Where do I get short runs of custom printed fabric called “fabric graphics”?

Before the arrival of digital technology, printed fabric had been produced only by screen printing. This is now called analog printing. Screen printing was designed to produce yards of printed fabric at a time on a single continuous roll. It is impractical and costly to print short runs in consideration of its design and waste from setting up for runs. Your chances were formerly slim to none for acquiring custom runs of printed fabric.

In the meanwhile, the visual communications industry was motivated to find alternative solutions for providing large printed images. Prints mounted to rigid substrates would damage easily in transport and handling.  Producing large graphics was equally cumbersome using clunky projection enlargers with humans pinning paper  in total darkness. The process was far from perfect with lengthy exposures and the subsequent journey of these soft emulsion papers.

Digital textile printing evolves during the last one to two decades. Digital imaging and a competitive market of printers, such as the inkjet sped up the process considerably.  At the same time, dye sublimation printing was developed in the early 1990’s and improved. Dye sublimation printing is the process whereby inks can be sublimated into fabrics with the aid of a transfer sheet. The transfer sheet is printed with an inkjet printer. This sheet is placed in direct contact with a polyester fabric* and run through a set of heated,compression rollers. The heat and compression force the dyes into the fabric fibers, becoming permanently entrapped. (* Polyester fabric or poly-blends work best with this process, as they are most receptive to receiving the inks.)

The visual communications field latched onto this for the production of  large custom graphic panels. At first, the term “soft signage” was used to describe this new form of graphics and signage. As it gained in popularity, as first noted in the trade show industry, these prints on fabric were named “tensile fabric graphics.” It stretched ‘like a canvas.’ and the tension”fabric graphics” became popular. They became popular because the colors are saturate, the graphics are sharp, the surface is non-glare, the images can be easily backlit, the substrate is durable, requires no protective layers, is better for the environment, and shipping costs less. Single custom panels. They can run humongous panels, and when sewn together are enough to wrap a building!

Museums and hospitality industries, and anyone interested in large displays. They provide a presence in a room and a level of sophistication that graphics formally under glass simply could not provide.

Other industries beyond visual communications can benefit from custom fabric graphics such as the fashion industry for short test runs of getting digitally printed fabric and fast!

So you wanted to know where to get “fabric graphics?”

PSP or print service provider can be loose term for a variety printers, with a variety of tools. You want to find a large format graphics print provider who not only offers digitally printed ‘fabric graphics’ but one who has the dye sublimation fabric printer on-site! Not all PSP’s have the processor on-site because they take up alot of space, they need to be vented, and they’re expensive. My suggestion is to begin your search by Googling ‘large format fabric graphics” and begin there. Pick up the phone, call and ask them if they have a dye sublimation printer at their location.

Of course, with the advantages of the internet, ftp sites, and UPS; it need not be a local printer.
Therefore, you can begin your search here if you wish:

http://photoworksgroup.com/graphics-services/dye-sublimation-fabric-printing/

We serve the visual communications industry with clients such as airport advertisers, hospitality industries, museums, the trade show industry, commercial interiors and home interior designers, and more. Call 1-800-829-4562