Dye Sublimation Printing is an innovative print processing that is an upgrade to the conventional screen printing of graphics onto fabric substrates. I have written several posts about dye sublimation specifically on making custom fabric banners, and most discussions are based on frequently asked questions. Basically, this is an online guide for those who want to know more about fabric banners and dye sublimation printing.

Dye Sublimation Fabric Banners versus Vinyl Banners and Others

Fabric banners printed using dye sublimation differ from other types of banners,

First of all, if you have your fabric banner printing done by a reputable company, you should get a 3-5 year guarantee that it will not fade. Secondly, it allows for extremely vivid colors while vinyl is rather limited. Lastly, the printed fabrics are available in many different sizes–even custom sizes–to fit your business’ needs.

How to Design a Fabric Banner for Printing

If you’ve decided to design your own fabric banner,

Vinyl Banners

I am often asked if there are more than one variety of PVC vinyl banners. If the meaning of this questions is in regards to weights or sizes or whether or not a banner can be printed on both sides or just one side, the answer is “yes.”

Conversely, if you are speaking of multiple types of vinyl, then the answer, for all intents and purposes, is “no.”

Nylon Threads Vary

However,

Some clients have asked what the advantages or disadvantages are to a dye sublimation printer or printing, so I am addressing this topic today.

Dye Sublimation Printing

Dye sublimation printing is, by definition, the sublimating of dye in fabric. The way it works is like this. First, a transfer paper is printed on a digital printer that is set up with CMYO dye cartridges rather than your typical CMYK inks.

Question: I need to know how to assemble and hang a dye sublimation printed fabric banner. Can you help me out with this?

Also, can I illuminate a hanging sign or banner?

Without knowing specifically what you’re hanging other than a banner, I’ll give you a few ideas and hopefully one of them will work for you.

Dye Sub Fabric Banners with Grommets

If you have a standard dye sub printed fabric banner,

Question: Can you tell me why you think vinyl banners or cloth fabric banners are superior?

Yes, and no. They are both superior in certain applications, and both inferior in other applications. It would be similar, I think, to ask whether a car or a pickup truck is superior. The answer would be similar. Yes. And no.

A pickup truck is great if you need to haul a bed or a couch or a dresser or a fridge,

Question: How are dye sublimation printed fabric structures/signs installed or hung?

There are many different apparati for utilizing dye sublimation printed fabrics.

Hanging with Simple Tools

The simplest method is, of course, to hang a print similar to how you’d hang a banner – by tacking it to a wall or hanging it from grommets and using screws or nails to attach it to a wall.

Hanging with a Rod

After that,

Question: In what commercial applications are dye sublimation printed cloth or fabric used?

There are quite a number of applications for dye sub printing on fabric/cloth, most of which are commercial at some level, although some products like shirts end up on retail store display racks and shelves.

Commercially, though, where an end user is using the actual printed fabric, there are still a lot of applications we can talk about. However, for those who are new to this discussion,

Question: I am an artist and a photographer, and was wondering if I can order pictures or art reproductions on fabric?

The only limit to printing on fabric is your imagination. Dye sublimation printing on fabrics is not only available, it is the best way to reproduce your pictures due to the dye sublimation printing process itself.

Original Question (Don’t worry, I will answer it eventually!): I am planning a medieval themed wedding and would like to know the best way to make or buy cloth fabric banners for our celebration?

I’ll finish up the history on this installment here in part three and answer the original question tomorrow.

In this section,