A History of Sublimation Printing

There are many different types of teeshirt printing options. Most of us have even heard of most of those methods, including sublimation printing. Each printing method has benefits, from the heat press to screenprinting, but few sound as mysterious as sublimation printing.

The history of sublimation printing and its popularity, however, is much less of a mystery. Here is a quick look at the history of sublimation printing and how it fits into the landscape of the different types of tee shirt printing.

From France to the US

To trace the beginning of sublimation printing leads to the country of France. During the late 1950s, the process of sublimation printing was born, although it was still in its infancy during this stage. 

Following the commercialization of the sublimation printing technique, the US adopted the process in the 1970s. Shortly after, the NASA Jet Propulsion lab in California developed a sublimation printer.

Wes Hoekstra is accredited as the inventor of the sublimation printer and is often cited as the Father of Sublimation Printing. At this point in history, sublimation printing found its footing and started to become what we call sublimation printing today.

Sublimation Printing Today

Today, sublimation printing is one of the most popular printing options among the different types of teeshirt printing. Sublimation printing offers many benefits, from its natural feel to the professional-looking prints it delivers.

The cost of a sublimation printer is considerably more expensive than a typical printer, but they are reasonably priced. It may also take some time to learn the technique of sublimation printing, but it isn’t terribly difficult to master. 

If you are like most of us, it is more cost-effective and easier to drop by the printer’s shop and place an order. Fortunately, most printers offer sublimation printing options and at reasonable costs too.

San Diego’s Full Service Printing Shop

 Welcome to 3 in 1 Design, a full-service printing shop located in the heart of San Diego, CA, America’s Finest City. We are here to help you get your message out and increase brand awareness with professionally printed products that attract attention. 

Have an idea for a print or do you need printing? Contact us to discuss design and print concepts or to get advice from our experienced team of print pros. We are 3 in 1 Design, and we are here for all your printing needs.