What is Dye Sublimation Printing & Why Do I Need It?
Dye Sublimation, as a process is really very simple. It is the method of applying an image to specially coated ceramics, metals and polyester cloth, using three main ingredients: sublimation ink, heat and pressure.

Sublimation ink is unique in its ability to convert from a solid to a gas without going through a liquid form. (Just like dry ice.) The conversion is initiated by heat and controlled with pressure and time.

Process of Dye Sublimation Printing
You need following for Dye sublimation Printing
  • an inkjet printer having Sublimation inks,
  • sublimation paper,
  • heat press and
  • imprintables - also known as substrates (the surface on which image is to be transferred).

The first part of the process is very simple and resembles exactly to normal process of printing. How do we print something on paper using computer and desktop printer ? Precisely in the same manner, we print the artwork (as mirror image) on the sublimation paper using sublimation ink, through any DTP software like CorelDraw, PhotoShop, etc.. Here, instead of normal paper, sublimation paper is used and instead of normal ink, dye sublimation ink is used.

After printing, this paper is kept on the surface on which this artwork / image is to be transferred (with printed surface facing downwards on the surface) and heat and pressure is applied using a heat press. The ink sublimates i.e. converts to gaseous form and gets deposited "into" the surface, thus transferring image.

Sublimation transfers are made from special sublimation dyes that penetrate synthetic materials like polyester when you apply heat and pressure. During the transfer process, the dye heats up and turns into a gas that bonds with the synthetic portion of the fabric. No other decorating process can beat sublimation for the brilliance of color and durability. Because the sublimation process dyes the fibers of a garment, instead of putting a layer of ink on top of the fabric, the image cannot crack, peel, or wear off. The trade-off with using the sublimation process is that for the chemistry to work, it must be used with shirts that have a high polyester content (at least 50%).

The more polyester in the shirt, the better the quality of the image. In the past, nobody wanted to wear a polyester shirt because they were uncomfortable and lacked many of the desirable qualities of cotton. But today, a number of manufacturers have come up with new processes that have resulted in polyester shirts that are soft, breathable, and comfortable even in warmer temperatures. These shirts have a polyester yarn on the outside to accept the transfer and a cotton yarn on the inside for comfort. You can get these shirts in light colors only since sublimation does not work on dark garments. In fact, polo shirts are also available using this special knitting process. Sublimation transfers are widely used to decorate bicycle racing jerseys.

Sublimation paper used is a specially coated paper which does not absorb the ink and thus helps in transferring maximum ink onto the surface of the immpritables.

Given below is a schematic of dye sublimation process which will help you understand it in a better sense.

So can I print on any surface using Dye Sublimation Process ?
Yes and No.... Well you must understand finer details of this process of dye sublimation tranfers to understand why am I saying this.
When heat and pressure is applied to polyester and certain polymers, the pores in their fibres open up. If substrates made up of such materials are used, then the ink in gaseous form (when it is heated) goes inside these pores of polyester / polymers. After substrate is removed from the heat press, the temperature drops down and as a result, ink solidifies, pores get closed and thus solidified ink remains "embedded" into these polyester fibres. When correctly done (i.e. by using proper pressure, temperature and time), such transfers DO NOT feel to the hand, DO NOT fade away with time, even after multiple washes.
Knowing above, now I can answer your question easily. Dye Sublimation Printing can be used on all those substrates which are made up of or can be coated with polyester.

Precisely for this same reason, you CANNOT print any NATURAL material using Dye Sublimation Printing. e.g. 100% cotton T-shirts cannot be sublimation printed as cotton does not have "fibres" and "pores" to retain the solidified sublimated ink.
However, where there is a will, there is a way. 100% cotton T-shirts can be printed using a process called Heat Transfer Printing and uses either a Laser Printer or an inkjet printer to print on either Laser Heat Transfer Papers or Inkjet Heat Transfer Papers. The images printed on these papers are then transferred onto the cotton T-shirts using the flat heat press. To know more about how to print a 100% cotton t-shirt ,please visit our HEAT PRESS