Decorating Performance Apparel
A recent issue of Promowear Magazine had a great article that explains the challenges of decorating performance apparel, particularly where garments are destined for use by serious athletes. For years, promotional consultants have been screen-printing and embroidering fabrics used for team sports apparel, but these are not necessarily the best solutions due to challenges like fabric shrinkage, dye migration and bleed problems.
For screen printing, traditional heat-fusion plastisol inks require high temperatures to cure, which is problematic when applied to polyester-based fabrics commonly used in performance apparel. Flash curing, which is used for many multi-color imprints, brings the temperature of fabric up very quickly. Because the dyes in polyester and other man-made fabrics are unstable at high temperatures, this process can release the dyes through the ink and affect imprint colors.
There are ways of dealing with these challenges. Screen printers can use a lower-fusion ink system and keep flashes and dryers at a lower than typical temperature in order to keep fabrics cool. They also need to use an additive to give traditional inks elasticity when they are applied to performance fabrics that include spandex, lycra, or other stretchy fibers. However, even with these measures, screen printing still undermines the breathability of performance fabrics in the printed areas.
Embroidery also presents problems. Especially when dealing with large stitch-count images, embroidered decorations can bunch on fabrics and result in a messy outcome. Nobody wants to wear a shirt that appears puckered or wrinkled around an embroidered logo after a couple of washings.
Given the complications with traditional decorating techniques like screen printing and embroidery, alternative techniques such as digital direct-print technologies are gaining in popularity. Digital solutions offer unlimited colors and techniques like dye sublimation offer additional benefits including breathability and durability, both of which are critical for fabrics that will be used for sports and other athletic undertakings.
Whether you are considering giving out branded technical shirts for a running race you are sponsoring, or need team jerseys for the corporate softball team, its important to understand the implications of decorating methods used for performance apparel and discuss these with your promotional consultant. By selecting the right embellishment techniques for the fabric blend you’ve chosen, you can ensure that the end result will be polished and professional and reflect well upon your brand.