Which printing methods suit all-over printed underwear?

Short answer: The fabric decides most of the answer. Sublimation uses disperse dyes that only bond well to polyester, so it suits polyester or high-polyester sports fabric and gives bright colour with a soft hand, but it does not work properly on cotton. For cotton and cotton blends, all-over prints are usually made by rotary screen printing or digital printing with reactive or pigment inks on fabric before cutting. Rotary screen suits larger quantities and repeated designs; digital suits smaller runs and many colours with lower setup. Pigment printing is simpler but can feel stiffer and rub off more; reactive printing feels softer but needs steaming and washing. Ask which process the mill uses, then test colour fastness to washing and rubbing on the stretched fabric.

Main methods

• Sublimation: polyester only, bright, soft, low setup, good for sports styles.
• Digital reactive: cotton, viscose and modal, soft hand, good detail, needs steaming and washing.
• Digital pigment: many fibres, simpler process, can feel stiffer and rub off more.
• Rotary screen: high volume, consistent repeats, setup cost per colour.
• Transfers on cut panels: placement prints, not usually for all-over designs.

Elastane and stretch

Elastane content and stretch affect how a print looks on the body. Prints can open up and show a lighter ground when stretched, especially on lighter colours. Ask to see printed fabric stretched to wear extension.

Testing

• Colour fastness to washing with ISO 105-C06.
• Colour fastness to rubbing with ISO 105-X12, dry and wet.
• Wash and dry according to the care label, for example an ISO 6330 procedure, then compare appearance.
• If you use OEKO-TEX or similar certification, ask whether the printing inks and process are covered.

Order size and cost

Digital printing usually has lower minimums and higher unit costs; rotary screen has setup costs but is cheaper per metre at volume. Ask the mill for the break-even quantity.

Practical points

• Design repeats that hide seams well.
• Agree colour standards on the actual fabric.
• Check print alignment on cut panels.

A worked example

For the brand in the question, the cotton-elastane style would usually go to digital reactive or rotary screen printing depending on quantity and number of designs, while the polyester sports style suits sublimation. Asking the same factory to use one process for both would compromise one of them. Planning two processes also means two sets of strike-offs and two colour approvals, so build that time into the development calendar and agree colour standards for each fabric separately, since the same artwork will not match exactly across processes.

Limits

Results depend on the fabric, ink and mill. Approve strike-offs on the bulk fabric.

Facts, recommendations and uncertainty

Established: sublimation needs polyester, while cotton blends use reactive, pigment or rotary screen printing. Recommendation: choose by fibre and quantity and test fastness on stretched fabric. Uncertain: performance of a specific ink and fabric until tested.

Sources and further reading

• ISO 6330:2021 — Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing
• ISO 105-C06:2010 — Colour fastness to domestic and commercial laundering
• ISO 105-X12:2016 — Colour fastness to rubbing
• OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100

Standards and regulations are referenced by their published scope. Test parameters, cycles and pass levels should be agreed with your laboratory for the specific product; legal requirements should be confirmed for each destination market.