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Sublimation is the process of printing sublimation ink onto sublimation transfer paper using a special sublimation printing machine.
When the ink from a special sublimation transfer paper is heat pressed onto the substrate (t-shirt, fabric, mug, mousepad, etc) and reaches a specific high temperature, the ink is turned into a gas. This occurs because the heat releases the gas from the sublimation ink. It also opens up the pores of the poly-substrate item being heat pressed onto.
Once the sublimation transfer paper has been pressed onto your item and pressure is released, the temperature is allowed to cool, at which point the sublimation ink turns back into solid form and the pores permanently close — thus encapsulating the ink within the polymer coating of your substrate.
Intriguing, right?
I prefer sublimation because it doesn't peel off the shirt. Sublimation also does not crack over time.
This is due to the extra work I have to put into preparing the shirt. Bleached shirts also have to go through a wash cycle.
Sublimation is an ink. Ink is somewhat sheer (like a marker). When you color on a colored shirt, it doesn't show up very well. There is NO WHITE ink in sublimation. I have special shirts that can be bleached.
Sublimation only works on specific materials. I have numerous shirts in stock and specific trusted vendors I purchase from. I feel more comfortable using the shirts I have as it will be my work going onto the shirt.