What is Sublimation Paper For T-shirt Printing and Why Do We Use Them?

Sublimation printing is one of the most popular methods for creating vibrant, long-lasting designs on a variety of materials, from fabrics to ceramics. At the heart of the process is sublimation paper, a special type of transfer paper designed to deliver high-quality prints with exceptional colour accuracy and durability. Whether you're a hobbyist or a business owner, understanding what sublimation paper is and how it works can help you achieve the best results with your printing projects.

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What is Sublimation Paper?

Sublimation paper is specifically designed for use in sublimation printing. It plays a critical role in transferring dye onto various materials, such as polyester fabric, ceramics, metals, and more. The paper is coated with a special polymer, which allows it to absorb sublimation ink during the printing process. This unique coating helps to transfer the ink smoothly and efficiently, ensuring vibrant colours and sharp details in the final print.

Unlike traditional paper used in inkjet printing, sublimation paper is specially formulated to hold ink in a way that makes it easy to transfer onto the desired substrate. The paper is often lightweight and has a smooth, glossy finish, which helps the ink dry faster and minimises smudging. In addition to being essential for sublimation printing, the right sublimation paper can make a significant difference in the overall print quality, ensuring your designs turn out crisp, vibrant, and long-lasting.

How Does Sublimation Paper Work?

The sublimation process involves several key stages. Here's a breakdown of how dye sublimation paper works step by step:

1. Printing the Design:
   The first step in the sublimation process is to print your design onto the sublimation paper. This is done using a sublimation printer and sublimation ink. The printer sprays the ink onto the paper in a mirror-image format, as the design will be flipped during the transfer process.

   The design is printed on the smooth surface of the sublimation paper, which has been specially treated to absorb and hold the ink. This is crucial because the paper needs to hold enough ink to release it during the heat transfer stage.

2. Transferring the Design:
   Once the design is printed, the next step is to transfer the ink onto the final material—such as a t-shirt, mug, or metal plate. The sublimation paper is carefully aligned with the surface to which the design will be transferred. This could be a t-shirt, mug, ceramic tile, or any other high polyester fabric or sublimation coated hard surface.

   The sublimation paper is then placed into a heat press, where heat and pressure are applied. The heat causes the ink on the sublimation paper to turn into a gas, which then permeates the fibres of the material. Unlike traditional printing methods where ink sits on top of the surface, sublimation ink chemically bonds with the material, creating a permanent design that is vibrant, durable, and resistant to fading.

3. The Sublimation Process in Action:
   During the heat transfer process, the sublimation ink transforms from a solid to a gas without going through a liquid stage. This unique "sublimation" process allows the ink to become part of the fabric or material itself, resulting in a print that is durable and won't crack, peel, or fade over time. The ink becomes embedded within the fibres of the material, creating a soft, high-quality finish that’s perfect for items like custom apparel, personalised gifts, and promotional products.

Why is Sublimation Paper Important?

The quality of sublimation paper plays a critical role in achieving excellent results. If the paper is of low quality or incompatible with your sublimation ink, the ink may not transfer effectively, leading to dull colours, blurred images, or poor image definition. High-quality sublimation paper ensures that the ink is absorbed properly and released efficiently during the transfer process, which is essential for achieving vibrant, crisp, and long-lasting prints.

In addition to print quality, sublimation paper also contributes to the overall efficiency of your printing process. Using the right type of paper can help to minimise waste and improve colour accuracy, reducing the need for trial and error. This is especially important when you're working on large print runs or handling custom orders, where consistency is key.

Different Types of Sublimation Paper

There are several formats of sublimation paper available, each designed to meet different printing needs. Depending on the size and scale of your printing operation, you'll want to choose the right type of paper for your specific requirements.

• A4 Sublimation Paper:
  Perfect for smaller projects, A4 sublimation paper is ideal for printing designs for personal items like t-shirts, mugs, and cases. It's commonly used by home-based businesses and hobbyists for producing smaller quantities of prints.

• A3 Sublimation Paper:
  For slightly larger projects, A3 sublimation paper offers more space for bigger designs or multiple prints. It’s perfect for creating larger designs for apparel or for businesses that need to print medium-sized orders.

• Precut Mug-sized Sublimation Paper:
  This is specially cut to fit perfectly into standard mug sizes, making it a great option for businesses that specialise in custom mugs and drinkware. This paper eliminates the need for trimming, ensuring precise and efficient printing.

• Sublimation Paper Rolls for Large Format Printers:
  For businesses that handle large-scale printing or work with large materials, 17in, 24in, and 44in sublimation paper rolls for large format printers are essential. These rolls provide a continuous supply of paper for creating larger designs on items such as banners, large apparel, and other custom goods.

Conclusion

In summary, sublimation paper is an essential component of the sublimation printing process. It ensures that ink is transferred efficiently and effectively, allowing for the creation of high-quality, durable prints that last. Whether you are a hobbyist printing a few custom t-shirts or a business running large-scale operations, choosing the right sublimation paper can significantly impact the quality of your final products.

