Newbie question/ Black T-shirt print with sublimation

1050 Views 8 Replies 6 Participants Last post by NoXid, Dec 22, 2017

kostasfmx

Discussion Starter · Dec 21, 2017

Hello there
I was wondering if it possible to print an black T-shirt 100percent polyester with full detail image A4 size and have as results brilliant colors and soft feeling like DTG printing?
If it possible can you name the paper and the ink ?
P.s I am located in Germany and the Cobra inks not shipped here

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Amw

· #2 · Dec 21, 2017

kostasfmx said:
Hello there
I was wondering if it possible to print an black T-shirt 100percent polyester with full detail image A4 size and have as results brilliant colors and soft feeling like DTG printing?
If it possible can you name the paper and the ink ?
P.s I am located in Germany and the Cobra inks not shipped here

The only way your going to get a sublimation print on a black shirt is if you start with a white shirt and sublimate the whole shirt.
Dye sublimation requires white or light colors to work.

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kostasfmx

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 21, 2017

Thanks a lot! I think I must continue my quest print in black T-shirt -soft hand with another method because I think make a white T-shirt black i spend too much ink and the cost for a T-shirt goes high
Correct me if I am wrong!
But I learn something new every day here in this forum and I really want to see this method I have a request:
Is there a video in YouTube that I can see how to make a white T-shirt into a black T-shirt with graphics on it?
Many many thanks for your time!

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Amw

· #4 · Dec 21, 2017

kostasfmx said:
Thanks a lot! I think I must continue my quest print in black T-shirt -soft hand with another method because I think make a white T-shirt black i spend too much ink and the cost for a T-shirt goes high
Correct me if I am wrong!
But I learn something new every day here in this forum and I really want to see this method I have a request:
Is there a video in YouTube that I can see how to make a white T-shirt into a black T-shirt with graphics on it?
Many many thanks for your time!

The ink cost is very minor in the whole process.
Here is a video...not of a black shirt...but the process is the same just different art.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYmsb_mfsIw

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mgparrish

· #5 · Dec 21, 2017

kostasfmx said:
Hello there
I was wondering if it possible to print an black T-shirt 100percent polyester with full detail image A4 size and have as results brilliant colors and soft feeling like DTG printing?
If it possible can you name the paper and the ink ?
P.s I am located in Germany and the Cobra inks not shipped here

As a practical matter you cannot sublimate onto dark material, even if the material is polymer based.

Technically you can sublimate dark polymer material, the disperse dyes (sublimation dyes) will 100% bond onto a polymer, the issue is that the dye is not opaque and the less than opaque dye will show the dark surface below ... it sublimated but you can't really see it well. No different than if you did regular inkjet printing on black paper.

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Signature Series

· #6 · Dec 21, 2017

The last thing you want to do is to take a premade white shirt and try to press it all black with graphics. It will look like garbage. Furthermore you would need a at least a 30 x 40 press.

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splathead

· #7 · Dec 21, 2017

Signature Series said:
Furthermore you would need a at least a 30 x 40 press.

And a large format inkjet printer. A desktop printer will not work.

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kostasfmx

Discussion Starter · #8 · Dec 22, 2017

Many thanks for the answers! Ok how about if with sublimation make first a white (mask) layer from the design , transfer to black t-shirt and then transfer the design above the white layer! I mean if it is possible to make with sublimation the same Technic that DTG use !

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NoXid

· #9 · Dec 22, 2017

kostasfmx said:
Many thanks for the answers! Ok how about if with sublimation make first a white (mask) layer from the design , transfer to black t-shirt and then transfer the design above the white layer! I mean if it is possible to make with sublimation the same Technic that DTG use !

There is no such thing as white sublimation ink. Yes, you can create a white area and sublimate to it using various materials/techniques, but that white layer will be a plastic layer with hand feel. One of the major reasons people sublimate is to avoid hand feel, but sublimating over a layer of white plastic obviously defeats that goal.

The only way to print on black garments and not have hand feel is to screen print with discharge inks ... and that does not work on polyester.

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