What is Sublimation Printing?
A sublimation printer will print your designs on transfer paper using special sublimation inks. Sublimation inks evaporate when heated so they can bond to white polyester and poly-coated materials, called “sublimation blanks” or “substrates”.
Sublimation blanks can be mugs, tumblers, keychains, coasters, t-shirts, phone cases, and many, many more items.
If you can print it on a normal printer, you can print it on a sublimation printer! After you print your design, you will use it with the heat press or the mug press to bond it to the item you brought.
Sublimation Printing Examples
Browse these examples of items made using sublimation.
Our Equipment
Yellow – These devices can be used during Makerspace Staffed Hours.
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| Sawgrass SG1000 Sublimation Printer | HPN Signature Series 7-in-1 Automated Sublimation Mug and Tumbler Press | Hotronix Auto Open Cap Heat Press |
To use the sublimation printer,
you must bring the following:
- Your image or design on a flash drive. Please bring a PNG file.
- The item you wish to transfer your picture to:
- You may purchase items from suppliers online or at craft/hobby stores. Objects must be made for use with sublimation printers and are usually called sublimation blanks.
- If you wish to make a t-shirt, it must be at least 75% polyester. 88% polyester or higher is best. Sublimation prints do not bond well to cotton.
- Shirts must be a light color (white, pale blue, pale yellow, etc.). The design must be darker than the shirt.
- Any other items you bring in (mugs, tumblers, coasters, keychains, etc.) must be poly-coated materials. These can be purchased at local hobby stores or online. Amazon, jpplus.com, and greatblanks.com are some popular websites for sublimation blanks.
Always bring extra material. Most projects require testing and refining. Things don’t always turn out well on the first try. Be ready to experiment.
Preparing your design:
You can create your design using software or on sites such as Microsoft Publisher, Photoshop, Inkscape, Canva, or Silhouette Studio.
You can also use CreativeStudio, which is the design software for Sawgrass printers. You would need to set up a free account.
Save your completed design as a JPG or PNG file and bring it into the Makerspace along with your sublimation blank.
Below are links to some Canva templates to help you design some popular items. You will need a Canva account to view these templates, but it is free to sign up.
Standard Mug template on Canva
20 ounce skinny tumbler template on Canva
Using the HPN Mug and Tumbler Press
The HPN Mug and Tumbler press can press sublimated designs on the following sizes of mugs and tumblers:
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Standard Mugs |
Tumblers |
Latte mugs |
Espresso mugs |
Shot glasses |
If you would like to use our mug and tumbler press you can join us during our Staffed Hours. If you have questions, please email us at createandmake@portagelibrary.info. Library Staff must be present when the Mug and Tumbler press is being used.
Please note that this heat press works with sublimation blanks and sublimation inks only. You cannot use the Mug and Tumbler press for Heat Transfer vinyl, and the items you press need to be sublimation blanks, which are specifically designed to work with this device.
Library staff needs to approve the items that are used in the Mug and Tumbler Press.
Printing costs (includes ink):
Paper
Standard Mug Paper: $1.00 per sheet
8.5” x 11” paper $1.50 per sheet
8.5” x 14” paper $2.00 per sheet
11” x 14” paper $2.50 per sheet
Blanks
The library has some sublimation blanks for purchase. Prices include ink and paper.
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Key chain |
Coaster |
Small puzzle |
Large puzzle |
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Mug (11 oz) |
Hat |
Mug (17 oz) |
Tumbler (20 oz) |