Sublimation Shirt vs. HTV Shirt
Sublimation Shirt vs. HTV Shirt
For a sublimation shirt, the design is printed on sublimation paper, using sublimation ink and a sublimation printer. Then it is pressed at a high temperature onto a blank shirt using a heat press. The heat and pressure turns the sublimation ink into a gas and the entire image is infused into the surface of the shirt.
For a HTV shirt, a eco-solvent printer/cutter is used to print and cut a design on HTV (heat transfer vinyl).. Then the excess vinyl is removed (weeded) away, leaving the printed heat transfer on the carrier sheet. The printed heat transfer is applied to a blank shirt using a heat press.
Pros and Cons: HTV vs Sublimation
When HTV is applied, it sits on top of the garment. Due to its presence on the surface, there is a hand. In other words, it can be felt. In contrast, sublimation ink integrates seamlessly into the fabric, eliminating any tactile feel. Therefore, with sublimation, there is no hand.
HTV can be applied to a wide variety of fabrics and garments and there is no limitation on the color of the surface. But sublimation requires that textiles are light in color and contain at least 65% polyester. This means you can not sublimate directly on darks or 100% cotton.
Designs with rough, faded, feathered, or splattered edges will not work on vinyl because it must be cut. Those designs work best with sublimation.
In summary, HTV requires the design to have a clean cuttable edge but you do not really have to worry about the shirt color or composition. And remember, that you will be able to feel a slight hand where the vinyl is applied. Sublimation has no hand and does not require solid cuttable edges, however, you must use light colored shirts with a high polyester count.
Here at Teal House Boutique, we have found a few alternatives to deal with the limitations of sublimation. We have a few products which allow for sublimating on cotton shirts. For example, we have a glitter vinyl and a clear subliflock that can be sublimated. However, those require cut edges as well. Also, an alternative to using light colored shirts is to use a darker shirt but bleach a white spot where the sublimation will be applied. If you are interested in one of these options, reach out to us and we will answer any questions you may have and help you with placing the order.
