What is Supacolour Printing? A Guide to Supacolour Transfers

If your logo or artwork has lots of colours, fine detail, gradients or photographic elements, Supacolour can be an excellent way to reproduce it on clothing, caps and bags.

Supacolour is a professional heat-transfer branding method that combines characteristics of digital printing and traditional screen printing. The artwork is produced as a transfer and then applied to the product using controlled heat and pressure.

At House of Uniforms, we use Supacolour when the garment, artwork and quantity suit the process, particularly for complex, highly detailed and colourful designs on smooth fabrics.

Like every branding method, though, Supacolour isn't right for everything. Here's what it does well, where its limitations are and how it compares with methods such as DTF and DTG.

How Does Supacolour Printing Work?

Supacolour is produced as a specialist transfer rather than being printed directly onto the garment.

Your artwork is prepared digitally and manufactured as a transfer, which is then positioned on the garment or product and applied using a heat press.

The combination of heat and pressure bonds the design to the surface.

Because the artwork is created digitally, Supacolour can reproduce fine detail, small text, gradients, multiple colours and photographic-style artwork that can be difficult to achieve with some traditional decoration processes.

What Does Supacolour Printing Look Like?

Supacolour is known for producing clean, sharp and vibrant artwork.

It works particularly well when a design contains details that you don't want to simplify, such as fine lines, gradients, intricate logos or photographic elements.

The transfer sits on the surface of the fabric, so you can feel the branded area. How noticeable this is depends on the size and shape of the artwork: a small chest logo will naturally feel very different from a large solid design.

The surface of the garment also matters. Smooth fabrics generally produce the cleanest result, while the texture of rougher fabrics can show through the finished print.

Can Supacolour Print Lots of Colours?

Yes. This is one of the main reasons we use it.

Supacolour can reproduce full-colour artwork, fine detail, gradients and photographic imagery without requiring the design to be reduced to a small number of print colours.

That makes it particularly useful for colourful company logos, merchandise artwork and complex designs where maintaining the detail of the original artwork is important.

Can Supacolour Match Pantone Colours?

Pantone colour matching is available with Supacolour, making it particularly useful when maintaining brand colours is important.

As with any branding project where colour accuracy is critical, let us know your required Pantone colours when supplying your artwork so they can be considered as part of the production process.

Can Supacolour Print Metallic Colours?

Yes. Metallic gold and silver are available, giving Supacolour options beyond standard printed colours.

If your design requires a special finish, let us know when requesting your quote so we can confirm the appropriate production method for the artwork and product.

What Fabrics Work Best with Supacolour?

Supacolour performs best on smooth, suitable surfaces where the transfer can make consistent contact with the product.

At House of Uniforms, we offer Supacolour across a wide variety of suitable T-shirts, singlets, polo shirts, hoodies, jumpers, jackets, bags and caps.

However, Supacolour isn't suitable for every fabric.

We don't recommend it for polar fleece or wool, and heavily textured surfaces can affect the appearance of the finished print.

When shopping on our website, check the Branding Options on the individual product page. If Supacolour is listed, we've identified it as an available branding method for that product.

What is Supacolour Best For?

Supacolour is particularly useful for:

• complex, multi-colour artwork
• fine lines and small details
• colour gradients
• photographic-style designs
• branding where Pantone colour matching is important
• selected metallic or reflective effects
• smooth fabrics and suitable garment surfaces
• logos that need to remain sharp at relatively small sizes

It can be an excellent choice when the artwork itself is the complicated part of the job.

Supacolour vs DTF Printing

Supacolour and DTF (Direct to Film) can look similar because both involve a printed transfer being heat applied to a garment.

But they're different production systems with different strengths.

DTF is produced in-house at House of Uniforms and is an extremely versatile option across cotton, polyester and blended fabrics. It produces vibrant, opaque artwork and works well across a broad range of garments.

Supacolour is particularly useful for complex, high-detail artwork and jobs where features such as Pantone colour matching or selected specialty finishes are important.

There's no rule that one is universally better.

We'll consider the product, fabric, artwork, colours, quantity and required finish before recommending one over the other.

Learn about DTF Printing Here.

Supacolour vs DTG Printing

The biggest difference is where the artwork is printed.

With DTG (Direct to Garment), ink is printed directly onto the garment itself. With Supacolour, the design is produced separately as a transfer and then heat applied to the product.

DTG is particularly suited to smooth cotton-rich garments and can produce a soft print that feels integrated with the fabric.

Supacolour sits on the surface of the garment and works across a broader selection of suitable products. It also provides options such as Pantone matching that may make it preferable for particular branded artwork.

What is DTG Printing?

Supacolour vs Screen Printing

Supacolour was developed to combine some of the strengths associated with traditional screen printing with the flexibility of digital production.

Traditional screen printing generally requires separate screens and setup for individual colours. Supacolour can reproduce complex, multi-colour digital artwork without requiring that same colour-by-colour production approach.

