# Printing Dyesub on Cotton?



## Act (Jun 3, 2007)

What happens. I heared that you get a "washed" out look. Is this true? Can someone show me a pic?


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## PrintMonkey (Jul 15, 2006)

Dyesub ink does not bond to cotton. It will wash out.
Want to know more about sublimation then go here.
DyeSub.org - An educational site for dye sublimation and digital transfer printing..
Click on the "Articles" link and do some reading.

M


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## DAGuide (Oct 2, 2006)

The concept is pretty simple The dye sub ink will only adhere to only the polyester fabric or a ployester coating. There are specialty made 100% polyester shirts or hard substrates that already have a polyester coating on it. If you have a shirt that is 65/35 - 65% of your design will stick to the polyester and 35% of the design will wash away. If you have 100% cotton, then basically no dye sub ink will adhere to your shirt. Hope this helps.


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## Dingbat (Jun 12, 2007)

Dye sublimation describes the process of a material (ink) that goes from a solid state, directly to a gas, without becoming a liquid first. Applied heat causes the reaction. Sublimation ink is printed onto a special non absorbing sublimation paper. Epson printers are the most common for this task as they use a piezo-electric process to spray the ink, unlike HP printers which use heat (heat at this point destroys the process). Your image is then pressed onto a special substrate (polyester) which has a porous surface. The heat causes the pores to open, the ink becomes a gas, filling the pores. The material cools, closing the pores making the ink part of the material. 

The items you press sublimation pictures to, must either be coated with a special sublimation substrate, (mugs, tiles, wood, etc) or be a material that will accept and retain the ink, (poly, plastic, etc.).

Hope this helps!


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## Act (Jun 3, 2007)

Thanks guys.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Act said:


> What happens. I heared that you get a "washed" out look. Is this true? Can someone show me a pic?


It's true if you use a 50/50 shirt. If you do a forum search there have been a picture or two posted of dye sublimation on poly cotton blend shirts.


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## skdave (Apr 11, 2008)

Anybody can print on cotton using Dye sub.
Also anybody can wash it out after the first wash. So what is your point other than wasting my read time?


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## gtordave (May 27, 2010)

The washed picture looks very faded compared to the original. And if that is only one wash then I can't imagine what it will look like after 10 washes. Look at the red headband adn the red helmet to see what I am talking about.


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