Dye Sublimation Printing and Woven Designs
Dye-sublimation is a process in which specialized inks called disperse dyes are printed onto transfer paper using a sublimation printer and then heat-pressed onto a polyester substrate. In this process, the transfer paper is placed on a heat transfer calendar with the fabric substrate and sublimated to the fibers of the material. When heated (400F for approximately 40 seconds) these specialized inks change from a solid to a gas and enter the polyester fibers of a fabric.
This “sublimation” technique produces brilliant vivid colors and opens new possibilities such as the production of halftone effects. Since the dispersed dyes are permanently captured inside of the finished product, the results are a long-lasting graphic that is fully washable. Polyester fabrics come in a variety of textures and are used to produce beautiful designs, vivid colors, various scale sizes and provide interior designers a less expensive option to produce a custom printed dye sublimation product. With digital technology patterns or images can be sublimated to fabrics for commercial use. The customer is no longer limited to woven pattern designs, roller printing or screen printing that have been limited by the fabric’s widths.
Advantages
The biggest advantage of dye sublimation is that this process produces a product that is noticeably more durable than a product printed on an inkjet printer. Because the dyes become part of the fabric itself, the printing cannot be damaged with wear, nor can it be cracked or flake off. The dye sublimation products are more visually appealing and involve a continuous tone output when producing. This results in the manufacturing of a smoother and brighter color transition than other printing techniques, with a superior look and sleeker finish. Manufacturing also does not require large minimum production runs for custom colors or specialty designs.
Hospitality, Healthcare, and Commercial Uses
Polyesters are the perfect substrate for large format custom dye sublimation printing used in a variety of treatments.
Window treatments
Drapery
Bedding
Cubicle curtains
Sheers
Pillows
Woven Patterns
Woven patterns are produced by weaving textile fibers together, overlapping the fibers to make them flexible and comfortable. The strands incorporated into the fabrics are two basic components of warp and weft. The warp runs the length of the fabric, and the weft runs across the warp crossing over and under the warp, establishing a weave style.
Jacquard weave
Is produced on a special loom to create an intricate design. The loom that produces the design operates with electronic controllers or mechanical punch cards to lift the warp fibers at the precise time to create the fabric designs. The Jacquard weave usually combines two or more basic weaves, with different weaves used in the design and background. Fabrics of this type are costly because of the time and skill involved making the Jacquard cards, and preparing the loom to produce a new pattern and the speed of the weave used to create the design.
Various patterns and scales can be produced by the loom to create beautiful textiles. Each yarn used must be dyed to provide color to the woven material pattern. Multiple colors can be used to produce a multi-colored design product.
The dyes used to create colors depend on the type of material and specific requirements to be met. There are several types of dyes; acid dyes, mordant, sulfur, azoic, vat, and disperse dyes used for polyesters and nylon. Requirements are for lightfastness, reaction to washing and rubbing or (crocking) and add to the cost of the dyeing process.
Effective preparation of the material for dyeing is essential. In general, the higher the standard of color fastness test, the more expensive the dyes, and the final choices may be a compromise between the desired fastness standard and the cost of the dyes. Color fastness has been the subject of work by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorist (AATCC).