What is Sublimation Printing? Ultimate Guide for Crafters

What is sublimation printing, and how can you use it to create beautiful, custom-printed items like this? 👇

You’ll learn this and more in this in-depth guide to sublimation.

What's Inside:

• What is Sublimation?
• What is Sublimation Printing?
• Sublimation Printing Examples & Ideas
• What You Need to Get Started With Sublimation Printing
• Get Started With Sublimation Craft Kits
• The Sublimation Printing Process Explained
• Benefits of Sublimation Printing
• Downsides of Sublimation Printing
• Sublimation Printing Alternatives
• Final Thoughts
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

First up, what is it, and how does it work?

What is Sublimation?

In the crafting world, sublimation is a type of printing where you apply a printed transfer paper to an object and then apply high heat to create permanent designs.

With heat, the ink turns into microscopic particles that embed themselves into the object's surface. 

This creates a seamless and beautifully vibrant design that doesn't peel or crack, because unlike decals, it's not stuck onto the surface. Instead, it's actually become one with the surface of your fabric or item.

What’s the science behind sublimation?

We all learned about the phases of matter in school, right? Matter can turn into a solid, liquid, and gas, in that order.

But during the process of sublimation, a solid turns right into a gas, skipping the liquid state entirely.

So what does this have to do with crafting? 

Read on to learn about sublimation printing, which uses the science of sublimation to transfer your designs onto the surface of an object, like tumblers, pen barrels, or t-shirts.

What is Sublimation Printing?

Sublimation printing, also known as dye-sublimation printing, is a type of printing that uses special sublimation dyes to create a transferrable design.

You print out the design with sublimation ink on sublimation paper, then press it onto an object with a heat press or sublimation oven.

The ink will sublimate and turn into a gas that seeps into and becomes part of the surface of your object, like a sublimation tumbler (pictured above), sublimation shirt, or other sublimation blank.

Unlike other printing methods that attach your design over the top of a surface, sublimation printing embeds your dyes on a deeper level, creating amazing, vibrant designs that won’t crack or peel off.

Which Materials Work With Sublimation?

You can use sublimation printing for three kinds of items:

• Polyester fabrics
• Items with a sublimation-friendly coating
• Acrylic items

Pictured above is our sublimation kitchen towel, which is made especially for sublimation printing.

What about other materials? We've also written about sublimating on acrylic, cotton, and wood if you're curious!

Sublimation Printing Examples & Ideas

#1 - Sublimation Tumblers

You can use sublimation to create beautiful custom tumblers with any design you can imagine.

Learn how to make sublimation tumblers, discover the right sublimation tumbler times and temperatures, and find out how to start a tumbler business here.

#2 - Sublimation Mugs

You can customize mugs, cups, and even sippy cups with your own designs. Find more sublimation cup ideas here!

#3 - Sublimation Pens & Pencils

Create custom pens and pencils with sublimation pen and sublimation pencil blanks.

#4 - Sublimation Shirts

Many crafters press sublimation designs onto polyester t-shirts to make sublimation shirts.

#4 - Sublimation Coasters

If you use a sublimation-friendly coaster like our leatherette sublimation coaster, you can create custom home decor just by pressing your designs onto it!

#5 - Sublimation-Friendly Laser Plywood

Check out Truflat plywood, which is a premium pre-finished laser plywood that's made for sublimation, laser cutting, and laser engraving. You can sublimate a design onto the front then use a laser-cutter to cut it into shapes.

The white finish also has dry-erase capabilities, so you can make a dry-erase board with a sublimation design like this one!

💡 Find more ideas: Check out more ideas with our full list sublimation ideas and  best-selling sublimation products.

What Do I Need For Sublimation Printing?

Here's what you need to get started with sublimation printing!

#1 - Sublimation Printer

You'll need specialized printer to print your design using sublimation ink, such as the Epson SureColor F170. This is the printer we recommend most!

Check out our Epson F170 review here.

Find out why think the Epson F170 is the best Epson printer for sublimation in this article or find more picks in our list of best sublimation printers for beginners.

#2 - Sublimation Paper & Ink

Next, you'll need the supplies for printing your own designs!

You'll get the best results if you use the sublimation ink that comes with your printer. If you buy your Epson F170 sublimation printer from us, it comes with ink and a starter kit of our best-selling MakerFlo sublimation paper.

If you're curious about other brands, we've written some guides comparing the best sublimation ink and best sublimation paper you can buy online.

