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I know more and more people are getting into sublimation printing at home. Before you purchase a sublimation printer, either for business or for just at-home crafting, there are a few things you should know. As the holidays approach, I figure more and more people will be looking into sublimation. I wanted to do a post on five things you should know before you dive into sublimation printing. These are questions and issues that I see people run into all the time.
Sublimation Printing at HomeJust click play on the video below to see my top 5 things you need to know before getting started with sublimation printing at home. Some of these things you may know already while some may come as a total surprise!
Can’t watch the video or miss some of the information? You can also follow along below!
Sublimation Supplies I Use:First, here is a list of supplies that I use if you are looking to purchase any of the items mentioned.
You can find a more complete list on my post about sublimation supplies here.
#1 Finding the Correct BlanksLet’s get started with issue number one. You need a polyester or light surface to sublimate on. People think if they get a sublimation printer, sublimation ink, and sublimation paper that they are ready to go. They are ready to add things and images to all the shirts, all the mugs, all the things, and that is simply not true.
Sublimation is a chemical reaction and it needs some sort of polyester to react with. Whether your shirt is made out of polyester, or there is a sublimation coating or polyester coating on your ceramic mug, those have to be present for sublimation to work. You can see a list of my favorite sublimation blanks here.
The number one thing I see people do is to get their first print off their sublimation printer and apply it to a mug from the dollar store or a 100% cotton shirt and then say that either their image doesn’t transfer at all, or that it’s super light. Both of those issues will happen when you don’t use the proper surface. You need to be aware that you must have a polyester surface.
Also, sublimation is transparent. You can actually see through it when it’s on your surface. Any color on your blank will actually come through the sublimation. For example, if I were to sublimate on a black shirt, you wouldn’t be able to see the ink. The black would show through the ink and therefore you would not be able to see anything.
There are some ways around this and you can see some ways to sublimate on cotton as well as dark surfaces here. There’s just an extra step that you have to do in order to sublimate on those surfaces. However, it does take that extra step, extra supplies, and extra knowledge. You do need to be aware of that before you dive into sublimation printing.
#2 Start Up CostsThe second thing you need to think about is the costs to get started. You might need quite a few things to get started with sublimation. I mentioned a few of those already. You need a sublimation printer with sublimation ink and sublimation paper. Yes, you need all three of those things.
Also, please be aware that you will need a separate printer that is not your home printer. The same printer will not work for both sublimation and for stickers out of your Cricut machine – you need a separate printer for both of those operations. You’ll need a whole other printer in your home, and in that printer, you will need to add sublimation ink to the printer itself. Only a few printers are able to do this and you can find my conversion post here.
If you don’t want to convert a printer as I have, then you can jump all the way up to a sublimation printer, such as a Sawgrass printer. This type of printer is made for sublimation and comes with sublimation ink. It just depends on how much you want to invest. A beginner might just go with the Epson EcoTank and convert it themselves into a sublimation printer in order to get into sublimation crafting at less cost. As your business grows, you may find that you need a more professional sublimation printer. However, some people choose to start at the more professional level.
I also always recommend sublimation paper that you print on in order to transfer your design. We already talked a little bit about the blanks and the special blanks you’ll need with a polyester-based or polyester coating over the top. Other supplies you may need include heat-resistant tape and protective paper.
There are some sublimation blanks that you will need some specialty foams and some special Teflon. You might want a convection oven for larger blanks. Once you start with shirts, you may want to add mugs. If you want to sublimate on glass, you’ll need a few other supplies. It does snowball so please be aware of the costs before you enter into this craft.
#3 Heat Source OptionsWhile we’re talking about costs, let’s go to number three. To make that chemical reaction happen with sublimation, you need a heat source. I recommend a heat press for most items. Sometimes you can get by with an Easy Press, depending on your project. However, an Easy Press will not work for all sublimation crafts. Some sublimation blanks require heavy pressure to be pressed down onto the sublimation blank, and you can’t always get that with the Easy Press.
You can also get other heat sources which add to your costs. Convection ovens, mug presses, tumbler presses, and so much more. You may find that you want more items as your knowledge of this craft expands. You may want to factor at least one press into those beginning costs that we talked about. Try my heat press buying guide here for help.
#4 Printer Color CorrectionWhen you convert that Epson EcoTank printer, the colors might look a little weird depending on your printer model and the ink you put in it. The printer itself is made for inkjet ink and the colors of sublimation are a bit different. That leads to the need for color correction and correcting the colors that are coming from your computer to your printer in order for it to print correctly.
The issue is that color correction cannot happen with base programs that you might be used to. I use Photoshop for my color correction. There are a few other programs on the market that can handle color correction, but generally, you have to pay some kind of fee to get those. I always recommend that you print something, press it, see what it looks like, then decide if you need color correction. It’s going to be dependent on what the project is, what you are printing, the image you’re printing, what the colors are, what you are pressing on, and more.
This is a whole new craft with entirely new issues. The troubleshooting is not the same as what you’re going to find with any other craft project. You can start with my post on common sublimation issues, but you’re definitely going to run into some really weird things. Heat, time, and pressure all factor into sublimation printing. We already discussed color correction then you have printer clogs as well. There are all of these issues that you’ve never heard of before and it opens it up with sublimation.
