Is Sublimation Printing Eco-Friendly and Sustainable?

 There are several ways to add designs to garments, such as dyeing, screenprinting, special washes, embroidery, sublimation, appliqués, etc. But how eco-friendly are these processes? Do we need to be concerned about the high carbon footprint, dangerous chemicals, and wasted water?

As the world witnesses a huge swing toward sustainable supply, digital textile printing has emerged as an eco-friendly, cleaner, efficient, and more profitable alternative to traditional manufacturing practices. The digital printing market, valued at USD 22.739 billion in 2019, is predicted to amount to USD 31.712 billion by 2025.

In this blog post, we’ll talk about a printing process that’s often touted as being environmentally-friendly and highly sustainable: sublimation printing.

But first, let’s go over the basics:

What Is Sublimation Printing?

Sublimation is a chemical process that imprints bright and vivid designs onto garments through a chemical reaction.

The process of sublimation involves turning a solid into a gas (without turning it into a liquid first). Heat is applied to the dye to turn it into a gaseous state. The dye makes contact with the synthetic material (polyester) and permeates into the fiber to create a permanent bond, thereby turning back into a solid to create a lasting imprint.

The sublimation process uses a heat transfer machine to create the chemical reaction. Sublimation printing is in no way limited to garments; it’s also used to create branding items like bags, pens, coffee mugs, fabric napkins, etc.

Eco-Friendly Benefits of Sublimation Printing

As companies and customers alike become more environmentally aware, sublimation printing has become a widely used technique in the art and fashion world. Here’s why:

Reduced Water Usage

While screen printers require a ton of water to ensure there’s no color contamination on screens, sublimation printing doesn’t require much water, if any, at all!

Since sublimation uses pressure and heat to transfer ink onto the garment, there’s not much risk of color contamination. Therefore, it’s one of the most water conservative processes available.

Reduced Wastage

Sublimation printing results in minimum wastage as the same sublimation print can be used several times on more than one fabric. This is called exhaust printing—and although there will be reduced intensity in the subsequent prints, it can work on many pieces and ends up creating a unique effect.

Safe for the Environment

The dye-inks used in sublimation printing are safe for the worker and the environment. There’s little to no inhaling of chemicals or direct skin contact with the dye-inks.

If you’re looking for a company that supplies high-quality dye sublimation paper and dye sublimation ink, head over to Jind Group Limited.

As one of the top sublimation paper manufacturers in China, the company serves markets all over the world, supplying some of the best Inkjet heat transfer paper,digital sublimation printers, sublimation paper roll, and more!

Reduce the costs for your digital printing business and adopt a more eco-friendly process today!

Contact Jind Group at (0086) 18613194646 for more information.