What are all-over-print (AOP) products?

Understanding All-Over-Print (AOP) Products:

All-over-print (AOP) apparel allows for the design to cover the whole item. Unlike conventional printing methods confined to specific areas, AOP allows uninterrupted artwork or patterns to cover the fabric seamlessly. This technique is achieved through specialized printing processes that ensure uniform coverage and vivid color saturation.

Differentiating AOP from DTG Printing:

While both AOP and DTG printing facilitates customization, they diverge in several key aspects:

Coverage and Design Flexibility:

AOP products make possible complete coverage, enabling designs to span the entire surface without constraints. In contrast, DTG printing is typically confined to specific garment areas, such as the chest or back. 

Production Process:

AOP printing involves specialized equipment and techniques tailored for full-surface printing. Depending on the material and desired outcome, this may include sublimation printing, screen printing, or dye-sublimation.

DTG printing utilizes inkjet technology to apply designs directly onto the fabric surface. While capable of producing high-resolution prints with intricate details, DTG may be limited in its ability to cover the entire garment seamlessly.

A significant aspect of AOP products is their "cut & sew" construction, where the garment fabric is printed with the desired design before assembly. This bespoke approach allows for precise alignment and placement of the artwork, ensuring a cohesive and visually appealing result.

It's worth noting that due to the hand-sewn nature of AOP garments, some pattern markings used in the sewing process may be faintly visible on the inner surface of the garment.

Material Selection:

Due to the requirements of the printing technique, synthetic materials (like polyester) are most often used. In contrast, DTG products use mostly natural (cotton-based) fabrics.

Pros and Cons of AOP Products:

Pros:

• AOP offers unparalleled versatility, allowing the entire product surface to be used for printing.
• Using sublimation dyes ensures vibrant, long-lasting colors integrated into the fabric, resulting in a seamless and durable finish.
• AOP products present minimal design limitations, making them ideal for showcasing intricate patterns and bold artwork.

Cons:

• While AOP provides a wide array of design possibilities, the materials this is primarily possible with are synthetics such as polyester.
• Dark colors, mainly dark backgrounds, may not yield optimal results with AOP printing, as the design is applied over white material. This can result in white lines becoming visible when the fabric is stretched.
• Large AOP products necessitate high-quality print files to maintain clarity and detail, requiring careful consideration of file preparation and resolution.