Another thing I wanted to mention here is that every blank is different. You need to check the manufacturer’s instructions for things like time, temperature, and pressure. Let’s say I get a tumbler from one manufacturer and then I get one from another the next time. The other manufacturer’s tumbler might require slightly different settings in order to get a good sublimation print. A lot of people don’t realize that. They think there is something wrong with their printer, when in fact they should have changed their settings for that manufacturer’s recommendations.
Sublimation printing at home is definitely something that requires a little troubleshooting, a little thought, and a little knowledge. You may find that you need to gain a bit of experience with sublimation printing before you get really good at it. I would keep that in mind before diving into this craft.
I’ve given you five things to think about before diving into sublimation printing. If you are ready to dive in or want to learn a bit more, I have something for you. I started a free sublimation class for those of you that are getting started with sublimation. You can sign up HERE and the lessons will start coming to your email inbox. You can learn a little bit more about sublimation, or if you’ve just purchased your sublimation printer, start with our first class and soon you will be a sublimation expert.
Sublimation printing at home does not have to be hard or impossible! In fact, it is something you can tackle with just a little knowledge. Be sure to consider the 5 factors above before starting so you are ready when these issues come up. With just a little practice, you too can do dye sublimation right in your home!
A sublimation paper is a specialty paper used to print on shirts, mugs, and other sublimation blanks. Many beginner and professional printers use sublimation printing because it’s cost-efficient and produces vivid prints.
You’ve landed on this page for one reason — you’re trying to find out what a sublimation paper is. If you’re a beginner in the sublimation printing industry, this ultimate guide will help you understand the ins and outs of a sublimation paper.
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First of all, you need to learn what a sublimation transfer paper is made of. A sublimation paper is made of a special polyester coating on its print area. This special coating keeps the dye ink inside the paper which then transfers to the merchandise when exposed to heat.
Think of a sublimation paper as the vessel or the carrier of the sublimation ink. A sublimation paper is a vessel to transfer the dye sublimation ink into merchandise. That is the basic working principle of a sublimation paper. For getting more information about what is sublimation paper? check our blog.
Sep 05, 2022 TeckWrap Craft
To print on a sublimation printer, you’ll need an inkjet printer that contains dye sublimation ink. There’s no other way around it. You can’t use regular printer ink to print on sublimation paper because it won’t work.
Furthermore, you can’t print on a regular printing paper using dye sublimation ink and use it for sublimation printing. In a nutshell, for sublimation printing, you’ll need sublimation paper and an inkjet printer with sublimation ink.
The sublimation process works in a simple way. Let’s say you have a sublimation paper printed with a design, of course using dye sublimation ink. You’re about to press it into a polyester t-shirt under the heat press machine.
What happens is that the sublimation ink turns into gas. At the same time, the fabric of the polyester shirt opens up and absorbs the ink. Once you’re done pressing the shirt, and it cools off, the gaseous ink that transferred to the merchandise turns solid. This means the ink is permanently printed on the merchandise. For knowing about more information about how to do sublimation shirts: a complete guide check ou blog.
There are plenty of custom-printed projects you can do with sublimation paper. With a sublimation paper, you can print directly on polyester fabric or any polyester-coated sublimation blank.
You can directly sublimate on synthetic fibers like polyester, lycra, nylon, and sportswear. Furthermore, you can also print the sublimation paper over a heat transfer vinyl. You see, directly sublimating on a cotton shirt or a dark-colored shirt won’t work.
Direct sublimation printing on a garment is only recommended for polyester shirts. But if you want to print on a dark-colored shirt or a cotton shirt, you can print the heat transfer vinyl first on the shirt. Then sublimate over it.
As for the sublimation blanks, there are plenty of products available in the market now. This means you can custom-print on plenty of merchandise. For knowing about best sublimation paper for dark shirt you should be check our blog.
Sep 23, 2024 TeckWrap Craft
You can’t sublimate on random merchandise. It must be a ‘sublimation blank’ because it has a special polymer coating wherein the dye sublimation ink will bond. For instance, you can’t expect to sublimate on a regular mug bought at a craft store. It must be a sublimation mug. All of these sublimation blanks are in white colors.
As mentioned, for sublimation printing, of course, you’ll need a sublimation paper and a sublimation printer that contains dye sublimation ink. One more machine you need to invest in is a heat press machine and each one has its purpose.
Do you need to invest in all these heat press machines? The more heat press machines you have, the better! But if the budget does not allow it, starting with a flat heat press machine and mastering t-shirt printing first is a good way to start.
With sublimation printing, you’ll need other supplies like thermal transfer paper or tape, scissors, a Teflon sheet, and a silicone rubber pad. A bright desktop lamp on your workspace can also help you big time when printing. For knowing about sublimation temperature chart check our blog.
Jun 14, 2024 TeckWrap Craft
Sublimating merchandise is a simple process. Print and press! That’s it! Whether you’re printing on a shirt or a sublimation blank. Whether you’re sublimating on a shirt or a mug, the transfer process is fairly similar. To give you an idea, here are the steps.
