Can You Do Sublimation on Wood? (Yes, and Here’s How)

November 22, 2024

You've heard about sublimation on shirts, tumblers, and even acrylic…but what about sublimation on wood? Is that even possible?

The answer is YES—you can sublimate on wood, but not without a special coating to absorb sublimation ink.

In this article we'll talk about what options you have for sublimating on wood, and which methods we recommend.

What's Inside:

Sublimation on Wood: Is It Possible?
4 Ways to Sublimate on Wood
Natural vs Engineered Wood: Which is Best?
To Paint or Not to Paint?
Final Thoughts & More Resources

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Sublimation on Wood: Is It Possible?

Yes, you can sublimate on wood! But wood itself can't absorb sublimation ink. That's why you'll need to cover the wood with a sublimation-friendly coating or buy pre-treated wood so it can work for sublimation.

There are a few ways that crafters have tried that work for sublimating on wood. In the next section, we'll explain each one so you can find the best method for you.

4 Ways to Sublimate on Wood

There are four main ways to prep your wood for sublimation. You can:

Use Pre-Made Sublimation Blanks
Laminate Your Wood
Apply Sublimatable Vinyl to the Wood
Coat With Polycrylic

#1 - Use Pre-Made Sublimation Blanks

This is by far the easiest option. If you can buy a wooden sublimation blank that's already pre-coated, you've just saved yourself a ton of work.

If you're looking for thin sheets of sublimatable wood that can be laser-cut or hung on the wall, we highly recommend Truflat plywood.

Truflat is a craft-ready premium plywood with a sublimation coating on both sides. It's easy to cut even with entry-level lasers like the xTool F1. And you can choose between 6 different colors including white and wood grain faces to achieve the effect you want.

Truflat can be used as-is for sublimation art … (shown below in white) 👇

…or cut into shapes for sublimated products and decorative items. (shown below in linen) 👇

You can choose from several wood-grain finishes for a more natural look. (Shown below in oak) 👇

Choose a product below to try out Truflat for yourself. ✨

[product=wood-for-laser-cutting]Premium pre-finished plywood from Truflat.[/product]

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#2 - Laminate Your Wood

If you'd like to make a DIY sublimation coating for a wooden item, the next best method is to laminate it. You can do this with a pressable laminate sheet and a heat press.

To do this: Cut a piece of the laminate that's larger than your item and place it over the item with the adhesive side down. Then wrap the whole thing in butcher paper so the laminate sheet doesn't melt onto your heat press. Finally, press for the recommended time and temperature. When the laminate cools, you can cut off the excess.

The laminate leaves a slightly shiny finish on the wood surface. If you want a different texture, check out pre-made wooden sublimation blanks or try sublimatable vinyl, which usually creates a more matte coating.

Amazon Basics Clear Thermal Laminating Sheets

#3 - Apply Sublimatable Vinyl to the Wood

Another option is to use sublimatable heat transfer vinyl on your wood.

You'll apply the vinyl to the wood using a heat press and cut off the excess. This one has more of a matte finish, so it's better if you don't want a shiny texture.

HTVRONT Sublimation Vinyl

#4 - Coat With Polycrylic

Finally, you can apply something called polycrylic finish to your wood. This is something you buy and paint on in thin layers. According to our research, crafters have gotten mixed results with this method, so we recommend going with the pre-coated, laminate, or sublimatable vinyl options and using this only as a last resort.

The downside of this method is that it's very hard to get a consistent coating with this. Since you're applying it by hand, you have to be very careful to make the coating even or you'll get inconsistent results with your sublimation print.

To do this: Paint on one or a few thin coats of polycrylic finish and let dry. This creates a sublimation coating on your wood. But from what we've seen, it won't be as vibrant as a laminated or vinyl-covered surface.

Minwax Polycrylic Crystal Clear Topcoat

Natural vs Engineered Wood: Which is Best?

What kind of wood should you choose for your sublimation projects? Here's a basic overview to help you decide.

Natural wood gives that rustic look that many people go for. But natural wood has a wood grain and texture that may interfere with the quality of the print. You also can't control the color of the wood—every piece of natural wood you buy will have slight variations.

Engineered wood like plywood and MDF doesn't look as rustic as real wood, but it can be covered with a coating that looks just like wood. Unlike natural wood, engineered wood is very flat and consistent. You won't need to worry about bumps and grain textures affecting the final design.

That's why we recommend trying Truflat plywood. It's pre-coated for sublimation and has no natural grooves or imperfections, but each plank is covered with a designer, wood-like face to keep the same natural wood look.

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To Paint or Not to Paint?

Question: Should you paint your piece of wood before sublimating?

Answer: It's up to you and how you want the final product to look.

Sublimation ink doesn't use white ink, which means sublimation prints will only dye your wood darker than it already is.

So if you choose a darker wood, or your design includes white areas, you'll want to paint your wood white or in a light color to make your print visible.

Again, with Truflat, you can choose between natural wood grain, white, and linen. White will give you a true-to-life, vibrant sublimation print.

[product=wood-for-laser-cutting]Premium pre-finished plywood from Truflat.[/product]

Final Thoughts

To sum up: You can sublimate on wood, but only if it's coated first.

We recommend using a pre-coated piece of wood like Truflat or other pre- treated sublimation wood blanks.

But if you have a piece of wood you really like and want to use it for sublimation, you can use laminating sheets or sublimatable vinyl to create your own sublimation blanks at home.

Looking for more resources on sublimation and crafting with wood? Here's what we have queued up next for you:

And before you go, join us in our Official MakerFlo Facebook Community. We can't wait to see what you create!