With Merakology, you can use sublimation printing to make the whole product your canvas
Sublimation printing has truly revolutionized the world of branding. With its ability to produce bright, bold, and high-quality images at an affordable cost, it’s no wonder why so many businesses are turning to this technique for their promotional merchandise and corporate gifts.
Sublimation printing is a technique that embeds your design into the material of your chosen product rather than printing on top of it. It’s used to print on various items, ranging from hard-surfaced mugs to various textile products.
The process of sublimation printing involves using a digital full-colour printer with special sublimation inks to transfer artwork onto a product. The inks are then heated, causing them to migrate from the transfer paper onto the product, resulting in a durable and vibrant print. This method allows for photorealistic images that would not have been possible with traditional silk screen printing methods.
One of the major advantages of sublimation printing is its affordability. It can be used on a wide range of materials and produces high-resolution prints that are long-lasting and won’t fade or wash off. This makes it an ideal choice for branding products like screen cleaners, lanyards, mugs, and more.
While sublimation printing is great for detailed and colourful designs, screen printing is better suited for more simple designs like slogans or logos. Screen printing requires multiple stencils for each design, which can be costly and time-consuming for intricate artwork. Sublimation printing, on the other hand, can easily reproduce photorealistic images with multiple colours.
Sublimation transfers vs. cut & sew sublimation
In the textile industry, products printed using sublimation can be divided into two groups: ready-made products and cut & sew products. We sublimate ready-made socks, towels, blankets, and laptop sleeves, but create the rest of our sublimation products using the cut & sew technique. Most of our cut & sew items are clothes, but we also have accessories and home decor.
In the case of ready-made sublimation shirts, design prints are transferred directly onto the shirts. When sublimation paper is aligned with the shirts, areas around the seams might be folded and not get sublimated, and the shirts could end up with white streaks. To avoid this from happening to our all-over print shirts, we sew them from scratch using the cut & sew technique.
First, our team of experts prints the design on a sheet of fabric, rather than a ready-made tee. We then cut the fabric into multiple sections—front, back, and both sleeves—and sew them together. This way there are no white streaks in sight.
Since sublimation ink seeps into the very fabric of the product, sublimation prints don’t crack, peel, or fade away. Even after multiple washes, the print will look as good as new. It’s a great selling point to assure customers that your product will serve them for years to come.
Whether you’re looking to brand promotional products or corporate gifts, sublimation printing is a versatile and effective method that can bring your artwork to life. With its affordability, high-quality prints, and durability, it’s a fantastic option for businesses looking to make a lasting impression with their branding. So why not give sublimation printing a try and see the difference it can make for your branding needs?
© Jolene Barnes @ Merakology Creative Studio | 3rd July 2024