As a business owner, time is money. And you can’t afford to rely on trial and error to get your designs right and products out in the market.
So, what do you do? You master the theory first, then implement it in practice. This way, you can avoid some of the most common mistakes of sublimation printing, save time, and increase your profits.
In this blog, you’ll learn about using a sublimation printer– from start to finish. Plus, you’ll find some handy tips and tricks at the end to help you get started.
Essential Equipment and Materials You’ll Need
A sublimation printer is, of course, one of the most important components of your sublimation setup. But you’ll also need some additional supplies for the sublimation printing process.
What is a Sublimation Printer?
A sublimation printer is a specialized printing machine, designed or modified for sublimation projects. These printers use sublimation-specific dyes and use a specialized sublimation paper.
There is a range of sublimation printers in various sizes available. You can find compact sublimation printers for startups to large industrial printers in the market. They vary by features, width, and print speed.
Other Supplies You’ll Need
In addition to the printer, printing supplies are also needed. Let’s go over them in detail.
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Sublimation Paper
Sublimation paper is a specialized, polymer-coated transfer paper. It is engineered to hold the sublimation ink on its surface. This is why, unlike your regular copy paper, the ink sits on top of the paper in a solid state until heat-pressed.
The transfer paper comes in a variety of weights and has different qualities. Simply choose high-quality paper that matches your design requirements.
- Sublimation Ink
Sublimation ink is a dye-based ink especially engineered for sublimation projects. It is unlike your regular ink. You must use high-quality inks for the best results.
- Heat Press
A heat press is essential. It does two key things: it applies heat to the transfer paper, and it delivers even pressure. This heat sublimates the ink and transfers the design to the blank. Second, it applies constant, even pressure across the substrate. This helps ensure your designs are crisp and clear.
Most sublimation projects can work with a flat heat press. But you might need a dedicated heat press when customizing specialized products like tumblers and mugs.
- Heat-Resistant Tape
Taping the design onto the substrate helps you ensure the transfer paper stays in place as it goes through the heat press. For this process, you’ll need heat-resistant tape, which helps with that.
- Sublimation Blanks
Sublimation printing works best on 100% polyester materials. So your sublimation blanks must be high in polymer or coated with polymer for durable results that don’t fade or wash away.
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Lint Roller
A lint roller helps remove all the invasive contaminants. This ensures the blank is clean and ready for perfect, spike-free printing.
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Protective Paper
Protective paper helps you catch excess ink, blowout, and some moisture. Also called butcher or blowout paper, it is placed above and below the substrate.
How to Size Your Designs for Sublimation
Resizing ensures that your design fits the limited printing area. Here is how you can resize on different design software:
Cricut Design Space
It is one of the top free and easy-to-use software. You can use it to create and edit your designs here and then send it for printing. The best part is, you can use the Cricut design editing software even if you are not using a Cricut machine. Just make sure you select the Maker or Explore in your machine options. Follow the instructions below and learn how to resize your design:
- Select the design image. You will get a bounding box.
- Resize the bounding box by grabbing one of its corners. This will adjust the size.
- Make sure to lock the design’s proportions in the top toolbar.
You can also enter the correct size directly in the size column on the toolbar.
It shines for its user-friendly interface, which makes it easier to learn, especially for non-technical individuals. But despite all the benefits, professional printers still report some issues with the Cricut software. Size limitations represent the most critical problem. Besides this, the software does not support ICC profiles. This can affect color accuracy in prints.
Canva
Canva is among the most affordable design and editing software for professional sublimation crafters. Here’s how you can resize a design using Canva:
- Create a new design.
- Choose a custom size.
- Input your required dimensions.
- Upload the design image.
- Click on the image to get the bounding box.
- Grab the corner of the bounding box and move to resize the image. You can read the dimensions from the small black box that appears when you drag the bounding box.
The software is easy to learn, even for beginners. Most of its tools are free, but you may opt for the paid version. It does have a lower default resolution, though. Canva offers a resolution of 96DPI by default.
