As a creative artist and entrepreneur I have dabbled in many genres of crafting and designing. With a lot of trial and error, I weed out what I don’t like to do, leaving room for more growth and focus on the crafts I do enjoy. With the creative world always evolving, sometimes it can seem overwhelming when you finally have something down packed and poof! the next best thing is out.
My first and long time love has been working with vinyl. From creating shirts, bags, accessories and drink ware, the possibilities have been endless. However, vinyl can be very time consuming. So when I stumbled upon sublimation, I just knew I had to learn it – and quickly!
For those of you who are unfamiliar with sublimation or maybe you’ve heard of it and haven’t been able to wrap your head around the whole concept here is a little breakdown of what sublimation is, what you can sublimate, and of course what are some of the basic materials needed to start sublimating at home or in your shop.
What is sublimation?
Sublimation is the transition of a substance directly from a solid state to a gas state. It does not pass through the usual liquid state, and only occurs at specific temperatures and pressure. In layman’s terms, sublimation printing is a specific process of printing on a special sheet of paper then transferring that image onto another material (usually polyester or polyester blend). The ink is then heated until it disintegrates into the fabric.
What can I sublimate?
As stated above, if you are going to sublimate shirts or fabric, it must be polyester or a polyester blend shirt. The higher the percentage of the polyester the better the quality will turn out. There are also other media you can sublimate on but they must be specifically for sublimation use. For example, tumblers, mugs, glass, and metal signs must be coated with a polymer sublimation coating. You must read the item descriptions to make sure what you are purchasing is sublimation ready.
What materials are required for sublimation?
Unlike vinyl, sublimation does not require a special cutting machine or pricy materials to start. Listed below are some of my favorite items to use when sublimating.
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Printer
Through trial and error, I have discovered that the best printer option and most economical option is to purchase an Epson EcoTank model. The Epson ET-2800 is one of the most economical from the EcoTank line. There are other printers in the EcoTank line that support bigger paper options, so it all depends on what you plan on sublimating to determine if those are needed. The Epson ET-2800 prints up to 8.5 x 14 inch sized paper.
Ink
There are several sublimation ink companies out there. I stumbled across Hiipoo Sublimation Ink on Amazon. It is very affordable and the prints come out vibrant. Specifically Designed for Ecotank Inkjet Printer, Hiipoo Sublimation Ink Autofil l Bottles were created for the EcoTank series printers. You will get the best print quality and performance without any ICC Profile！The water-based dye sublimation Ink provides high heattransfer printing rate, and produces bright and vividcolor, which is in high saturation, good permeability, fast drying, waterproof and no fading.
Paper
Now that you have your printer and ink, next step is the sublimation paper. I have been using A-Sub Sublimation Paper since a group I’m in recommended it. I get the best quality prints when utilizing this trio.
Depending on what you will be sublimating on will determine which heat press you will need. Some crafters just like to make shirts, some just like to make mugs and tumblers, and well there are others like me that like to create all of the above and some🤪.
Heat Press
The Fancierstudio Heatpress was actually the second Heatpress I purchased. My first Heatpress was a 10 in 1 Heatpress and I hated it. Having to switch between the different attachments was so annoying and it was actually a little hard to take apart. I decided that my next heat press needed to be a single use item. And this is the one that I chose. This heat press is 15×15 which is an ideal size when pressing shirts, bags, and other flat fabrics.
Tumbler/Mug Press
If you plan on sublimating cups, mugs, or tumblers, the EENOUR Tumbler Heat Press is the way to go. It is easy to use and very versatile. They have a dual option as well where you can sublimate 2 tumblers at the same time or 4 mugs. The tumbler press allows for a more even transfer.
Convection Oven
I bet you’re wondering why this Black + Decker Convection Oven made it to the list. Well simple, this oven heats up to 400 degrees which is the desired temperature for most sublimatable items. Therefore, with this oven you can do multiple cups and tumblers at a time compared to a tumbler press. So I wanted to make sure to give you both options.
Other miscellaneous items
Now that you have the basics down, a few items that I’ll mention below will complete your new sublimation kit.
- Heat Resistant Gloves
- Heat Resistant Tape
- Shrink Wrap Sleeves
- Tape Dispenser
- Butcher Paper
- Alcohol Wipes
- Sublimation Tumblers
- Sublimation Blanks Kit
- Sublimation Shirts
- Tshirt Ruler Guide
- Scissors
And there you have it folks – my Sublimation for Beginners list. If you’d like to see more list like these on other crafts, make sure to leave a comment below.
A Pop of Gum 