What is sublimation?

Dye sublimation is the simplest and most effective technique for transferring high quality photos or images onto a wide variety of media. It is a printing technique that requires specific inks.

Using a sublimation printer, you can print your design on a transfer paper suitable for sublimation. Then, under the effect of the heat and pressure of a heat press, the visual is transferred onto the textile.

There are 2 types of sublimation: sublimation on polyester and sublimation on cotton. In the case of cotton sublimation, the visual is laminated onto the textile support, with a very slight excess thickness. In contrast, with polyester sublimation, the ink penetrates completely into the textile fibre. To find out more about polyester sublimation, please consult our dedicated article by following this link.

Cotton Sublimation

Cotton Sublimation will allow you to make markings on white or very light textiles (pale pink, pale blue, ecru, etc.) composed of at least 60% cotton. You can personalise cushion covers, t-shirts, baby bodysuits, etc. You can work on quality materials and make multi-colour transfers.

However, if you wish to personalise a wide variety of materials, especially objects, you should turn to polyester sublimation. This is more versatile and will allow you to personalise both textiles and objects.

What are the advantages of Cotton Sublimation?

- It is the simplesttechnique on the market
- It is ideal for starting out in customisation and does not require much budget/investment
- It is suitable for both individuals and professionals
- It allows you to make creations on quality materials
- It allows for multi-colour transfers with gradients: photos, black and white, sepia effect
- It can be used to reproduce high definition images
- Excellent machine durability: 50 washes at 30°C

What are the steps in Cotton Sublimation?

  1. Print your visual on a sublimation paper (Chromablast) in mirror mode
  2. Trim it with scissors or a cutting plotter
  3. Place your visual on your tectile support in the heat pressand press for 30 seconds at 190°C
  4. Perform hot peeling

And there you have it!

What is the material needed for Cotton Sublimation?

- Une imprimante adaptée à la sublimation : l'imprimante Sawgrass SG500 (A4) ou l'imprimante Sawgrass SG1000 (A3)
- Un jeu de 4 cartouches d'encre Chromablast
- Du papier de sublimation coton Chromablast
- Une presse à chaud comme la Presse à Ouverture Latérale 38 x 38 cm
- Des supports en coton
- Des accessoires : scotch haute température, gants de protection haute température, feuille en téflon, ...

And since a video is worth more than 1,000 words...


Need more information on sublimation? We offer free online training (webinars) on this topic:

- Dye sublimation
- SG500 / SG1000 Dye Sublimation Printers
- Dye Sublimation: Maintenance and Tips
- Creative Studio Software
- SPM Software
- Sublimation ChromaLuxe
- Customise your Dark Textiles with Dye Sublimation
- EasySubli Paper
- Liberty Subli
- Liberty Patch
- Liberty Patch Satin Effect

Find all the dates and register by clicking on this link.

Discover all our video tutorials on our Youtube channel.

The full set of podcasts is available right here.

 

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See you soon,

The Team Créadhésif