Printing a vibrant, long-lasting design on polyester performance fabric is a notoriously difficult task. Without the right expertise and equipment, the colors can look faded, and the print can crack after just a few washes. For brands that depend on a professional image, this is unacceptable.
At Northwest Custom Apparel, we have spent years mastering this complex process. We’ve conducted extensive testing and developed a proven process that ensures your logo looks fantastic and stands up to the rigors of athletic use and repeated washing. We believe that your high-quality performance apparel deserves a print that is just as high-quality.
The Polyester Problem: Why It’s So Tricky
Most people don’t realize why printing on polyester is so challenging. The fabric itself is the source of two main problems:
- Dye Migration: Polyester fabric is often dyed with a color that can bleed into the ink of your print during the heat-curing process. This phenomenon, known as dye migration, can turn a sharp white logo into a pinkish or grayish mess. It’s the number one reason an amateur print on a vibrant red or blue shirt will look faded.
- Smooth Surface: Unlike cotton, polyester has a very smooth surface that doesn’t absorb ink the same way. The ink has a hard time bonding to the synthetic fibers, which can lead to cracking and peeling over time if not handled correctly.
We’ve specifically tested and perfected our process on popular performance tees like the ST 350 from Sanmar, running multiple colors from gold and red to bright orange and navy to ensure a perfect result every time.
Behind the Scenes: Our Proven Process for Printing on Performance Polyester fabric
While you don’t need to know the technical details, we believe in being transparent about the meticulous process we follow. We want you to feel confident that we have mastered the “secret sauce” to ensure your order is perfect every time. Here’s a simplified breakdown of how we digitally print on performance polyester using our Kornit Storm Hexa printers.
First, we treat the polyester fabric like a multi-color screen print. Instead of using a flash cure, we meticulously lay down our specialized pre-treatment formula. We then let the pre-treat soak into the fabric for at least 30 seconds. This crucial delay prevents the pre-treat from running all over the shirt, which can cause a splotchy, uneven print.
After the pre-treat has properly set, the Kornit printer comes back and prints the white base plate. Again, we pause for 30 seconds to allow for proper ink adherence. We’ll then pass over the white plate one more time to ensure we have excellent, opaque coverage. Once the base plates are laid down, we go over them with the full-color print heads. We can even do a double pass with the colors to make sure your print has that vibrant, eye-catching “pop.”
To get custom high performance gears, explore our Sports Team Uniform Services.
The Secret to Durability: The Right Curing Temperature
The final and most critical step is the curing process. We turn our dryer temperature down to 275° and decrease the belt speed, which is counterintuitive to most printing processes. The shirt needs to be in the oven for at least 12 minutes to cure properly.
This slow-and-low approach is our secret to preventing dye migration. Curing at a lower temperature for a longer period of time ensures the ink fully bonds to the polyester fibers without causing the fabric dyes to bleed into your design. We then inspect the shirt when it comes out of the oven to ensure the print isn’t sticky. If needed, we can run it through the dryer one more time without hurting the shirt. This rigorous quality check is what guarantees a long-lasting, durable print that you can be proud of.
Related Posts You might Enjoy
Why Our Expertise Is Your Advantage
You don’t need to be a printing expert to get a high-quality product. All you need is a partner who has already mastered the technical challenges for you. Our proven process for printing on polyester performance fabric ensures you get a final product that is vibrant, durable, and professional.
Detailed, Durable, Direct-to-Garment Printing
Perfect for intricate designs, small-batch orders, and eye-catching colors. Make your brand vision a reality with DTG printing.
Get Custom DTG Printing SolutionStop worrying about prints that will crack or colors that will fade. Trust your brand to the experts at Northwest Custom Apparel. We’ve done the testing, and we have the techniques to get it right.
Have a question about your project or need a quote? Give us a call at 1-253-922-5793 and let’s get started.
