Sublimation printing is a method that allows you to transfer a design into a material or fabric using ink and heat.
This process does require specialized ink, paper, and material or fabric to work.
There are a wide variety of sublimation blanks available on the market. We have a small sample of blanks that you can try. These blanks are treated with a special coating, so you are limited and the blanks can be costly depending on what you are trying to create. If you want to sublimate fabric, you need to use a material that is 90 to 100% polyester (the cool dry or athletic blends work well). Also, since sublimation adds color, it does not remove any color, so you get the best result using a white shirt. Other light colors can be used but may affect how the design appears. For example, if you are using yellow, everything that was white on your image is now yellow, and all of your other colors are being layered on top of the yellow.
If you want to sublimate fabric, you need to use a material that is 80 to 100% polyester (the cool dry or athletic blends work well). Also, since sublimation adds color, it does not remove any color, so you get the best result using a white shirt. Other light colors can be used but may affect how the design appears. For example, if you are using yellow, everything that was white on your image is now yellow, and all of your other colors are being layered on top of the yellow. In the picture above we used a gray t-shirt so all the areas that were white in the original image are now gray.
The size of your design is determined by the size of the shirt you are creating you need smaller images for youth sizes than for adult sizes. All designs must fit on a standard letter size sheet of paper as that is what our printer will accommodate.
The designs are printed mirrored so that the text will appear correctly. Then using special heat tape you attach your printed design to your shirt and press for 30 seconds at 400 degrees with light to medium pressure.
Keychains, dog tags, metal plates, and many other flat sublimation blanks are available.
Creating designs that are sized to fit your specific blank is key.
All printed designs should be mirrored prior to printing to ensure they are readable and look right.
The time of the press will be determined by the materials you are using. The keychains and smaller items tend to need less time on the press than larger items. Please talk to us or check the manufacturer's requirements regarding your particular item.
The first step in creating a sublimated mug is to choose your mug.
Mugs designed for sublimation must be used as they have a special coating that will allow them to absorb the ink. The CraftLab has a mug press that can press 10 oz. and 11 oz. standard cylindrical mugs as well as 12 oz. and 17 oz. conical mugs
For a standard 11oz. coffee mug your graphic design must be less than 8.5 inches long by 3.75 inches high. The design will wrap around the mug leaving blank space near the handle.
The graphic will be printed using the sublimation printer and applied to the mug.
The mug will then be placed in the mug press for 2.5 to 3.5 minutes at 400 degrees.
Looking for assistance with using the sewing machine, Cricut, jewelry making, sublimation and more? Monika can help!