#3 - Sublimation Blanks

What will you press your sublimation transfers onto? It's best to choose things that are pre-made for sublimation printing, which are called sublimation blanks.

We have a huge selection of sublimation blanks, like tumblers, pens, keychains, wind spinners, and more.

Try our Sublimation Mini Starter Kit to get a sample of blanks that you can try out with a mini press and pre-printed sublimation transfers, even before you buy a sublimation printer!

#4 - Sublimation Oven or Heat Press

You'll need something to apply high heat to your sublimation transfer in order to "print" the ink onto your object!

Whether you choose a sublimation oven or heat press is up to you.

A sublimation oven is best for hard objects like tumblers, where the transfer paper is tightly taped onto the surface. You can actually fit a bunch of tumblers in an oven and sublimate them at once, instead of pressing them one by one.

⚠️ Caution: Make sure you only use your sublimation oven for sublimation crafting, never for food.

A heat press is best for pressing fabrics and soft or flat items. It's easy to place the design where you want it, then press down and transfer the design!

Find our recommendations for the best sublimation heat press machines here.

#5 - Sublimation Designs

Any image or even a photograph can work as a sublimation design, as long as you print it with sublimation ink onto sublimation paper.

You can find tons of great sublimation designs at Creative Fabrica or make your own using sublimation software!

Watch how to create a custom sublimation design with Canva in this video 👇

Where to Find Awesome Sublimation Designs

Find thousands of free sublimation designs for commercial use, or browse lists of design ideas by topic:

• Christmas
• Hanukkah
• Halloween
• Mother’s Day
• Father’s Day
• Autumn
• American Flags
• Valentine's Day
• Breast Cancer Awareness
• Baseball
• Dogs 

More Supplies to Prepare

Scissors or Paper Cutter - To trim your printed design to the size of the object.

Heat-Resistant or Transfer Tape - Use this to attach the design to the object before transferring it. Check out our heat-resistant tape here.

Heat-Resistant Gloves or Potholders - Heat-resistant gloves are helpful to handle hot items after sublimating the design.

Plastic Gloves (optional) - To tape down the design without any fingerprints or oils getting in the way.

Get Started Quickly With Sublimation Craft Kits

Want to start sublimation printing but not sure what to get first? These starter kits can help!

Epson F170 Sublimation Ultimate Kit

Get our #1 recommended sublimation printer for beginners, plus starter designs, a ton of blanks, all the supplies you need and a heat press and sublimation oven, too!

See more sublimation starter kits here!

Once your materials are ready, it’s time to start printing.

Here’s how to do it step by step.

The Sublimation Printing Process Explained

Step #1 - Print the Design

First, create a design using your design software of choice, and print it out with a sublimation printer. 

(Most sublimation printers will automatically mirror your image, but make sure the image is in reverse so it’ll transfer correctly.)

Step #2 - Prepare the Print for Sublimation

First, cut your image down to the exact size you need for the item.

Then it’s time to attach it to the item to transfer it with heat. Using heat-resistant tape, you’ll tape your design down where you want it to appear on the object.

If you’re using a convection oven, you’ll need to tape the design tightly to make sure there are no gaps between the sublimation paper and the object. You can also use shrink wrap to seal designs on items that need seamless coverage, like a cup or tumbler.

If using a heat press, you can use less tape because the press will make sure the design is held down tightly.

Step #3 - Apply Heat and Sublimate!

Finally, you’ll bake the item inside the oven or use the heat press to sublimate the design and transfer it to your object of choice.

The time and method for transferring depend on the object you’re designing, but you can learn more with our 20 oz skinny sublimation guide.

If you need help, check out our Official MakerFlo Facebook Community to get help from our team and thousands of other sublimation crafters!

Benefits of Sublimation Printing for Crafting

Here’s what’s great about sublimation printing:

• High-Fidelity Designs: Designs transfer beautifully, and colors are vibrant and clear. You can make some really beautiful fades, such as a watercolor effect, that aren’t possible with other types of printing
• Affordable: It’s affordable to get started—you can get started for less than $1,000 (a steal compared to other methods)
• Can Print in Advance: You can print transfers in advance, then save them for later or sell them as a standalone product
• Easy: It’s easy to get started—just print, tape, and transfer!
• No Cracking or Peeling:  The ink gets embedded deep into the material, so it doesn’t crack or peel off with time, and the color stays clear and bright for the long term
• No Texture: Unlike other transfer methods that apply film or paint to the top of a surface, this ink goes into the material for a perfectly smooth finish

Downsides of Sublimation Printing for Crafting

Yes, there are some downsides to be aware of:

• Learning Curve: There is a learning curve. You’ll need to discover the right heat, pressure, and taping method for the best results.
• No White Ink: You can’t print white with sublimation ink. If you want white elements in your designs, you’ll need to transfer them onto a white surface.

