Surajmal Shobhachand supplies sublimation-printed sports jerseys, leggings, cycling tops and T-shirts from India. Prints can cover the garment or sit as a placed design.
Sublimation transfers colour into polyester with heat.
Sublimation-printed garments we supply
Have a style in mind? Send a reference garment and the quantity, and we quote it with sublimation printing.
Request a similar style→Sublimation or direct-to-film (DTF)?
Sublimation on light polyester
Sublimation leaves no surface ink layer, so the cloth keeps its hand. Specify white or light polyester.
DTF on dark cloth
DTF transfers pigment ink from film with a hot-melt adhesive. Its white ink allows printing on dark cotton or polyester.
Specify the garment base colour separately from the artwork colours.
Quote sublimation and DTF
Send the garment design and quantity. We quote it both ways.
Specifying sublimation on a tech pack
- Garment reference
- Name the style and link its drawing or reference photograph.
- Artwork link
- Link the artwork for each design.
- Fabric composition and GSM
- Give each fibre percentage, the construction and weight. See polyester for fabric choices.
- Ground colour
- Give the base colour of the cloth.
- Print coverage
- Specify an all-over design or a placed print, with its position marked.
- Printing stage
- Choose printing on garment panels or on the finished garment. See digital printing for garment and fabric printing options.
- Print dimensions
- State the finished width and height of each print, or the repeat dimensions.
- Colour references
- Include a reference for each artwork colour.
- Quantities per design
- Give garment quantities by size and colourway.
- Care and tests
- State the intended care instructions and required colourfastness grades.
Not sure of every line? Tell us what you are planning, and we will advise on what works best.
Send this as a brief→The paper-transfer process
- 1
Print the paper
An inkjet printer prints the artwork as a mirror image on sublimation paper.
- 2
Transfer with heat
Heat turns the dye on the paper from solid to gas. The dye vapour enters the fibre.
- 3
Cool the fabric
As the fabric cools, the polyester holds the dye inside the fibre.
Tests for sublimation-printed garments
| Test | Method | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Colourfastness to washing[1] | ISO 105-C06 | Colour resistance to domestic or commercial laundering with a reference detergent. |
| Colourfastness to perspiration[2] | ISO 105-E04 | Colour resistance to human perspiration. |
| Colourfastness to rubbing[3] | ISO 105-X12 | Colour rubbed off onto other materials, and the staining it leaves. |
| Colourfastness to light[4] | ISO 105-B02 | Colour change under an artificial light source representative of daylight (D65). |
| Colourfastness to dry heat[5] | AATCC TM117 | Colour resistance to dry heat, excluding pressing. |
Common questions about sublimation printing
Can you do sublimation printing on cotton T-shirts?
No, not on untreated cotton. Cotton has no affinity for disperse dyes. For cotton T-shirts, we offer screen printing.
Can you do sublimation printing on black T-shirts?
No. Sublimation has no white ink to cover a black ground. We can quote the garment with a DTF print.
Sublimation vs screen printing: what is the difference?
Sublimation uses disperse dye; plastisol screen-printing inks contain pigments. For a screen-printed garment, specify the ink type and finish.
Is sublimation the same as digital printing or DTG?
No. Sublimation is a digital printing technique. Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing uses inkjet technology to apply ink directly to the garment. See digital printing for the wider method choices.
How much does sublimation printing cost in India?
The garment quote needs the artwork, print area, fabric specification and quantities per design.
A question this does not answer? Ask us directly and we reply within 24 hours.
Planning a sublimated range?
Send the styles, artwork links and quantities per design for a range quote. We reply within 24 hours.
Discuss your requirement→