Abstract

Printing accurate brand color on textiles is only one of the requirements for athletic apparel manufacturers. Team uniforms and fan apparel might be purchased based on the initial color and design but garments also have to withstand rigorous cleaning and maintenance. This study looks at the impact of commercial washing on brand colors that are printed on common fabric blends used for team uniforms and across three common textile printing processes—dye sublimation, direct-to-garment (DTG), and screen printing. These results are then compared to a previous study analyzing the impact of laundering—home versus commercial. Results reveal that it is challenging to make overall generalizations about one process, textile type, or color outperforming other combinations. However, there are some recommendations that can provide better durability of color if the apparel will be commercially laundered such as dye sublimation on 100% polyester textiles and avoiding screen printing on any of the tested fabrics. In contrast, when comparing previous home laundering results with the commercial results, screen printing is a good choice on any of the textiles if the apparel is going to be washed only at home showing no noticeable, visual change after five treatment cycles.