Printing on Mesh Fabric: Six Things to Know Before You Order

Short answer: you can print your own design on mesh fabric. At Jersey Print Factory we print on 100% polyester mesh by sublimation, from 1 metre, and we also make finished mesh tops, T-shirts and dresses from 50 pieces per style. But mesh is not a solid fabric, and a print behaves differently on it. Here is what to know before you order.

1. Mesh is mostly holes, so colours look lighter

A mesh (tulle-net) fabric is an open structure: a large share of its surface is air. The dye only sits on the yarn, so less colour reaches the eye than on a jersey or a poplin, and whatever is underneath — skin, a lining, a bodysuit — shows through and mixes with the print. Strong, saturated designs work best. Pale pastels and very fine low-contrast details can almost disappear.

2. There is no white ink

Sublimation dyes the fabric; it does not add an opaque white layer on top. Every white area in your file comes out as the white of the mesh itself. On a sheer fabric that means those areas read as see-through. If you want a solid white motif, you need a different fabric or a lining behind it.

3. Sublimation is the right process for mesh

Mesh is polyester, and sublimation dye bonds into polyester fibre with heat. The print becomes part of the yarn rather than a coating on top, so the mesh stays soft, breathable and see-through, and the print does not crack when the fabric stretches. That is why we print mesh this way rather than with pigment or transfer.

4. Decide how much stretch you need

Our stock mesh is 100% polyester with a soft, natural give — enough for relaxed tops, overlays and linings. For close-fitting, body-skimming garments we source a stretch mesh with elastane for the order. Tell us how the garment should fit and we will tell you which one to use.

5. Minimums are low

For fabric by the metre the minimum is 1 metre per design, with no setup fee. You upload your file on our Print Your Own page, choose Mesh (tulle-net) and the number of metres. For finished garments the minimum is 50 pieces per style.

6. Test before the full run

Because colour on mesh depends on what is behind it, a small test pays off. Order a 20 × 20 cm test print of your own design on mesh, hold it against skin and against the lining you plan to use, then order the metres.

Everything about our mesh — price, width, how the two ways of ordering work, and a form for garment quotes — is on one page: Custom printed mesh fabric.