Sublimation On Hoodies | Complete Guide 2022

Do you have any hoodies that appear excessively simple? If so, you can make them look appealing by sublimating your designs on them.

Sublimation is a fantastic printing technique that allows printing images and arts on a variety of materials like cups, fabrics, and many more. The beginning steps are pretty similar for all. But it differs from substance to substance.

Today, we’ll talk about sublimation on hoodies. Well, it isn’t that easy. There are many factors to look at while sublimating. Like how to get a bright sublimation outcome, prevent the inks from spreading, properly align the image, and many more.

But don’t fret; by following the below step-by-step process and with some perseverance, you can become a master in creating beautiful sublimations on your hoodies.

What Is Sublimation Printing

Before proceeding, it’s essential to know what sublimation printing is. Sublimation printing is a printing process that involves heat to transfer arts and images onto the blank, usually polyester.

Firstly, the image is printed on a sublimation paper with sublimation inks, and then it’s transferred to the blank using heat.

Why Use Sublimation For Printing On Hoodies

There are a number of ways to print on hoodies. Like Screen Printing, Vinyl Printing, Direct To Garment (DTG) printing, Airbrushing, and many more. So why choose sublimation over them?

Well, sublimation printing is the most popular and widely used method among all. Its results are very attractive and have a huge life span. Moreover, it’s very cost-effective compared to other methods.

The initial setup of DTG and Screen Printing can cost you thousands of dollars, which is not affordable for a beginner. That’s why we choose sublimation over other methods.

Sublimation On Hoodies – Step-By-Step Guide

Let’s move on to our step-by-step guide on sublimating on hoodies. The process is very simple. To get the perfect outcomes, make sure you have followed all the steps correctly.

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Required Things

Let’s start with the things needed for sublimation printing on hoodies.

1- Hoodie

Firstly, you need a polyester hoodie. Polyester hoodies give the most acceptable sublimation results. You should always go with a high polyester concentrated hoodie like 80 to 90 percent or 100 percent polyester.

You can also use 50 percent polyester and 50 percent cotton; however, you wouldn’t get the bright results as a hundred percent polyester.

2- Sublimation Printer

Secondly, you must have a sublimation printer. You can’t use regular inkjet printers for sublimation; however, you can convert them to a sublimation printer.

If you are looking to buy a sublimation printer, check out these best printers for sublimation.

3- Sublimation Paper

A sublimation paper is also necessary for sublimation. In most cases, people use regular paper for sublimation which is totally wrong. You must use a sublimation paper in order to get the brightest outcome.

4- Heat Press

Lastly, you need a heat press with butcher papers for sublimation printing on hoodies.

The above four materials are a must for sublimation. However, for more accurate results, you should have a lint roller and heat tapes. If you don’t have them, don’t worry, you can also do sublimation without them.

Step-1 (Image Printing)

Prepare or download the image you want to print on hoodies. Ensure that it is of high resolution. Try to create your own vector image, as it would be of high resolution.

If you are downloading the image from the web, ensure it is high quality. After that, mirror the image and then print. Make sure to check all print properties correctly and turn any fast printing mode off.

Step-2 (Hoodie Printing)

Turn your heat press on and set its temperature between 350 to 360 degrees. Then place and align the hoodie inside it. After that, follow the steps outlined below.

1- Take two butcher papers and put one under the hoodie and one inside the hoodie to avoid sublimating on the other side.

2- Take a lint roller and remove all the lints from the hoodie. Lints can make your sublimations look weird. So try to use a lint roller. If you don’t have a lint roller, use your hands to remove lints.

3- Pre-press the hoodie to remove any moisture. Moisture can ruin your sublimation by creating unnecessary spots, so always pre-press the fabric before sublimation.

4- Align the image above the fabric; make sure to center it. Then fix it with heat tape and place another butcher paper over it.

Heat tapes avoid unnecessary movement while sublimation. Movement is the enemy of sublimation, movements during sublimation basically create two copies. So try to use heat tapes while sublimating.

5- After all, press the fabric for 60 seconds using medium pressure. Don’t press for too long. most people press the fabric for too long for achieving better results.

But that’s wrong. You should always maintain optimal temperature, pressure, and time while sublimating.

Step-3 (Final Results)

When done sublimating, open the heat press and remove the butcher paper first. Then slowly remove the image from the hoodie, and congrats, you’re done.

How to do #sublimation on hoodies in the best and easy way. Click to Tweet

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you sublimate on a 100 percent cotton hoodie?

You can sublimate on a 100 percent cotton hoodie by applying several techniques. However, the results would be just average and might fade away over time. So always use high polyester concentrated fabrics for perfect sublimation.

How long does sublimation last on hoodies?

Well, it depends upon the hoodie’s quality and other materials you use. Typically sublimation prints last for years if you use high polyester concentrated fabric.

But if you use low polyester concentrated fabric, it might fade away much quicker.

What are the different printing methods to sublimate on hoodies?

There are many methods to print on hoodies. Some popular techniques are sublimation printing, screen printing, and DTG printing. It usually depends on the quantity of the hoodies you want to print.

Sublimation printing will be ideal if you want to print in low quantity. But if your printing requirements are high, then you should go with Screen printing or DTG printing.

Final Thoughts

Phew! You have learned a 3 step process of sublimation on hoodies. Sublimation is a great, quick, and inexpensive process to add great and quick personalization to your hoodies and many other things.

You can add appealing designs to your hoodies with a few basic materials and simple techniques. The procedure is relatively simple, and the long-lasting, professional-looking results speak for themselves.

So if you’re looking for a way to make your hoodies stand out, give sublimation a try!

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