Originally posted by jakeddd
Does anyone have a good link or contact for a company that will print logos on Tri Suits? I am looking to get a few company logos placed on my suit.
What sort of materials will stay on a tri suit? Any advice helps! Thanks!
FINALLY!!!!
And issue on which I can speak authoritatively and not as a noob.
However, with the caveat that I'm only indirectly knowledgeable about the final solution, but I know a lot about the process.
I know a fair amount about decorating
(printing
) on plastic. The options are pretty identical to garment decorating and there's a lot of crossover.
You've got a few options, and you can immediately toss out screen printing
(especially if you're talking about a small run
). Plus, I don't think it's nearly as durable.
You've got two options, really.
Sublimation or heat transfer.
Both clearly work because...well....we see them all the time.
Heat transfer is similar to an iron-on. Just much better than what you think of as an iron-on. It's a transfer medium that carries the image to the fabric.
Sublimation is the bomb, if you can get it to work. Sublimation does not work on natural fibers. It's works brilliant on 100% poly. And it clearly can work on nylon/spandex combos. We see it all the time. Sublimation's awesome if it works. The 'dye' turns to a gas and 'infuses' with the poly fibers. "Tagless" shirts are probably always either sublimation or heat transfer.
You'd be able to "feel" a transfer. Not like an old 70s/80s iron-on, like you're wearing a big sheet of rubber attached to your shirt....but you'd be able to feel it. Sublimation, you wouldn't feel the difference between decorated and non-decorated fabric.
Googling might lead you to all sorts of t-shirt decorating forums
(there's dozens of them
) where you may find better answers.
If you can afford test runs, a "t-shirt' shop could probably try a couple things and figure it out pretty quick. However, it'd all have to be the same brand/mix. A couple % points between nylon/spandex could change things. Or a difference in 'stretchiness'.
You could probably pull off a heat transfer on your own....with an iron and ordering the right xfer medium and printing it yourself. Results may vary.
The other caveat is colors. Some processes have figured out white. Some haven't. Some have figured out lighter imprints on darker fabric better than others.
I'd start with Google and/or a quality T-shirt/garment decorator outfit.
Edited by jhaack39 2016-09-13 11:28 AM