What is Sublimation & How Does it Work?

If you’re a member of the crafting community, you have likely heard the term “sublimation” floating around in various Facebook groups, from your suppliers, and so on. But what exactly is sublimation and how does it work? Is it something you want to add to your hobbies or small business? If so, where do you start and how much will it cost?

Let’s dive right into the basics of sublimation printing.

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What is Sublimation Printing?

Sublimation printing is a process in which inks are heated to a gaseous state and then infused into a specially coated material.

How Does Sublimation Work?

You need a special printer and inks to print your design onto a sheet of paper and then a way to apply heat and pressure to turn the ink into a gas and apply it onto your material. The material must be specially coated to absorb the inks.

Step 1 – Print

First, you print out your design with a sublimation printer and inks onto sublimation paper. Make sure to mirror the design as you will apply it face down onto the material. The design will appear faded on the paper but don’t worry, it will get more vibrant when heated.

Step 2 – Apply

Next, apply your paper face down onto your specially coated material. This could be a shirt, mug, blanket, puzzle, ornament, etc. You may need to use heat safe tape or a spray adhesive to secure the paper in place. Make sure not to move the paper at all once you apply heat or the ink will bleed/smudge.

Because the ink will become gaseous, it is recommended to protect your heat press and parts of the material you don’t want the design applied to. Add layers of copy paper, butcher paper, or parchment paper where necessary to prevent the ink from bleeding through the back of the printed sheet.

Step 3 – Heat

To transfer the image, you will need to apply heat and pressure using a heat press (for flat objects like shirts) or a mug press or convection oven (for curved objects like mugs). Check the recommended pressure, temperature, and time for the substrate (aka material) that you are working with (ex. Light pressure, 360°F, 180s).

Prep your machine with the correct settings and then insert your material with the design secured. Press for the recommended time and then remove from heat.

Step 4 – Remove Paper

Lastly, remove any protective sheets plus the printed paper with the design and discard. The ink should have fully absorbed into your material. You won’t be able to feel anything as the ink is infused into the material, not sitting on top like a coat of paint.

Note: Depending on your substrate and personal preference, you may want to remove the paper immediately after removing from heat, or wait until the material cools down.

What Do I Need to get Started with Sublimation?

You will need a variety of special equipment and specially manufactured supplies and materials in order to successfully sublimate. This includes the following:

• Sublimation printer & inks
• Sublimation paper
• Heat press (for flat substrates like shirts)
• Mug press or convection oven (for rounded substrates like mugs)
• Specially coated substrates
• Heat safe tape or spray adhesive

Sublimation Printer

Look for ones that are specially made just for sublimation: Sawgrass SG500 or SG1000, or the Epson SureColor F570 or F170. Consider what size of materials you want to sublimate onto and choose a printer that can print images up to that size.

It is also possible to convert specific makes of Epson Workforce or EcoTank printers into a sublimation printer if you want a cheaper, DIY version over a more expensive, professional printer.

Sublimation Inks

If you purchase a sublimation printer, it will likely come with sublimation ink to start you off. It is always recommended to replace/refill with the same inks as not all inks will be compatible with your printer. That means buying Sawgrass SG500/1000 inks or Epson F170/570 inks if you have one of those sublimation printers.

If you are converting a standard printer into sublimation, you will need to separately purchase sublimation inks. Printers Jack Sublimation Inks are a popular option available on Amazon.

Sublimation Paper

This special paper doesn’t absorb as much of the ink as regular copy paper would, leaving you with more ink to press into your substrate. Available in a variety of sizes, depending on what your printer can handle. I use this brand from Joto and have heard good things about A-sub paper, available on Amazon.

Heat Press

Available in a variety of sizes and styles (clamshell, swing away, auto-release, etc). If you already work with iron-on vinyl (aka HTV), you may already have a heat press that will work for sublimation. Just check that the size is large enough for both the substrates you plan to use and your printer size. I have this auto-release clamshell 16×20″ heat press from Joto and the size is great.

Mug Press or Convection Oven

Mug presses come with either a single press or multiple presses for doing several mugs at the same time. They also have different attachments which you can switch out depending on the shape of your substrate. Mug presses are easier and quicker to use than convection ovens, but can be more limited on shapes & sizes of substrates that can be pressed. I have this dual mug press from Joto which came with 5 different attachments.

If using a convection oven, make sure to purchase a separate one just for sublimating; don’t use one you will also cook food in. One option is the Black + Decker Convection Toaster Oven. You’ll need silicone wraps (or shrink wrap and a heat gun) to apply pressure to your substrate with this method since the oven is only providing heat. It will take more time to make each mug, but you may be able to do multiple at one time, depending on the size. It’s recommended to get an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature is set accurately.

