How To

How To Sublimate On Cotton

Sublimate On Cotton

Cotton is by far the most commonly used fabric around the world. It is breathable, cheap, and easy to handle. Therefore, cotton sublimation is something several people look for to design their wardrobes. Unfortunately, cotton fabric is not suitable for direct sublimation. In this article, we will discuss why that is the case and the workarounds you can go for.

Why Is Sublimation Not Possible On Cotton Directly?  

The process of sublimation transfers designs, images, or texts onto an object using ink and heat. When it comes to fabric, polyester and polyester-based blends (65% polyester at least) are the only ones compatible with sublimation. But why is that the case? This is why.

During sublimation, the heat source converts the sublimation ink into gaseous form and transfers it onto the object in hand. With polyester, this is naturally easy to do since when you heat up polyester, the synthetic fiber opens up to let ink into it. Once the ink has been let in, you remove the arrangement and let it cool down. The cool-down process closes down the fiber again and the now-dried ink remains in its periphery as a design.

With cotton, the sublimation process works well initially. The design looks great and fits perfectly onto the fabric. However, since the chemical bonding is extremely dissimilar to that of polyester, the ink washes out as soon as it comes in contact with water.

How to perform cotton sublimation? 

Sublimating cotton is not conventionally possible. However, due to the fabric’s immense popularity, there are several workarounds to get designs sublimated onto it. Here are a few:

  1. Using Vinyl

Heat transfer vinyl (HTV) is a synthetic fabric that is widely used for cotton sublimation. HTV sheets are easily available at a cheap price on Amazon. To sublimate on cotton using vinyl, here are the steps to take:

  • Step 1: Depending on your fabric size and color, choose a graphic that will go well.
  • Step 2: Use a sublimation printer with sublimation ink to print out your graphic directly onto the HTV sheet.
  • Step 3: Cut out all excess fabric.
  • Step 4: Align the vinyl onto your cotton fabric. Use a squeegee for proper alignment.
  • Step 5: Place a Teflon sheet on top of the vinyl for proper sublimation.
  • Step 6: Place your heat press and set the temperature to about 311℉ (100 degrees lower than the usual sublimation).
  • Step 7: Stop the heat press after 15 seconds of application. Now remove the arrangement and let it cool.

Note: With vinyl sublimation, you will certainly notice a stiff raised feeling with your design but it will not fade away over time since you are applying a synthetic fiber on top of the cotton.

  1. Using spray coating

Spray coating sublimation is one of the easiest ways to perform sublimation on cotton fabric. As its name suggests, it is a synthetic spray that is applied onto the cotton fabric to create a polyester-based layer for sublimation to occur. Here is how you do it:

  • Step 1: Depending on your fabric size and color, choose a graphic that will go well.
  • Step 2: Use a sublimation printer with sublimation ink to print out your graphic directly onto the HTV sheet.
  • Step 3: Cut out all excess fabric. Keep this aside for a while.
  • Step 4: Apply spray coating onto the cotton fabric. The amount varies on the type of item but it should look as if it would be damp to the touch.
  • Step 5: Lay down a sheet of parchment paper on top of your damped cotton fabric.
  • Step 6: Step 6: Place your heat press and set the temperature to about 311℉ (100 degrees lower than the usual sublimation). Keep this application for about 30 seconds. Steam will come out indicating the removal of cotton sizing.
  • Step 7: Spray coat the spray again and repeat the heat press process again (same temperature and time settings).
  • Step 8: Remove the arrangement and let it cool. After the cool-down process, the area will feel plasticky. If it does, that area is now ready for sublimation.
  • Step 9: Place parchment paper on top of the area. Take your design cutout and align it on top of the area for sublimation.
  • Step 10: Set the temperature to about 400℉ and apply the press for about a minute. Remove the arrangement and let it cool. The sublimation is now complete.

Conclusion 

Cotton sublimation, printable htv is quite tricky since it is impossible to perform conventionally. Thankfully, there are several ways to do so now. We discussed why it is impossible to sublimate cotton directly and two ways to do so in the article above.

printable htv

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