# Pigment vs. Sublimation



## johnsimon123 (Sep 5, 2013)

hey,

so i want to sublimate onto tshirts but im not sure if i should use sublimation or pigment printing. 

Cost wise it seems to make more sense to do pigment because i think that that is much cheaper than sublimation right? 

Honestly im not very familiar with what pigment printing is exactly, i know about sublimation, but not pigment. 

If someone could tell me more about and the pros and cons, that would be great! 

Will the result and quality of the fabric print be the same on both? 

in pigment, does the ink become a part of the fabric and will never fade away or is it like screen printing and after washing many times will fade. 

And also any recommendations for pigment printers in los angeles. 

Thank you,


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

there is a very long thread here that discusses this...If I find the link I will post it. Basically pigment ink is for inkjet transfers and DOES NOT bond with the fabric as sublimation does. It creates a transfer using the proper paper and heat press on the garment for a specific time/temp. The resulting image may or may not last longer than a screen print...just depends on the type transfer BUT it will never equal sublimation in terms of lasting or color...It will start to fade after just a few washings. 
Edit....you will see the term pigment dye ink...and dye sublimation ink...two entirely different type of ink...pigment ink is cheaper...but then so is the resultant image. It will work for some...but I prefer to use sublimation and DTG


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## mgparrish (Jul 9, 2005)

johnsimon123 said:


> hey,
> 
> so i want to sublimate onto tshirts but im not sure if i should use sublimation or pigment printing.
> 
> ...


I marked up in your questions above.


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## sais (Sep 2, 2013)

this is very educational...


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