Dye-sublimation printing works best with white or light-colored polyester fabrics. Dye-sublimation works by bonding exclusively to polyester fibers, which means cotton fabrics are a no-go. As far as garment colors go, you will get the most vibrant prints on white T-shirts and apparel. You can sublimate onto other colored garments, but because dye-sublimation ink is translucent, your image will take on the color of the garment. For example, a blue design on a white shirt will appear blue, but a blue design on a yellow shirt will appear green.
To get the best prints, remember these two fundamental rules:
- The image always needs to be darker than the color of the garment. You can print black on any garment, but the darker the garment, the less you will see the image.
- The printed image will take on the color of the garment.
—Coastal Business Supplies
