What is AOP and how does all-over printing work?
All-over print (AOP) products are made using cut & sew techniques that let you customize a product from seam to seam. Traditionally, this has been done with sublimation, which works best on polyester fabrics — these are our All-Over Synthetic products. We've also introduced All-Over Cotton, a technique that allows full-coverage designs on natural cotton fabrics.
How All-Over Synthetic (sublimation) printing works
All-Over Synthetic products start with your design.
- Your design is printed onto special sublimation paper.
- We use a heat press to transfer your design from the paper to the fabric or product surface, embedding it into the material so it won't peel or fade.
- For custom apparel, we print your design on large rolls of white polyester fabric, then cut the fabric to shape using precision tools.
- Our sewing team assembles the product using industry-grade sewing machines.
How All-Over Cotton works
All-Over Cotton is our all-over print technique for natural fabrics. It uses mostly cotton blended with a small amount of elastane, creating soft, breathable, comfortable garments while still offering seam-to-seam coverage.
The design is printed directly onto the cotton fabric using water-based pigment inks, then the fabric is cut and sewn into the finished product, just like with All-Over Synthetic items.
Safe print areas and file preparation work the same way as with our other AOP products.
What designs work best for AOP products?
This printing style works best for:
- Patterns.
- Large-scale graphics.
- Full-surface designs.
Since the design covers the entire product, AOP is perfect for making bold, attention-grabbing items.
What products support all-over printing?
You can find all-over print options for:
- T-shirts and sweaters.
- Leggings.
- Bags.
- Mugs and phone cases.
- Home decor items.
- And many more.
How to prepare your AOP files
- Use full-bleed images. Your design should cover the entire print area. If it doesn't, use a transparent background and save it as a PNG to avoid white borders.
- File format. Use PNG for designs with transparency. Use JPEG if your design fills the entire print area.
- Stay in the safe zone. Keep important text and graphics within the safe print area to make sure nothing gets cut off or sewn into seams.
Check out this guide on how to create the perfect AOP file.
Still need help? Our Support Team is here for you—reach out anytime through our contact form or start a chat with us.