What is Sublimation?
Sublimation involves a heat and pressure application to bond the sublimate dye colours into the fibres on a microscopic level. The base fabrics are always white in colour.
Why Sublimate?
This process allows a much greater range of design possibilities; vibrant colours and individuality e.g. uniform numbering, with the finished garments retaining their original feel and shape. The durability of sublimated garments is first rate and the comfort of the latest fabrics is assured with moisture management technology.
Sublimation
Sublimation is the process of transferring sublimation ink to a polyester-based material. The image is printed on paper then heat pressed on to the material. In a dye-sublimation process the printing dye is heated up until it turns into a gas, at which point it diffuses into the fibres and solidifies imbedding the image forever into the fabric.
Benefits of Sublimation
Design is virtually unlimited, from simple designs and colours to photographic images and unlimited colours e.g. Numbering can be done when printing eliminating the need to have hot sweaty plastic numbers on the back, Logos, names, numbers and Official Apparel Partner can all be included in the design in full colour, eliminating the additional costs of screen printing, embroidery and twill. Prices can be cheaper than tradition-paneled garments with the additional costs of cresting.
Impact Sports Sublimation Process
Innovative designs, along with using cutting edge technology has kept us at the forefront of the sublimation industry. With the use of our computerized CAD/CAM marking system and our automated cutting machine we are able to introduce and modify new styles of garments very quickly and efficiently. We have kept our focus on meeting the unique needs of our customers on an
individual basis. Low minimum orders and size adjustments that will let us fit anyone are just some of the ways we put our customers first. In a world where customers demand choices, we offer our clients the services of a design and production facility with every order we manufacture.
Design
The process starts with one of our graphic designers working with either your existing pattern, our standard template or working from a brief to produce a unique and fresh design. We have a standard colour palette to choose from of over 1100 colours and can colour match if required Each design is fully graded for every garment size in order that the appearance is kept crisp and that graphics are not cropped in smaller sizes. Obviously some Logo’s and numbering have to be kept within specified dimensions.
Approvals
Once the design, specs and pattern has been finalised we send you a PDF file of the garment electronically for comment and to make any final adjustments as needed. The next stage is to either print a mini sample on fabric or manufacture a complete garment if required for the approval stage prior to going into production.
Printing
The designs are then printed onto dye sublimation paper using special water based toxin free dye sublimation inks, in order to increase our colour gamut and depth we use additional spot colours resulting in vibrant reds, greens and blues which normally can be hard to achieve. We have a number of large, modern and well maintained ROLAND wide format printers and top European RIP software which together create a high resolution print with fine detail.
Press to Fabric
Once printed and cured we feed both the printed paper and selected fabric through a large industry leading MONTI ANTONIO wide format rotary heat press at a very high temperature and high pressure. The ink from the paper turns into a gas and SUBLIMATES into the fabric. The combination of temperature, pressure and dwell time ensures that we get a consistent, high quality, resilient and long lasting reproduction every time. Our paper is also coated with special glue this stops the fabric from moving or shrinking as it travels through the press in order to prevent ghosting to the text or graphics giving sharp images.
Manufacture
The fabric is now ready to be sewn together to create our extensive range of Polo tops, sports uniforms, school wear, cycling gear etc and all proudly made in Australia by an Australian company using Australian made fabric.
Kobe Creations.