This makes detailed artwork, gradients and photographic reproduction much more practical.

We no longer produce traditional screen printing in-house. For suitable very high-volume projects where screen printing remains the best production method, we can manage production through our partner studios.

Is Supacolour Durable?

Supacolour is designed to produce flexible branding that can stretch with suitable fabrics, making it appropriate for garments intended to be worn regularly.

Like any branded garment, however, its lifespan depends on the garment, artwork, wear and how it's cared for.

One particularly important point with Supacolour is that branded garments should not be tumble dried. Follow the care instructions supplied with your garments to help protect both the clothing and its branding.

Why is There a Mark Around My Supacolour Print?

Supacolour is applied using heat and pressure.

When your order first arrives, you may notice a temporary press mark or “bruise” around the branded area on some fabrics. This is a normal result of the application process and generally reduces after the first wash.

It doesn't mean that the garment has been damaged or the branding has been incorrectly applied.

How Large Can a Supacolour Print Be?

Our current maximum Supacolour print area is 380 mm wide × 420 mm long.

That doesn't necessarily mean bigger is always better. The ideal branding size depends on the garment, artwork and placement, and we'll consider how the design will actually look when the product is being worn or used.

What Artwork Do You Need for Supacolour?

For Supacolour, House of Uniforms currently requires EPS artwork with fonts converted to outlines.

If you don't have suitable production-ready artwork, we offer an artwork redraw service.

For new artwork, the branding setup process includes a digital mock-up for approval before production. Due to the Supacolour setup process, physical strike-offs aren't available.

What is the Minimum Order for Supacolour?

Our MOQ for Supacolour is 20 pieces for both new and repeat artwork.

You can mix and match suitable products within a Supacolour order where the same branding requirements apply, which can be useful when you're creating a coordinated uniform or merchandise range across different garments.

For current pricing, quantities and production requirements, always check our Supacolour service page when you're ready to order.

Is Supacolour Environmentally Friendly?

Supacolour uses water-based inks, its transfer system is PVC-free, and the process carries OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification.

Choosing Supacolour or Another Branding Method

You don't need to know whether your logo needs Supacolour before contacting us.

House of Uniforms offers multiple branding methods, including Supacolour, DTF, DTG, Digital Transfers and embroidery, so we can recommend a method based on your actual job.

We'll consider the product, fabric, artwork, colours, quantity and required finish rather than forcing every design through the same process.

For intricate, colourful artwork requiring exceptional detail or particular colour control, Supacolour may be exactly the right tool.

For another job, it may not be.

The aim is to choose the branding method that gives your artwork the best result.

👉 Looking for something to print on? Browse everything we print on 👕

Ready to use Supacolour? Shoot us an email and we'll create a custom quote for you.

Supacolour FAQs

What is Supacolour?

Supacolour is a professional heat-transfer branding process that combines digital print capabilities with characteristics traditionally associated with screen printing. It can reproduce detailed, vibrant, multi-colour artwork on suitable garments and products.

Is Supacolour the same as DTF?

No. Both are transfer-based processes applied using heat, but they use different production systems and have different strengths. DTF is highly versatile across fabrics, while Supacolour can be particularly useful for intricate artwork and jobs requiring options such as Pantone colour matching.

Is Supacolour the same as DTG?

No. DTG prints ink directly onto the garment. Supacolour is produced separately as a transfer and then applied to the product using heat and pressure.

Can Supacolour print photographs?

Yes. Supacolour can reproduce high-resolution, photographic-style artwork, as well as gradients, fine text and detailed designs.

Can Supacolour match Pantone colours?

Pantone colour matching is available with Supacolour. If colour accuracy is particularly important to your branding, provide your required Pantone colours with your artwork.

Can Supacolour print metallic colours?

Yes. Metallic gold and silver options are available, along with selected other specialty options.

Can Supacolour be used on polyester?

Supacolour can be applied to a variety of suitable fabrics and garments. Compatibility depends on the particular product and surface, so check whether Supacolour appears in the Branding Options on the product you're considering.

Can Supacolour be used on polar fleece?

No. We don't recommend Supacolour for polar fleece or wool.

Can Supacolour garments go in the dryer?

No. Supacolour-branded garments should not be tumble dried. Follow the supplied garment care instructions to protect the garment and print.

What is the minimum order for Supacolour?

The current minimum is 20 pieces for new or repeat artwork.

What is the maximum Supacolour print size?

Our current maximum print area is 380 mm wide × 420 mm long.

Does House of Uniforms offer Supacolour printing in Melbourne?

Yes. We offer Supacolour as part of our standard garment and merchandise branding services shipped from Moorabbin, Melbourne, supplying customers Australia wide.

How do I order Supacolour printing?

Shoot us an email with your artwork and we'll send you back a custom quote.