TowelHub Blog

Sublimation printing works because heat and pressure turn the dried ink into a gas that polyester fibers take in. The whole transfer happens in under a minute. If the sheet shifts even slightly during that minute, the dye lands twice. The second, weaker landing is the ghost.

Spotting A Ghosted Print

Ghosts have one soft/double side to them, but the other side of the letter remains sharp. The main image will be the darker of the two images. Impressions magazine (a trade publication) states that ghosting occurs most frequently when you print dark lettering on a light colored surface, such as a black logo printed on a white towel.

Reading The Direction Of A Ghost

The way that shadows appear across a sample will tell you how consistent the light was. If shadows appear in the same direction, you know there is a consistent light source. For example, a ceiling fan or a lid opened at an angle are both examples of consistent light sources. 

Towel Construction Makes Ghosting More Likely

Why do towels leave "ghosting" marks while a polyester shirt processed with the same press is perfectly printed? It's the structure. Many sublimated towels feature terry velour; the front is sheared to create a smooth, polyester velour surface for printing, while the reverse side retains the terry loops used for drying. 

At 320 GSM, our 16x26 sublimated towel blanks have a 100% polyester velour front and a cotton/poly terry reverse. As you review wholesale sublimation towel listings, pay close attention to which side contains the polyester; only that side will accept ink.

Each side causes its own kind of trouble. Cotton in the back holds water. The pile, meanwhile, squashes flat under the platen (the hot upper plate) and springs back when the pressure lets go, which is enough to nudge a sheet that isn't held down. Add a few strands of lint under the transfer and the paper has something to rock on.

Five Press Mistakes Behind Most Ghosted Towels

Most ghosts on printed sublimation towels come from one of these five habits.

Opening The Press Too Fast

The lid of the clamshell press goes up at a slight angle and draws in a small amount of air as it moves upward. Some presses that open automatically may be worse because they open very quickly and therefore pull things like loose paper along with them. Swing away models rise vertically first; this is much less abrupt than the other types. 

Taping Only Two Edges

Tape down two edges of your sheet and leave the other two edges un-taped. That will provide sufficient room for the transfer to move horizontally on the surface of the press. It's very easy to under-tape small sheets as they appear harmless. However, even though an 11 x 18 rally towels size blank weighs almost nothing, a single loose edge is all that is necessary to prevent proper adhesion

Skipping The Pre-Press

Cotton pulls water out of the air all day. Put a towel straight from the box under a 400°F platen and that water turns to steam, lifts the sheet for a second, then lets it settle again (rarely in the same spot). Humid summers make it worse, and so does a case of wholesale sublimation towels left open for weeks.

Pressing Over Hems And Grommets

The top edge of the sublimation towel (hem) and the brass eyelet (grommet) are placed above the printed area. This means that the heat press will make contact with the eyelet first. As a result, there will be less pressure applied to the center of the towel than there would be otherwise.

Golf towels require additional attention due to the presence of the eyelet. The position of the eyelet on the towel is determined by the design of the towel. A comparison between tri-fold golf towel and our corner grommet golf towel illustrates how they differ.

Touching The Paper Too Soon

The dye continues to move as soon as the lid is lifted. Whether you are lifting the lid half-way and pausing, lifting the corner of the lid to take a look, or sliding the towel from the bottom platen while the sheet is still stuck to it, the sublimation transfers may smear on the heated surface. All it takes is one look.

A Ghost-Free Press Routine For Sublimation Towels

Once a ghost is in the fibers, it stays there. Checking towels at the end of the run only tells you how many you lost. Statistician W. Edwards Deming put the same thought third in his 14 Points for Management.

Towel Prep Before Paper

1. Keep sublimation towel blanks sealed in their bag until the day you press.
2. Pre-press sublimation towels one at a time, velour side up, for 10 to 15 seconds.
3. Let each cool briefly, then lint roll the face.

Securing The Transfer Sheet

Tape down all four sides with heat resistant tape while keeping the tape away from the image. Sublimation spray adhesive may be used in place of tape, which is what many shops use on fabric. Place an uncoated piece of butcher paper on the top (Teflon and parchment will retain moisture) and a protective layer of material underneath to prevent any loose dye from being transferred. 

A pressure test takes a minute. Close the press on four paper strips, one per corner, and tug each out. If one slides free while the others hold, the pressure is uneven.

Heat, Time, And Peel

The majority of terry velour blank products can be pressed with success between 380-400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 45-60 seconds at a medium-firm pressure. When the time has expired, slowly lift the top of the press. 

Next, use the peeling process as recommended by the manufacturer of the transfer paper you are using to remove the sheet from the press in an upward motion, ensuring that you do not allow the sheet to fall back into place.

Buying Blanks That Press Clean

Sublimation printing gets riskier once a towel is bigger than the press, and large sublimation towels often are. A 30x60 beach towel blank won't fit under a 16x20 platen in one shot. Large towels printing in sections need the sheet moved between presses, and each move invites a ghost. A wide-format press fixes that, and so does a design that fits one press area.

Batches differ, too. Pile height and moisture vary from one production lot to the next, which changes how long a towel needs under heat. If you're buying wholesale sublimation towels for a big job, buy the whole count in one order. Bulk printed towels for one team or school are then more likely to share a lot and press alike.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Sublimate On 100% Cotton Towels?

No. Sublimation dye bonds with polyester, so cotton barely takes any color. Most guides put the minimum for blends at 60 to 65% polyester. For cotton, screen printing works better, and our screen print vs full-color rally towels guide walks through the tradeoffs.

Can Ghosting Be Fixed On Printed Sublimation Towels?

Not really. The shadow is dyed in as deeply as the main image. A second press tends to make it worse, since dye in the fibers can turn back into gas and spread.

What Heat Press Settings Work For Sublimation Towels?

A common starting point is 385°F for 50 seconds at medium to firm pressure. Thick beach towels may need 60 to 65 seconds. Test one towel before the full order.

Should You Peel Sublimation Paper Hot Or Cold?

Many towel guides recommend a hot peel as soon as the press opens. Other printers leave the sheet taped until the towel cools. Either can work, provided the sublimation transfers come away in one clean pull.

Does Pre-Pressing A Towel Prevent Ghosting?

It stops the steam-related kind. A quick pre-press dries the towel out before sublimation towel printing starts. It won't save a sheet that's only taped on two sides, though.

Wrapping It Up

Nearly every ghost traces back to movement. Dry the towel, tape every edge, lift the lid gently, and peel once. Technique only goes so far on a poor blank, and sublimation towels with a real polyester velour face give the paper a flat, even surface to sit on. 

Shop from TowelHub for white sublimation blanks from 11x18 to 30x60, with sublimation towel wholesale pricing that drops as your order grows. Grab a few dozen, run a test press, and have your settings dialed in before the next team order lands.