What is Polyester Fabric?
Essentially polyester is a man-made synthetic plastic resin substance. Polyester can be produced in sheet form, for items like PET bottles, or fibre form for all kind of textiles.
Polyester fabrics are heat sensitive and can be manipulated with high heat and pressure such as giving the fabric permanent pleats, laser cut with patterns and shapes. Polyester fibres can be produced in various forms allowing the manufactured fabric to imitate characteristics of fabrics traditionally produced in natural fibres.
Polyester fabrics are highly stain resistant and there is only one particular type of dyes that can alter the colour or polyester fabrics, known as disperse dyes. While these dyes can be applied to the fabric in several ways, the most common way is by dye-sublimation. Dyes are printed onto a paper substrate which is then pressed into the fabric using high temperatures and pressure. The pressing process bonds the dyes to the polyester fibres of the fabric meaning that they will never fade or wear.
Polyester fibres can also be recycled, using less energy than virgin polyester and less water than organic natural fibre production, which leads to some considering recycled polyester (rPET) a sustainable fabric for future generations. The fabric printing method of dye-sublimation is a completely dry process has no water usage and while the paper is a waste by product, all dye is absorbed by the fabric leaving no dye waste.