Tips and Tricks to create clothing and ceramics through sublimation?

Copy paper or matte paper instead of sublimation paper?

We recommend everyone to review the quality of different transfer paper results. You do not want to have any poor quality products if you want to have a successful business.

If you find that the quality results are ok, then using copy paper or matte paper may be an inexpensive option.

Try to coat the substrate with polyester coating

Applying a polyester coating from NGOODIEZ on cotton or on mugs, ceramics, metal, wood, glass, phones cases, leather, tumblers will create a sharper and more vibrant print during the heating process. As mentioned in the materials section above, in order for the ink to be absorbed properly into the material, it must either be a blend of synthetic materials or polyester. If you want to use ceramic, you can get a sublimation blank that’s already coated.

Use heat-resistant tape for hard substrates (such as a mug)

When you use heat-resistant tape, ensure that you don’t tape it across the design as it could cause damage to it. Wrap the paper around and fastened it at the edge, away from the image.

How to prevent washed-out designs

If you do not allow the press enough time to apply pressure or the heating is not adequate on the press, your design will not take to the material correctly. You might also have to increase the amount of pressure that the press is putting onto the fabric (or if you are creating a mug, for example, you will have to ensure that the paper is tightly wrapped around it).

Print the image bigger than the object (roughly 6mm larger)

This allows for a margin of error that can easily be fixed if it occurs. If you print it smaller, then the print won’t fit nicely onto the fabric or the mug, allowing for a lot of white space. Similarly, any errors that occur will be more noticeable.

Pros and Cons of sublimation printing

So what are the pros and cons that come with how sublimation printing works? To help you to decide whether it is the right printing method for you, here is a quick list:

The pros

Gives you the option to personalize and customize

A large plus point of sublimation printing is the fact that it allows you to personalize what you are printing. You can modify the size and quality of the image that you are printing and fix any errors that occur digitally on the printer itself. This freedom allows you to get creative and make your ideas truly come to life in a way that isn’t possible through other methods.

Can be done quickly

This makes it incredibly convenient for anyone wanting to bring a design to fruition in a strict deadline. As it uses technology, it can be done a lot quicker than other methods that would require more human power. However, as a heat press needs to be accurate, the process will have to be monitored to ensure that the designs are being produced at the same level of quality each time.

Create high-quality designs

The quality of the designs produced through sublimation printing tends to be a lot better than other forms of printing. The vibrancy is generally impressive, as is the DPI – depending on the printer you have purchased.

Create designs that will last

The print that is produced by sublimation will not fade or peel, unlike other designs that are printed. Sublimation ink is absorbed, rather than remaining as a layer on top of the fabric. Now you can wash the item of clothing as many times as you want without having to worry.

The cons

Unfortunately, like any form of printing, sublimation has a few disadvantages that are worth considering before investing in a machine. 

Ghosting

Ghosting occurs when the transfer paper shift during the pressing process. The print will then have a light fade beside it (that looks like a ghost) or will be blurry. Adding time and effort to the process, this issue will happen if the right amount of pressure isn’t applied or if the ink on the paper is not dry during the process. In order to stop this from happening, you should make sure that the ink is dry and that the right level of pressure is put on the fabric when it is being pressed.

White creasing

Another issue that sublimation printing can cause is white creasing. If there are any areas that the design has not reached, it creates white creases. This can occur if there is any moisture on the transfer paper or if any areas of the garment are folded. The most common places that are affected by the white marks are under the arms and along seams. This creates a piece of clothing that’s of less quality and will result in the t-shirt becoming unsellable.

Color mismatch

The design that you have created on your computer will be displayed in RGB mode, whereas the printer will print your design in CMYK mode. This means that the colors won’t be exactly the same once they are printed, as they appear on the screen. In order to improve, you can ensure that the correct settings are adjusted on the printer or you can use RIP software. RIP software is a good way of checking if any of the color has spotted. You will have to consider, however, that with all forms of printing, even though the image will be of a good quality, it won’t exactly be the same vibrancy as that of the one that exists on the screen.

What’s the difference between sublimation printing and digital printing?

The main difference between the two is that digital printing can print a design onto polyester, silk and cotton (to name a few). Alternatively, sublimation printing is only appropriate for polyester, nylon, lyrca and other man-made synthetic fibers. Also, sublimation printing uses heat, unlike digital printing in order to transfer the design onto the material.

Sublimation printing is aimed at producing high-quality designs that are durable, whereas, digital printing creates designs that aren’t fully absorbed by the paper that’s used.  Often, this can lead to cracks in the color. It is also considered more expensive in comparison to sublimation printing and produces more waste due to the liquid it uses. However, this isn’t always the case and it can create high-quality designs if the right printer is purchased.

The form of printing you choose will depend on the products that you are creating. Each are great forms of printing and there is a variety of technology available for both on the market. It is important to weigh up the pros and cons of each when deciding and thinking about what your goals are – then the type of printing that you need will become clear.

Conclusion

This has been a brief guide into what is sublimation printing and a quick explanation answering:

How does sublimation printing work?

What is the best dye sublimation printer is for your needs?

What supplies do you need?

What fabric you need for the best sublimation printing?

Facts and hacks about sublimation printing.

What’s the difference between sublimation printing and digital printing?

Sublimation printing is a great choice for those wanting to create both clothing and other materials with full color and high-quality graphics. There is hardly any downtime, which results in each of the creations being profitable (if you are selling them to customers) and it allows for as much product to be created as you want.

Economical?

It is one of the most economical printing processes available as, if you already have a computer, you can invest in a sublimation printer that connects via wireless connectivity, then will only have to purchase the inks and the transfer paper.

The most expensive part of the process will be purchasing the heat press, which is a consideration when you are thinking about starting sublimation printing. Generally, however, a good quality sublimation printer is affordable for many.

How to add profit?

Adding profit into your business will be essential to a successful business. Fulfilling custom orders is a great way to increase profit. 

This customization will allow you to fully fulfill a customer’s needs and allows you to produce a variety of designs to suit all tastes. A quick and easy process, it allows people to bring their creations that they have made on the screen to reality.

How to price custom products?

Pricing your products and custom order products is important to get right. You’ll need know how long everything takes. How much do your materials cost? How much mark-up is necessary to make your business profitable and worth your time.

Problems to consider

Process

There are, however, a few cons that come with sublimation printing that you should consider. Two of these issues – ghosting and white creasing, can be easily corrected because this is a human error rather than a problem with the sublimation printer.

The piece of clothing or product should have the correct amount of pressure and should be checked before the design is put onto it. Similarly, if there are any pieces of dust or excess material on the fabric before you put the design onto it, it should be removed by using a lint roller. If not, it will cause the ink to not correctly transfer over to it, causing a break in the design.

Color matching

The issue with color mismatch will always be relevant to printers as the colors you see can rarely become reality. This form of printing, however, does produce higher vibrancy and quality designs than more traditional methods. The color can also be adjusted via color correcting methods and through RIP software.

Product material

Similarly, you will have to consider the fact that only polyester and polyester-blend materials can be printed on through this method. If you want to use another material such as ceramic, it will need to be coated with a special material beforehand in order for the transfer to stick.

If you don’t want the hassle of spraying it with the coating, however, as mentioned in the hack section, a sublimation blank can be purchased that is already coated.