You may have heard of another transfer printing method using heat transfer paper. These heat transfer papers are called dark transfer paper and light transfer paper. These types of special printing paper are coated with wax and pigment which transfers into the canvas.
Unlike sublimation paper where the dye-based ink turns into a gas and only the ink transfers into the merchandise. Sublimation printing and heat transfer paper printing are both different printing methods.
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Heat transfer paper is available in laser heat transfer paper printed on a laser printer. There’s also the inkjet heat transfer paper to be printed on the inkjet printer only. Which printer do you use when working on a heat transfer paper design? Inkjet or laser printer?
Inkjet or laser transfer paper is commonly used as an iron-on print. But which printing method is better? Sublimation or heat transfer printing? This depends on your preference. If you don’t want the wax coating transferred onto the heat transfer paper garments, sublimation printing is preferred.
There are printers specially used for sublimation printing. However, you can use a regular inkjet printer with dye sublimation ink on it. If you intend to invest in a printer for sublimation printing, make sure to consult with the manufacturer if the printer is compatible with sublimation printing.
There are also printers you can convert into sublimation paper using a CISS Ink system. If you have a regular inkjet printer at home and it already has regular ink on it, you cannot use it as your sublimation printer. Just like any other printer, when you refill a different kind of ink, other than the original ink you used, it might ruin the printer. That’s a big no-no!
The best brands of inkjet printers for sublimation are Epson and SawGrass. Just a tip, most HP printers won’t print a sublimation paper. Also, generally speaking, laser printers cannot print quality images.
No, you cannot use regular ink on sublimation paper. Even though the sublimation paper will produce prints, it will not transfer to the merchandise. Sublimation paper is a special paper that contains a special coating that locks the ink and releases it into gas when exposed to heat.
The bottom line is, that regular printer ink is not made compatible with sublimation printing. The regular ink when printed onto a sublimation paper when printed on light-colored polyester fabrics or any sublimation blank.
In sublimation printing, you cannot use dye sublimation ink on regular paper. You can try to print dye sublimation on regular paper, maybe for your documents, but it won’t look too good. The colors will look pale on the paper, a bit too blurry, and oftentimes smears.
Don’t even think about using dye sublimation ink on regular paper if you intend to use it for sublimation printing. It simply won’t work! Sublimation paper works only for dye sublimation ink, and that’s about it!
No, sublimation ink does not directly print onto dark-colored shirts. If you want to print on a dark-colored shirt, there’s an indirect way to do it. What you want to do is print a white heat transfer vinyl on the dark shirt, then sublimate over it.
Sublimation print won’t be visible in dark-colored shirts like royal blue, dark gray, maroon and black. Also, one tip you should know — white ink does not print out in sublimation printing. White ink remains unprinted, in short, transparent.
The print side of the sublimation paper is the white side with a matte texture. Typically, a sublimation paper has one white side and a colored side. As for TeckWrap Craft’s sublimation paper, the colored side is colored light pink. in dark-colored shirts like royal blue, dark gray, maroon and black. Also, one tip you should know — white ink does not print out in sublimation printing. White ink remains unprinted, in short, transparent.
As mentioned, a tip when printing on sublimation paper is to always mirror the image on your computer. This tip was mentioned earlier because it is important. Once you press on merchandise, you have to press the printed image facing the merchandise, that’s why you have to mirror the image.
When you’re looking for a sublimation paper, what you need is a high-quality product. A sublimation paper must have a high transfer rate, at least 100 gsm, fast drying speed, ink-saving performance, and does not fade, smudge or crack.
When you’re looking for a sublimation paper, you’d want a product with a high transfer rate. A sublimation paper with a high transfer rate prints vivid images and is ink-saving. A sublimation paper with more than a 98% transfer rate prints higher quality images.
Some sublimation paper may have longer drying times. This means you have to wait several hours for the ink to dry before pressing the design onto merchandise. You can’t even touch the ink for hours as it may smudge. Why wait for the ink to dry if there is sublimation paper with a fast-drying speed? That’s what you should look for!
Who likes to waste ink? No one! If there’s any way you can save on ink or any additional overhead cost, you should! That’s why you should look for sublimation papers with an ink-saving performance. Sublimation papers with a higher gsm have an ink-saving performance.
One of the best sublimation papers available is from TeckWrap Craft. It’s fast-drying, waterproof, has great ink-saving performance, and does not fade, smudge or crack. Additionally, it’s affordable. You can use the TeckWrap Craft sublimation paper to print on shirts, mugs, tumblers, and all sublimation blanks.
Now that you’re aware of what a sublimation paper is, its uses, and the projects you can create with it, are you excited to start with your crafting projects? Surely, you are! Don’t forget — only use a sublimation printer containing sublimation ink and a high-quality sublimation transfer paper.
For your sublimation paper needs, don’t look elsewhere. A pack of TeckWrap Craft sublimation sheets comes in 100 sheets of A4 paper. It’s 100 gsm that’s why it dries fast, is ink-saving, and has a 98% transfer rate. Get your sublimation paper at TeckWrap Craft now!
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