Eco-Friendly Approach to Swimwear Printing - How's it Work?

From digital designs to fabric prints - what’s the sustainable approach to swimwear printing you ask?  Well, let us introduce you to a little eco-friendly process called “dye sublimation” that (technically speaking) doesn’t actually use any dyes.

Dye sublimation is a garment printing process that requires no water AND produces zero waste.

Here's how it goes down:

Our digital designs are first sent via internet to our lovely fabric supplier in Virginia. The ladies who work at said lovely fabric supplier then transfer our digital designs onto a special paper using an ink printer. (Don’t worry, this paper is also made from recycled materials and can be recycled at the end of the process). Once our prints are on the special paper, it is pressed onto our regenerated fabric and heated up. 

What happens during this heating process is two things; First, the ink on the paper actually turns into a gas. Second, the pores of the regenerated nylon fabric open up and absorb the gas.  Then, once the fabric cools, the pores of the nylon close and the gaseous inks return to their solid form once again, but this time as part of the fabric! This clever little green process not only produces brilliant colors for our swimwear prints, but also results in a permanent color that can’t be washed away. And that’s just the half of it.

Here's our top three advantages to using the dye sublimation process and what makes it the eco-friendliest garment printing process in use today:

• No dyes required – which means no water is required, which means no dye gets into our water systems…something that happens during the process of many other dying techniques.

• Minimal to ZERO waste – The only waste really produced in this process is the transfer paper that is used. And this paper comes from recycled materials and can be reused.

• No solvents or added chemicals - Only 4 colors of ink used in the printers and all are deemed safe for the workers and environment.
  
  
• Safe for Workers - The process is not only eco-friendly, but it's also safe for workers. The only precautions that must be taken are during the heating process to avoid burns from the steam that is produced.  Other than that, it's free from danger!