FAQsUpdated a month ago

We are excited to offer Polartec® Alpha Direct 4004 Fleece FAQ for both Omnicolor and Print-on-Demand custom printing as of 4/9/2024! This article is designed to highlight some FAQs to help you make the best decision about Alpha Direct with OutdoorINK. Please reach out to us with any additional questions and we will be happy to help out any way we can.

Color Penetration Front and Back

See the photo below for front and back photos.

Print Quality vs. our standard 1.9 ripstop polyester

This photo represents the print saturation and quality on Alpha Direct in comparison to our standard ripstop fabric. 

Heathered Appearance after handling/washing

Due to the 3 dimensional nature of Polartec Alpha Direct, you might notice as the fibers are manipulated that some white fleece is revealed underneath. This is completely normal and is just a result of the fibers being pressed down during the printing process, but please note that smaller lines and patterns might be affected by this.

Printed Pattern example:

Washing Instructions

We recommend washing by hand in warm water, and hanging to dry. Do not bleach, Do not iron, Do not dry clean, Do not use fabric softeners.

You might notice a small amount of initial shedding, which can be mitigated by washing in a mesh wash bag.

Alpha Direct 4004 Stretch 

For patterning and design reasons, keep in mind that this fleece has 30% stretch along the cross grain and only 20% lengthwise. Depending on your project, you might wish to rotate your printed image/pattern based on the directional stretch.