Summary and Reflection

There are aspects to die sublimation printing that I really like, the speed at which you can achieve results, the happy accidents that occur, the simplicity of the process and it’s ability to capture plant detail in a similar fashion to Cyanotype. Plus there is the added bonus of being able to add to an image through further printing that is not possible in Cyanotype, so in that respect there is more flexibility in it’s application to textile printing and of course a wide range of colours available to use.

I found the way of working with this set of samples quite interesting too, allowing the results of every heat press to impact the next and regret not keeping them in the order in which they were produced. At one point I separated them into fabric type for some reason that escapes me and it is only whilst compiling my work for digitisation that I realise I could have better evaluated the samples and gained more insight had I kept them in order. It may have been useful to analyse results for future development.

However, since my work with Cyanotype printing has developed since I produced these samples back in March, there is little of value to be had in them at the moment. Aesthetically they are pretty enough but except for a few prints I don’t find them especially exciting.

Of course, I’m comparing them to what I feel I have achieved now with my print design, but at the time of sampling I was quite excited by the possibilities of developing textile prints through dye sublimation. I really liked the feather prints, the bold clarity of the red version and the inky blue splotches of the blue. I also love the idea of preserving these plants forever in print design, almost like a textile version of Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium books. So they did have their merits.

I think ultimately my work has moved on, but I think there could be a place for die sublimation printing in my work. There may be a way of combining it with Cyanotype, perhaps to enhance details or add colour. As Cyanotype prefers natural fabrics and dye sublimation synthetic, I could experiment with layering fabrics produced in each method or appliqued details. Having said that I am also thinking that synthetic fabrics lack the air of sophistication and quality that will be needed to produce a garment for my final outcome that could be considered in any way Couture. So perhaps I’ll save the dye sublimation for sampling along the way.