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe is one of the most powerful, professional design programs out there. It is paid, but it packs a lot of useful features that let you do more than just upload, resize, and print.
- Create the canvas first. Go to File > New. Set dimensions to your paper size (e.g., 8.5 x 11”) and Resolution to 300 Pixels/Inch.
- Import the design. Go to File > Place Embedded to bring in your image as a Smart Object.
- To resize, Press Ctrl + T (Win) or Cmd + T (Mac). Drag the corners to fit your desired print area.
- Now, go to Edit > Transform > Flip Horizontal. Mirroring the image is crucial so the design transfers the right way around.
- For printer settings, Press Ctrl + P. Ensure Color Management is handled by Photoshop (using your specific ICC profile) and “Scale to Fit” is unchecked.
Purchasing the software can be expensive for beginners. Additionally, it requires professional editing skills. So, if you’re a professional, Photoshop may be suitable for you.
How to Use A Sublimation Printer – Step-By-Step Process
Using a sublimation printer isn’t difficult, but getting consistently high-quality results takes a bit of practice.
Here’s a step-by-step method on how you can use the sublimation printer the right way:
Step 1: Prepare the Design
Upload the design to your editing software. Double-check the size. Resize to adjust if needed. You can also adjust the colors at this point if the software allows for it. Choose CMYK, not RGB, when printing. Also, make sure to turn off color adjustment. This helps prevent unexpected errors in the print output.
Step 2: Print the Design
Place the transfer paper with the print side or blank side facing forward.
Always mirror the images. But note that dedicated sublimation printers may print mirror images by default. So, if your printer mirrors images by default, don’t mirror them when adjusting in the software. Mirroring an image twice will result in the print appearing in reverse when pressed.
Step 3: Preheat Your Press
Preheating the heat press ensures the platen is evenly heated before pressing the design. A platen heated to the right temperature ensures proper ink activation for complete sublimation. It also helps print full-color designs and maintain consistency across prints.
Step 4: Lint-roll Your Sublimation Blank
Then run a lint roller over your sublimation blank to remove lint, fiber, dust, and debris.
Step 5: Locate Your Design and Tape It
Place the design on the blank. Be sure to put it exactly where you want it. Then tape it using a heat-resistant tape to prevent ghosting.
Step 6: Add Protective Paper
Place a sheet of protective paper above and below the substrate. This helps protect the ink from bleeding and staining the back of the blank and the platen.
Step 7: Heat press the Design
Now, press the design with the heat press platen. Apply the right pressure and temperature. You don’t need to add extra pressure. The weight of the platen is often enough to put the right amount of pressure for complete sublimation and transfer.
Step 8: Peel Off the Paper
Open the heat press and allow the design to cool for a few seconds. This helps the ink to settle a little bit and prevents ghosting. Then remove the paper, the tape, and peel off the transfer paper. And it’s done!
Tips for A Successful Sublimation Project
Here are some experience-backed tips to help you avoid some very common sublimation printing mistakes and get your designs right early on.
- Always ensure the print is mirrored.
- Use high-quality images. Most professional printers prefer printing in >300 DPI.
- Check for protective film on hard substrates like metal, plastic, or acrylic. Always remove it before pressing.
- Pre-press fabrics to remove wrinkles and moisture. Run a lint roller to remove dust, debris, and small fibers.
- When heat pressing, the right amount of heat and pressure is key, depending on the substrate. Don’t overdo it. Overdoing it can result in scorching, white lines, or dull colors.
- Use high-quality ink and paper. Low-quality products can lead to uneven transfers. Bad ink can clog your printer as well.
Conclusion
Learning how to use a sublimation printer properly is the first step towards successful sublimation printing. With the booming custom sublimation market, mastering the use of a sublimation printer will help you start your own business with ease. With proper practice, you can create unlimited vibrant designs like a pro.
