We're introducing a new style of tee at Shelf Life Clothing, all-over print tees created by dye sublimation, complimenting our traditional silkscreen printed tees.
Dye sublimation is a printing technique that allows all-over-printing of full color images with superior softness. Artwork is first printed onto large sheets of high release paper substrate, and the images are then transferred to the garments using heat and pressure. The heat converts the solid dye particles into a gas, and the pressure forces them to bond to the polyester content of the garments. The dye is absorbed by the garment during the sublimation process, which differs from the screen print process, where the ink sits on top of the garment.
Dye sublimation tees produce a high-quality printed image, with a distressed look around creases and seams. Sublimation printing will not crack, peel or flake off. Sublimated shirts leave a permanent, vivid image with a soft-to-the-hand feel. We use Vapor tees, which are made with high-quality 100% spun polyester and deliver the look and feel of organic cotton with the wickability of poly-performance fibers; providing a great fit with a soft feel.
Printing with Vapor tees also allows us to stock sizes up to 5XL. We were skeptical about using the spun polyester tees until we actually held a printed tee in our hands and judged the feel - it's a great, soft fabric that is not unlike a heavy cotton athletic tee. We couldn't be happier with the look and quality of the prints.
Here's a video that shows the dye sublimation print process, which also features some pretty intense death metal. Be warned!
We've got a variety of designs and will be adding more. We will also be adding a variety of tee styles and cuts, including youth and ladies sizes. Check out our new collection!
