What Is Dye Sublimation
Digital fabric printing radically changed the textile and fashion design industries in the late 1980’s with the introduction of sublimation printing in the 1990’s taking the impact up a few notches. The creative possibilities, aesthetics and photographic replication considerably increased a designer’s choice for quality printed fashion textiles. The constant innovation in technology continues to open doors to all areas of digitally printed textiles.
With the only ‘set up’ concerning the development of the design itself and with a rapid turnaround, printing fabric digitally is ideal for an ever evolving consumer market whether it be fashion garments or soft furnishings and interiors.
There is no need for time consuming colour separations or the creation of film positives. Minimums are low and multiple designs can be digitally printed one after the other on the same roll. There are endless possibilities when it comes to the design or artwork. From graphic and highly textured effects to the crystal clear reproduction of the highest quality photographs, digital fabric printing is at the edge of the creative imagination.
There is also the argument that digital fabric printing can be a more environmental with a closed-loop printing process especially when considering digital sublimation printing. Sublimation printing is specific to polyester fabrics where the dyes used are generated to bind on a molecular level with the fibre in the material (as opposed to sitting on top of the material face). The argument is that, for example, cotton (even organic) has a larger footprint than polyester when you compare factors such as water usage and pollutant hazards; renewable and recyclable sources; and the potential for a closed-loop production cycle including the printing production used as well, hence why printing digitally is so great.
Simply put, with minimal restrictions and countless benefits and avenues to take your designs, what are you waiting for? Print fabric digitally, print with Digital Fabrics!