Specially Coated Substrates

Fabrics must be polyester in order to absorb the ink. The higher the polyester count, the better the results. If using a blend like 70/30 polyester/cotton, the image will appear more faded as only 70% of the material is absorbing the ink. Other, non-fabric substances like mugs are specially coated with material that can absorb the ink. These products will be advertised for “sublimation use”. You cannot just use a standard mug from your local box store.

A few of my favourite sources for sublimation supplies in Canada are:

• Joto – sublimation equipment & supplies, plus mugs & other substrates
• Advertis – mugs & other substrates
• Blanks Blanks Baby – 100% polyester shirts
• Design Blanks – seasonal items

Heat Safe Tape or Spray Adhesive

For most substrates, you’ll need something to keep the printed paper in place. Heat tape is typically used for hard substrates like mugs. I like this heat tape from Joto. Some people use spray adhesive when printing onto fabric (i.e. shirts) to avoid tape marks. I haven’t tried this method yet but popular choices are Krylon Easy-Tack or Elmer’s CraftBond.

Sublimation vs. Vinyl or HTV

Perhaps you’ve already been making things like mugs, tumblers, shirts, etc. with vinyl or HTV (Heat Transfer Vinyl). So what is the difference between adding vinyl to customize a product vs. sublimating onto it?

Vinyl/HTV

With vinyl, you cut out your design and then apply it on top of the material. Because the vinyl is sitting on the substrate, you can feel it and it’s susceptible to peeling over time. Vinyl on mugs is not dishwasher safe and can be picked off or lose adhesion with scrubbing. HTV on shirts can crack or peel over time with washing. Also, because the HTV sits on the shirt, there is a limit to how much it can stretch with the fabric. There is special stretch HTV available which is better for stretchy materials, but there is still a limit and the HTV will start to peel if the fabric underneath stretches too much.

There is a limit to how small of details you can cut out of vinyl and you are limited to simpler images and colours because you have to cut out each piece and puzzle them together. Doing a multi-colour design requires multiple applications.

The main benefit to vinyl/HTV is that it can be applied to a wide variety of materials. You don’t need specially coated substrates; you can customize store-bought items or things you already have around the house. The start up cost is also less.

Sublimation

Sublimation, on the other hand, is infused directly into the material. You cannot feel the design once it’s applied. Since the design is now part of the material, it lasts much longer. When done on high quality materials, the design should not fade over time. Sublimated mugs are dishwasher safe and shirts will not fade with washing.

Benefits of Sublimation Printing

The two biggest advantages of sublimation printing are the longevity and ability to create more detailed designs.

• Design longevity – The design is infused into the material for a long-lasting finish that you can’t feel and won’t fade, peel, or crack.
• Detailed designs – You can print entire photos or designs with intricate colours and tiny details.
• Easier – Many people find it easier to apply sublimation designs than vinyl. Especially with bulk orders, you don’t have to cut, weed, & apply the vinyl on each item. Just print out multiple copies of the design, tape & press.

Disadvantages of Sublimation Printing

The two biggest disadvantages of sublimation printing are limitations on suitable substrates and the high start up cost.

• Expensive – the start up costs to purchase all of the necessary equipment can be fairly high. As well, the cost for replacement inks and the substrates themselves are higher than what you can use for vinyl projects.
• Limited substrates – sublimation inks will only infuse into specific materials. You need polyester fabrics or materials with a special sublimation coating. Because the ink is being infused into the material, you need white or light coloured substrates. You can’t sublimate onto a black shirt for example, as the ink won’t show up.
• No white ink – sublimation printers (like most regular inkjet/laser printers) do not have white ink. That means any part of your image/design that is white will be left blank and just become the colour of the substrate. If you’re printing onto a white substrate, that’s fine but if you print onto a pink shirt for example, the “white” parts of your design will be pink.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know a bit more about what sublimation is, how it works, and the advantages & limitations, what do you think? Are you considering investing in sublimation equipment or are you hesitant on making the leap? Let me know in the comments below what you’re struggling with or any questions you may have.

I have been working with vinyl & HTV for 4 years but only got into sublimation printing this year. I did a lot of research before hand to make sure I understood the process and what equipment was right for me and my small business. Like with any new process and equipment, there is a learning curve but I am loving the new possibilities this will open up for my business. I can make better quality products with more detail and higher longevity, plus I can more easily produce higher volumes of sales.