time. There is a learning curve involved to create professional quality prints.
Vapor Apparel makes performance apparel. This is high quality 100% polyester, which is for sublimation, and will not work with Chromablast. Chromablast is for 100% cotton and will not work on polyester. Any fabric blends in between will be reduced in quality by the percentage of the other fiber used.
In Chromablast, the shadow around the image is residual from the paper from areas where there is no ink. Where the ink prints onto the paper, a chemical reaction occurs when transferred onto the cotton, and where the ink is, it becomes permanent. Where there is NO ink on the paper, a non-permanent transfer of the carrier agent on the paper occurs onto the shirt. After washing one time, it is about 90% gone; subsequent washes and it goes away almost completely. To minimize this however, simply trimming the paper to within 1/4" or so of the actual printed area to be transferred greatly improves the appearance. Chromablast is a great way to print tshirts without spending $20k on a Brother dtg printer.
Important to remember: Sublimation = 100% polyester or polymer coated goods; Chromablast = 100% cotton goods only
I have a hybrid printer which prints both. The area around the chromoblast is more pronounced on anything but white and while it mostly goes away on whites, it tends to stay on anything else. Also, if you intend to print colors on gray or any other LIGHT color, the printed colors will be muddied or off a little. One last thing to consider is that printers don't print white , so any area that is white on your design will be the fabric color of the shirt as that area isn't printed. I have printed on gray, pink, light green, and many other light colors and they come out fine as long as you don't need EXACT colors printed. Blacks always print just fine though. If you are really interested in quality, sublimation is the way to go. There is no comparison on the quality of the print. BUT, you also have to know how to market them as high end to get more dollars out of them. Mine run about $35/ shirt.
Is that $35 for a all over print or just something small on the front and back? I dont know if I could get that much for a shirt where I live!
Im looking at getting a Dye Sub printer! I was wondering what the average price was you guys were charging for a shirt? Just a normal small something on the front and the back? and also what do ya charge for the larger prints that take up most of the shirt?
Matt,
Don't say you can't get that much for a shirt. It's all in marketing. Almost any t shirt shop charges that much for an off the shelf design. Anything custom takes time dealing with the customer, and getting the design ready to print. You need to charge for all of it as your time is worth it. Also, sublimation is very easy to market as high end, BUT you have to believe it yourself or, you're right, you won't get that much for them. You will run the gamut here in prices from 10-35 bucks or more. Charge what YOU need and think it's worth, never worry about the other guy. Pricing is all about perception, not actual cost of production. If a customer believes it is worth it, they will pay for it even if it costs no more to produce than a cheapie . While sublimation does cost a bit more to produce, the garments, prints, and the way they last are well worth the extra cost for the consumer, and your reputation.
Chromablast/Sublimation on greay shirts 
