Sublimation Basics for Beginners

I am new to sublimation, as in I have only been making sublimated items for a month. Sublimation is an amazing way to make merchandise that is professional quality and show off your talents in designing. If designing is not for you there are many files you can purchase at various online shops. With that said, it is time to choose what substrates you want to make and or sell. There are so many items available that it can be somewhat overwhelming, thus choose a sample box to see what you are comfortable with making and producing for clients.

I purchased my SG400 from Conde and it arrived in a few days. Once it was unpackaged, I called Conde tech support and they connected remotely to my Mac Book Pro and set up the color profiles in just a few minutes and I was ready to start printing. Simple as that, the support from the sales reps and tech support is outstanding and very helpful. My first project was to create mugs. I wanted my first to be something I designed and made from start to finish. I use Silhouette Cameo to design (for now) so I downloaded the template from Conde (Dyetrans.com) and started my design. Once it was laid out, I printed and heat taped the print to the mug. I watched the the video from Conde on the process and read instructions for time and temperatures to help me along this process. I set my mug press heating to 400 degrees and once it reached the desired temperature, I wrapped my mug with a sheet of paper (plain printer paper or butchers unwaxed paper.) Then I placed it in the press and in a few minutes magic happened.

After the timer went off, carefully remove the mug from the press. I used a hooked pen to grab the tape and remove the printed transfer immediately. Once the mug is removed, I placed it in front of a fan on my cooling rack to stop the sublimation process. At this point, you are seeing the result of your talent and it’s a fabulous feeling. I hope everyone enjoys their creations as much as I do!