How to Sublimate on Dark Color T-Shirts/Shirts?

Wow! 

What an amazing black coloured t-shirt with the bright coloured design printed on it. It looks so amazing and easy to print! But it is not so easy. Selecting vinyl or proper bleach is tedious work. That’s what I felt while working on the dark-coloured t-shirt/shirt. Everything is similar to the printing on the white or bright coloured t-shirts/shirts but what differs is its dark colour and for that using bleach or spray to do the work.

I’ve learned a lot of things through my tried and tested method with 15+ years of experience in it. And now I’m here to share all my knowledge & expertise with you. Which will help you to minimise your mistakes, save costs, retain clients, and grow your business. Want the same? So with that, let’s go!

What are the Material Required for Sublimate On Dark Color T-Shirts

The materials required to sublimate the dark-coloured t-shirt/shirt are as follows:

• Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV):

I always use premium quality HTV preferably glitter white. It makes the colours pop up by providing a white or light-coloured base.

• Substrate:

It is the material on which you will sublimate the required design. Personally, I use dark-coloured t-shirts/shirts as substrate material.

• Sublimation Ink:

This is a special type of dye-based ink that, by applying heat and pressure in the right format, directly transforms into gas without liquefying & pops on the t-shirt perfectly used in sublimation printing.

Following are some popular options for the sublimation ink which i have used:

• Epson Sublimation Ink: Specifically formulated for the use of Epson printers.
• Sawgrass SubliJet-R Ink: Designed for use in Ricoh printers. (I specially use this)
• SubliMate Ink: Designed for use with various popular brands of printers.
• Inktec SubliNova Smart Ink: Designed to use with various popular brands printers.

You may also check – What Is Sublimation Ink

Image/Design:

You can use the images in the format like, 

• PNG
• JPEG
• SVG
• PDF
• PSD
• EPS
• TIFF

But I recommend saving your print file in PNG format with a resolution of 300 DPI.

• Sublimation Printer:

It is used to print the design on special transfer paper/ sublimation paper. You also need computers and design software.

You cannot sublimate with the normal printer. It is necessary to use a high-DPI printer to achieve accuracy, clarity and longevity. 

DPI – Dots Per Inch, more the DPI, higher the print quality

• Monitor:

Used for proper colour setting.

Calibrate the monitor properly and regularly to obtain the desired results.

For that,

• Make the design ready and it is best to use a PNG image.
• If your image is not PNG then try to save it in the PNG format.
• Give the “PRINT” command.
• Make some settings flash in the window like select 

The colour mode: Vivid

The colour palette: Default

Take the printout

• Heat Press:

In the sublimation printing process, you are always in need of a heat source to apply heat and pressure in uniform quantities.

There are many heat press machines available in the market like Clamshell, Swing Away, Draw Type, Sublimation Type, etc. I have used all of them and as per my recommendation you can use any of them depending on your budget. 

Also, Different materials required different heat press settings. So first do a trial and error method before going for the final work.

It gives you clarity about the heat and pressure parameters accurately for the material you are using. Always refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Pro tip: Preheat your heat press before using

• Sublimation Paper/Special Transfer Paper:

It is a thicker paper with a special coating on it. Always use high-quality sublimation paper specially designed for dark-coloured clothes. It prevents the ink from bleeding out. 

You may also check – What Is Sublimation Paper?

• Vinyl Cutter:

It is an automated cutting machine used to cut vinyl during sublimation. Some popular vinyl cutters available in the market are Cricut, Silhouette, Brother ScanNCut, Graphtec, etc.

• Teflon Coating Sheet/ Parchment Paper:

It is used as the protective layer, saving the cloth from the adverse effects of the temperature.

What can you use instead of Teflon Coating Sheet/Parchment Paper?

You can use a double-sided non-stick Teflon sheet, parchment paper or butcher paper.

• Thermal Tape:

It is the heat-resistant tape used to secure the sublimation unit (i.e., shirt & printing paper with design combo) while sublimation. It prevents the design from moving during the printing process.

• Sublimation Coating Spray:

It is a white-coloured liquid solution or chemical. After spraying, it forms the layer on the material and creates a false polyester environment on the material on which sublimation is done. So that the dye colours merge with the fibre properly, sublimation is done right and the desired results are obtained.

