# Dye sub printing on 100% Cotton??



## jakt (Jul 28, 2007)

I am new to this, what do you recommend for dye subbing to a 100% cotton shirt, I have seen several done on American Apparel combed and brushed cotton. What coatings or substrates or transfer paper do you recommend for a good image, or a description of a successful process?
Thanks.


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## L00T (Feb 8, 2007)

jakt said:


> I am new to this, what do you recommend for dye subbing to a 100% cotton shirt


I wouldn't recommend dye sub for printing a 100% cotton shirt. The dye sub method is actually used to print on _plastic_ substrates like polyester, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, polyurethanepolystyrene-co-acrylonitrile, polycaprolactone or mixtures thereof. A mixture with a small amount of cotton is also possible, but note the dye will not transfer to the cotton part.

You could use inkjet heat transfers to print on 100% cotton shirts.


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

I have been doing dye sub for 7 years and you can't dye sub on 100% cotton. If you are doing garments, the material must be white/ash ..light colored..and 100% polyester...or as Loot states...a polymer coating. Having said that, there are papers you can buy...press onto the cotton shirt (white) and then press a dye sub image on that newly pressed portion..what that does is lay down a polymer base that will take the dye sub but from my experience, that is not a really great press. As Loot says..for cotton use transfers like plastisol etc..


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## vctradingcubao (Nov 15, 2006)

It's not advisable, but it is possible also when using a hybrid paper, like the forever subli-dark. It's best to use laser or inkjet transfers though.


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## jakt (Jul 28, 2007)

charles95405 said:


> I have been doing dye sub for 7 years and you can't dye sub on 100% cotton. If you are doing garments, the material must be white/ash ..light colored..and 100% polyester...or as Loot states...a polymer coating. Having said that, there are papers you can buy...press onto the cotton shirt (white) and then press a dye sub image on that newly pressed portion..what that does is lay down a polymer base that will take the dye sub but from my experience, that is not a really great press. As Loot says..for cotton use transfers like plastisol etc..


Thanks for the advice. This polymer coating? How do you do that? Please forgive me for my ignorance, I am completely new at this and trying to get as much info before I buy my equipment. The reason I want to do 100% cotton so bad is I own a couple of shirts from a company that uses American Apparel combed cotton tees and the image has a great dye sub print, the print is completely soft to the touch. I just want to know how this can be done.
Thanks


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## jakt (Jul 28, 2007)

vctradingcubao said:


> It's not advisable, but it is possible also when using a hybrid paper, like the forever subli-dark. It's best to use laser or inkjet transfers though.


When you say laser and inkjet transfers you are not meaning "dye sublimation" right? If so do these transfers hold up, and are they soft to the touch? Can they be used with any color laser?
Thanks


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## vctradingcubao (Nov 15, 2006)

Well, a lot of the screen printed designs being sold by the known brands are also "soft to the touch". Yes, I also consider some laser transfers on white 100% cotton shirts "soft to the touch". For some general info, check out this good 'old PDF from hixcorp:

http://www.hixcorp.com/pdfs/digital info.pdf


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

Jakt...when you say you have a shirt that is 100% cotton that has a dye sub image??? can't be...can't be done. Or at least I have never heard of dye sub on 100% cotton. Reason is that dye sub goes into the fiber (polyester) but will not go into cotton...at the first wash your image is gone. You may have a shirt that was done with Chromablast from Sawgrass(inkjet with special ink paper)or maybe with DuraCotton(with OEM toner and laser).. Both of these will print only on white/light cotton. I must add that I am told there are laser toner (third party) that is dye sub toner.. I have never done that so... but I would be interested in the source of your tees and the method used. There are several transfer papers out that are not bad or perhaps one can buy laser printed dyesub transfers...that I don't know. If I am wrong, I am sure someone will quickly correct me.

If you want to discuss further the process of dye sub, send me a PM with phone number and I will call you...


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## D.Evo. (Mar 31, 2006)

Jakt, are you sure prints on your t-shirts are not done with DTG, waterbased inks or some kind of heat transfers? 

You may want to contact the comany who makes the shirts you are talking about and ask them whet method they are using.

I've been doing sublimation for a while and haven't come across a method to dye-sub on cotton that will look good, feel good and stay on the fabric permanently.


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## AustinJeff (May 12, 2007)

Isn't Chromablast dye sub for 100% cotton?


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

As I understand it...ChromaBlast is NOT dyesub in the true sense. I was told by Sawgrass that it incorporates a polymer coating that the image is printed on and that is what is pressed...so I don't consider chromablast dye sub any more than some others including duracotton


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## charles95405 (Feb 1, 2007)

Now that I think more of it..Chromablast and duracotton are Transfer papers which to me is just transfering an image onto a garment. Dye Sub is more. When dyesub ink and paper are subjected to heat and pressure, the heat turns the ink into a gas and the pressure forces the gas INto the garment..not ONtop.. Polyester can absorb the colors without bleeding or washing out. Cotton Can't,,,,,or so it seems to me


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

AustinJeff said:


> Isn't Chromablast dye sub for 100% cotton?


NO, it's not. However many snake oil salesmen are promoting it as such. Don't believe it. It's a beefed up version of an inkjet transfer, and a much more expensive one.


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

jakt said:


> The reason I want to do 100% cotton so bad is I own a couple of shirts from a company that uses American Apparel combed cotton tees and the image has a great dye sub print, the print is completely soft to the touch. I just want to know how this can be done.


It's impossible. Cotton shirts cannot be DyeSub'd.

If it's a soft print, it's likely DTG or screen printed using water-based, reduced plastisol or discharge inks. There are several ways to get a soft print on a cotton shirt, but DyeSub is not one of them.


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## mystysue (Aug 27, 2006)

Rusty.. I have dyesubed 100% cotton.. using a pretreat.. I dyesub 50/50 blends all the time..


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## rusty (Feb 9, 2007)

mystysue said:


> Rusty.. I have dyesubed 100% cotton.. using a pretreat.. I dyesub 50/50 blends all the time..


Actually, you've DyeSub'd the pretreat, which coats the cotton. Cotton does not DyeSub. So yes, there are some tricks to put a DyeSub image on a cotton shirt, but the cotton is not dyed as the polyester is in a true DyeSub. Some also sell a polymer coated carrier paper that is DyeSub'd and then fused to cotton, but it's just a more expensive version of a dark garment opaque inkjet transfers.

I saw your post, and it looks like you have some good success using the laser toners and the polymer spray. It's something to look into.


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## jakt (Jul 28, 2007)

mystysue said:


> Rusty.. I have dyesubed 100% cotton.. using a pretreat.. I dyesub 50/50 blends all the time..


Mystysue,
What pretreat do you use? I plan to use both 50/50 and 100% if possible. thanks.


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## mystysue (Aug 27, 2006)

I use a product called soft coat .. it is made by ATI..
I am not sure if it works for other kinda dyesub other than the laser.. but have heard that it does..
I would recomend contacting Walt from Dye-sublimation toner, white toner, transfer paper, release paper and Geo Knight heat presses.
as he has a yahoo group that alot belong to that use the product and He knows what it will and wont work on.. (he also sells it)...
It cost about 20.00 for 16 oz.. but in the hvlp sprayer it goes on in a fine mist and actually goes a long way.....


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## turborip (Dec 4, 2010)

I think dyesub on cotton will be available using cotton dyesub coating liquid !!! 
But after washing the endurance in not so good, but about T/C, T/R fabric, it's really good ! very good vivid color and also after wash also good !!!


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