So spoiler alert cotton is not the greatest material for dye sublimation.
Sublimation printing on cotton fabric.
You can actually read more about sublimation here if you are not familiar with the term.
There are several things to learn when using dye sublimation on fabrics for items like t shirts dresses tablecloths custom tents etc.
Cotton not too great for dye sublimation printing.
Sublimation printing for light cotton fabric yellow line heat transfer paper 8 5 x 11 50 42 99 in stock.
Check it out if you want to learn more about the types of fabric that can be used with sublimation printing.
First option is to use a special polyester.
Do the fabrics have to be 100 polyester.
All over designs where a pattern or image covers the entire print are a popular option when using this process as it s easy to do.
Sublimation prints were normally used for polyester and similar synthetics but sublimation on cotton is possible with a special treatment before.
As an overview sublimation ink reacts with polyester to make a permanent bond with the fabric fibers leaving you with a professional finish.
How to use sublimation on cotton.
The reason why cotton isn t commonly used in dye sublimation is because the natural fibers in the cotton won t permanently bond with the dyes in the sublimation ink.
When you are a sublimation beginner you ll find a lot of people recommending polyester as a fabric for sublimation.
In fact it s straight up not good.
Sublimation printing on fabric.