Step by Step Guide on How To Sublimate On Dark Color T-Shirt/Shirts:

There are 2 methods, which matter the most, by which sublimation on dark t-shirts/shirts can be done.

Method 1: Use of Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) as a base layer:

This is my favourite method, which I use most of the time. In this method, the light or white coloured HTV is applied to the dark shirt/t-shirt, place the design on the shirt and sublimate it to get the desired result.

The step-by-step guide on how to do sublimation by using HTV is as follows:

Step 1: Design

The first and foremost thing is to decide the design which you want to print before going for the printing.

Finalise the design

Work on it using the software that you are using and best suited to your cutting machine. (Cutting Machine: used to cut the vinyl).

Copy the two mirror images. One was used for printing and another was used to cut the vinyl.

Size of the design: adjust according to the space available for printing on your shirt/t-shirt.

Step 2: Vinyl Cutting

It can be done according to your choice, cut it in a round, circle or in a design shape that you think is good according to the space available for printing.

Note: If the size of the design is big, then cut the design in its outline as a whole and don’t cut it in between the design cavities to avoid smudging.

It is necessary to use light or white-coloured HTV.

Step 3:Printing

Print the design on the sublimation sheet using the most needed adjustments.

The cut vinyl and the sublimation paper must be of the same size.

Do the required adjustments and print the design.

Note: Take the printed paper aside for some time to avoid smudge and smear.

Step 4: Heat press the vinyl

Note: The t-shirt/shirt must be free from creases and moisture-free.

Always pre-press the t-shirt/shirt before going for the printing to avoid creases and moisture distractions.

Place the vinyl on the t-shirt/shirt.

Secure the vinyl with a Teflon sheet

Follow the user manual guidelines for temperature, pressure and time settings.

Step 5: Press the design

Place the design on HTV (It should be noted here that the design should be placed facing down)

Cut the extra paper along the border to make the proper alignment.

Secure the design and HTV and design combo with heat-resistant tape.

Now it’s time to apply the heat. Prepare the heat press.

I use the temperature-time setting of my heat press for the dark-coloured shirts are, 400⁰ F or 204⁰ C for 60 seconds.

Note: it can be different or can vary for each setting, please use a trial on your setting first before going for the final work.

Now that HTV is pressed, allow it some time to cool.

Case 1) Dark coloured t-shirt/shirt with 100% polyester material:

Sublimation is best done on the 100% polyester material. So when it comes to the sublimation on dark polyester shirts/t-shirts , it is necessary to use white HTV as the base layer, apply the design and then sublimate it. With that you can print high resolution pictures, obtain vibrancy and most importantly you don’t have to bleach on the t-shirt/shirt.

Case 2) Dark coloured t-shirt/shirt with 100% cotton material:

Suppose the dark coloured shirt/t-shirt is of pure cotton material then, use the above mentioned step to sublimation printing.

As direct sublimation printing is not recommendable for cotton material. You can do the sublimation printing on the cotton material by using HTV or by using the sublimation spray as the base layer.

Method 2) By Using Bleach:

Another method of sublimation printing on dark coloured shirts/t-shirts is to use bleach. In this method the bleach is applied to the area on which the printing process will be done. The step by step guide on how to make this happens in reality are as follows:

Step 1: Design:

The first and the foremost thing is to decide the design before going to the printing.

Finalise the design and print it on the sublimation paper.

Give some time to let it dry completely.

Step 2: Use the cardboard

Place the cardboard in between the layers of the dark shirt/t-shirt.

If you don’t place the cardboard in between the layers of the shirt, the bleach affects the other side of the shirt/t-shirt.

Step 3: Bleach Spray

Measure the design dimension.

Spray the bleach on the shirt on which you want the design.

Note: The bleached area should be big enough that the design should be well fixed to that area.

Step 4: Washing

After bleaching, wash the shirt/t-shirt with detergent and give it some time to dry and to be free from the moisture.

Step 5: Printing:

The bleached area is completely light-coloured now.

Place the sublimation sheet inverted on it

Secure it with the heat resistant tape

Apply heat

Your design is ready!

You may also check – What is Heat Press Machine

Conclusion:

Now you read all the step-by-step guides given and followed by me, which are my tried and tested method of my experience. From using HTV to bleaching, all I discuss. By following all the steps, I’m so confident that you will adopt the skill of printing, and with this whole guide, you will rock with your sublimation printing.

So wish you the best luck and happy printing.

Let your art rock!