Sublimation Printing Alternatives

How does sublimation printing compare to other print methods?

We’ve compared it to:

• Heat Transfer Paper
• Screen Printing
• DTG printing
• DTF printing

Sublimation vs. Heat Transfer Paper

Heat transfer paper can be applied to surfaces with heat just like sublimation designs, but the process is different.

Pros of Heat Transfer Paper

• Heat transfer paper is easier to print because you can use a regular inkjet printer to print it out.
• You can use heat transfer paper on various fabrics and surfaces, not just polyester.

Cons of Heat Transfer Paper

• The design gets adhered to the item as a layer resting on the surface, which makes it more susceptible to wear and tear.

Sublimation vs. Screen Printing

With screen printing, ink is applied to fabric using stencils and a special squeegee.

Pros of Screen Printing

• Screen printing allows you to transfer designs on cotton clothing.
• You can add glitter or textured effects to screen-printed items, which you can’t do with basic sublimation transfers (unless you use vinyl)

Cons of Screen Printing

• Screen printing has a greater up-front cost because you have to create stencils for each color in your design
• While you can create complex blended colors, you usually must stick to a few colors
• It takes time and effort to create the stencils needed for the design, so it’s better suited for bulk orders

Sublimation vs. DTG (Direct-to-Garment) Printing

With direct-to-garment printing, the printer prints your design right on top of the fabric, meaning you don’t need any transfer paper.

Pros of DTG Printing

• You can print on dark-colored fabrics with DTG printing because you can use white ink. 
• You can use it on cotton, which you can’t do with sublimation printing.

Cons of DTG Printing

• You can’t use DTG printing on plastic items like tumblers, pens, and mugs. It’s only used for fabric.
• Since it’s printed on top of the fabric, it doesn’t have the soft feel you get with sublimation.

Sublimation vs. DTF (Direct-to-Film) Printing

With direct-to-film printing, you print your design onto a film, then transfer the design onto fabric.

Pros of DTF Printing

• DTF printing works on any fabric, making it a versatile printing method.

Cons of DTF Printing

• After transferring your design, you’re left with a silky, plasticky feel of the film that’s been adhered to the fabric, unlike sublimation designs that have no texture at all.

Final Thoughts

After reading this guide, you’re ready to start crafting with sublimation.

What to do next?

Pick up our recommended Epson SureColor F170 Sublimation Kit or Sublimation Oven Kit to get started fast.

And join us in our Official MakerFlo Facebook Community, where you can meet thousands of other crafters and get inspired by what they're creating! We'll see you inside.

Or keep learning with more guides:

• What is a Sublimation Printer? Quick-Start Guide for Crafters
• Best Sublimation Paper for Crafters & Businesses (Compared)
• 24+ Easy & Fun Sublimation Ideas (For Products, Gifts, and More)
• How To Clean Sublimation Tumblers

Happy crafting!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you sublimate ink onto anything?

Sublimation works on fabrics that are at least 65% polyester, polyester-coated materials, or items that have been sprayed with a sublimation coating.

It also doesn’t work on black or very dark materials because you can’t print with white ink (only CMYK).

What is sublimation shirt printing?

Sublimation shirt printing is a method in which you print a design with special dyes, then transfer it to a shirt using the process of sublimation.

Sublimation dyes turn into a gas that sinks into the t-shirt fabric and dyes it from within, creating a vibrant and beautifully blended design that never cracks or peels.

Can you use white ink in a sublimation print?

No, you can only print with CMYK colors, so using a white or light-colored background for sublimation crafts is best.

Does Cricut use sublimation?

You can create sublimation designs with a Cricut using Cricut Infusible Ink sheets. The downside is that they come pre-printed with sublimation dyes, so you can’t print your own designs (you’ll just cut them into the shapes you want). 

However, they do provide special Infusible Ink pens that you can use to hand-draw custom designs.

To print your own designs, you’ll need a sublimation printer.