Please contact us with any questions you might have with regards to your artwork.

Artwork provided on CD must be PC or MAC formatted. The artwork must be created in CoralDraw 12 or Freehand 8, in EPS vector format. Pantone Coding is essential for color matching.

GRAPHICS

Printing Requirements
• All fonts need to be converted to outlines or curves.
• JPEG Resolution minimum of 150dpi at 100% final product size

PRINTING

Portable Shades is branded by using the following processes:
1. Dye Sublimation
2. Silkscreen

Dye Sublimation
Dye sublimation means putting sublimation ink on paper and applying heat and pressure.
The dye sublimation process uses a heat sensitive sublimation dye, dissolved in a liquid, to print graphics and text onto special inkjet paper. This is called dye sub transfer. The dye sub transfer and sublimatable fabric are then placed into a heat press. Where the image has been transferred to the item and has actually become part of the surface. Sublimation is always done on a polyester coated item; it cannot be washed out or come off, unless the actual fibres or coating is damaged.
All of our inkjet sublimation is done on white fabric. The reason for this is because the inks are actually transparent, when sublimated, and need a background to show up. White is the ideal background because it does not clash with the colours.

The Advantages of Dye Sublimation 
• Portability – can easily be rolled/shipped
• Photographic quality image capability
• Full Colour Process
• Dye Sublimation has the highest print quality for printing on fabric/textiles.
• Dye sublimated textiles are very durable and can be laundered

Silk Screen Printing
Screen Print is an industrial printing technique, which involves the passage of ink through a taut fabric to which a refined form of stencil has been applied.
Screens have a dye cut vinyl placed to add colour to the fabric and the numbers of colours that are in the project is how many screens you will use.
In a 4 colour process project, the mesh is coated with a light sensitive film, which, when dry, blocks the holes in the mesh. The image that needs to be printed is output to film by using an image-setter. The film positive and the mesh on the screen are then sandwiched together and exposed to ultra-violet light and the screen is then washed with water which washes away all the light sensitive emulsion that has not been hardened by the ultra-violet light.
The screen is then fitted on the press and is hinged so it can be raised and lowered. The substrate to be printed is placed in position under the screen and ink is placed on the top side of the screen. A rubber blade gripped in a wooden handle is pulled across the top of the screen, and this pushes the ink through the mesh onto the surface of the substrate you are printing.

The Advantages of Screen Printing
• Portability – can easily be rolled/shipped
• The most cost effective printing process
• Images are bright and use pantone colours to match.
• Can be printed on colour fabric.
• More elegant look and feel than vinyl or plastic dye cut images.