Clothing with blank fields to affix custom artwork using indirect and direction sublimation printing

Abstract

An article of clothing and a method of making the same. The article of clothing includes a white or light-colored area or panel or field suitable for sublimation printing, surrounding at least in part by an area of fixed, permanent background color or pattern. An image is heat transferred to the article of clothing in registration with the printable field such that there is no discernible boundary between the printed image and the permanent background color or pattern. The heat-transferable image may be a image disposed on a heat transfer sheet that can be transferred to an article of clothing by the application of heat and pressure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of affixing indicia or artwork to an article of clothing, the method comprising:
 providing an article of clothing comprising at least one, permanently defined or attached printable field having a shape, a size, and a perimeter, wherein the printable field is lighter in color than a surrounding area of the article of clothing, and wherein the surrounding area of the article of clothing is a fixed, pre-fabricated color or pattern;   providing a heat-transferable image having a shape, a size, and a perimeter, wherein:
 the shape of the heat-transferable image corresponds to the shape of the printable field; 
 the size of the heat-transferable image is the same as or larger than the size of the printable field; and 
 the perimeter of the heat-transferable image is a color or pattern substantially identical to the fixed, pre-fabricated color or pattern of the surrounding area of the article of clothing; and 
   heat transferring the heat-transferable image in registration onto the printable field to yield a heat-transferred image having a perimeter, wherein there is no visually discernible border between the perimeter of the heat-transferred image and the perimeter of the printable field.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising providing the heat-transferable image on a heat transfer sheet. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the article of clothing comprises polyester. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the article of clothing is a shirt. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the article of clothing is a hat. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the printable field is white. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the printable field comprises undyed polyester. 
     
     
         8 . A method of affixing indicia or artwork to an article of clothing, the method comprising:
 providing an article of clothing comprising at least one, permanently defined or attached printable field having a shape, a size, and a perimeter, wherein the printable field is lighter in color than a surrounding area of the article of clothing, and wherein the surrounding area of the article of clothing is a fixed, pre-fabricated color or pattern, and wherein the perimeter of the printed field comprises a color or grey-scale gradient;   providing a heat-transferable image having a shape, a size, and a perimeter, wherein:
 the shape of the heat-transferable image corresponds to the shape of the printable field; 
 the size of the heat-transferable image is the same as or larger than the size of the printable field; and 
 the perimeter of the heat-transferable image comprises a color or grey-scale gradient inverse to and in registration with the color or grey-scale gradient on the perimeter of the printable field of the article of clothing; and 
   heat transferring the heat-transferable image in registration onto the printable field to yield a heat-transferred image having a perimeter, wherein there is no visually discernible border between the perimeter of the heat-transferred image and the perimeter of the printable field.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising providing the heat-transferable image on a heat transfer sheet. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the article of clothing is a shirt. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the article of clothing is a hat. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the printable field is white. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the printable field comprises undyed polyester. 
     
     
         14 . A method of affixing indicia or artwork to an article of clothing, the method comprising:
 providing an article of clothing comprising at least one, permanently defined or attached printable field having a shape, a size, and a perimeter, wherein the printable field is lighter in color than a surrounding area of the article of clothing, and wherein the surrounding area of the article of clothing is a fixed, pre-fabricated color or pattern, and wherein the perimeter of the printed field comprises a decorative motif;   providing a heat-transferable image having a shape, a size, and a perimeter, wherein:
 the shape of the heat-transferable image corresponds to the shape of the printable field; 
 the size of the heat-transferable image is the same as or larger than the size of the printable field; and 
 the perimeter of the heat-transferable image comprises a decorative motif corresponding to and in registration with the decorative motif on the perimeter of the printable field of the article of clothing; and 
   heat transferring the heat-transferable image in registration onto the printable field to yield a heat-transferred image having a perimeter, wherein the decorative motif on the perimeter of the heat-transferable image is transferred in registration onto the decorative motif on the perimeter of the printed field.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising providing the heat-transferable image on a heat transfer sheet. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the article of clothing is a shirt. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the article of clothing is a hat. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the printable field is white. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the printable field comprises undyed polyester. 
     
     
         20 . An article of clothing produced by the method of  claim 1 .