By using high-quality sublimation paper, you can achieve vibrant colours, sharp images, and long-lasting prints, ensuring your customers are happy with their custom products. Be sure to choose the right paper for your project to get the best results and grow your business. This has been an introduction into general multipurpose sublimation paper, but in a future post we'll talk about how there are specialised sublimation papers that have been formulated to specifically print onto textiles.

Hope that helps and happy printing!

A sublimation paper is a specialty paper used to print on shirts, mugs, and other sublimation blanks. Many beginner and professional printers use sublimation printing because it’s cost-efficient and produces vivid prints.

You’ve landed on this page for one reason — you’re trying to find out what a sublimation paper is. If you’re a beginner in the sublimation printing industry, this ultimate guide will help you understand the ins and outs of a sublimation paper.

You’ve landed on this page for one reason — you’re trying to find out what a sublimation paper is. If you’re a beginner in the sublimation printing industry, this ultimate guide will help you understand the ins and outs of a sublimation paper.

What Is Sublimation Paper? 

First of all, you need to learn what a sublimation transfer paper is made of. A sublimation paper is made of a special polyester coating on its print area. This special coating keeps the dye ink inside the paper which then transfers to the merchandise when exposed to heat.

How Do You Print On A Sublimation Paper? 

To print on a sublimation printer, you’ll need an inkjet printer that contains dye sublimation ink. There’s no other way around it. You can’t use regular printer ink to print on sublimation paper because it won’t work. Furthermore, you can’t print on a regular printing paper using dye sublimation ink and use it for sublimation printing. In a nutshell, for sublimation printing, you’ll need sublimation paper and an inkjet printer with sublimation ink.

Want more information on Sublimation Paper For T-shirt Printing? Feel free to contact us.

How Does The Sublimation Process Work? 

The sublimation process works in a simple way. Let’s say you have a sublimation paper printed with a design, of course using dye sublimation ink. You’re about to press it into a polyester t-shirt under the heat press machine.

What happens is that the sublimation ink turns into gas. At the same time, the fabric of the polyester shirt opens up and absorbs the ink. Once you’re done pressing the shirt, and it cools off, the gaseous ink that transferred to the merchandise turns solid. This means the ink is permanently printed on the merchandise. For knowing about more information about how to do sublimation shirts: a complete guide check ou blog.

What Projects Can I Do With A Sublimation Paper? 

There are plenty of custom-printed projects you can do with sublimation paper. With a sublimation paper, you can print directly on polyester fabric or any polyester-coated sublimation blank.

You can directly sublimate on synthetic fibers like polyester, lycra, nylon, and sportswear. Furthermore, you can also print the sublimation paper over a heat transfer vinyl. You see, directly sublimating on a cotton shirt or a dark-colored shirt won’t work.

Direct sublimation printing on a garment is only recommended for polyester shirts. But if you want to print on a dark-colored shirt or a cotton shirt, you can print the heat transfer vinyl first on the shirt. Then sublimate over it.

As for the sublimation blanks, there are plenty of products available in the market now. This means you can custom-print on plenty of merchandise. For knowing about best sublimation paper for dark shirt you should be check our blog.

Several Sublimation Blanks Available In The Market Now Are: 

• Round fans
• Mouse Pads
• Tumbler
• Mugs
• Aluminum plate
• Earrings
• Keychain
• Pet bandana
• Tote bags
• Cup coasters
• Pillow covers
• Jigsaw puzzle
• Cosmetic bags
• Pens
• Caps
• Baby bib

You can’t sublimate on random merchandise. It must be a ‘sublimation blank’ because it has a special polymer coating wherein the dye sublimation ink will bond. For instance, you can’t expect to sublimate on a regular mug bought at a craft store. It must be a sublimation mug. All of these sublimation blanks are in white colors.

What Do I Need For Sublimation Printing?

As mentioned, for sublimation printing, of course, you’ll need a sublimation paper and a sublimation printer that contains dye sublimation ink. One more machine you need to invest in is a heat press machine and each one has its purpose.

Here Are The Different Kinds Of Heat Presses Available:

• Flat heat press machine: Available in swing type or clamshell type. Recommended for use for t-shirts, tote bags, jigsaw puzzles, pillowcases, mouse pads, and other flat surfaced items.
• Tumbler heat press machine
• Cap press machine
  
• Mug press machine
• Mini heat press machine (not recommended for sublimation printing)

Do you need to invest in all these heat press machines? The more heat press machines you have, the better! But if the budget does not allow it, starting with a flat heat press machine and mastering t-shirt printing first is a good way to start.

With sublimation printing, you’ll need other supplies like thermal transfer paper or tape, scissors, a Teflon sheet, and a silicone rubber pad. A bright desktop lamp on your workspace can also help you big time when printing. For knowing about sublimation temperature chart check our blog.

Sublimation Temperature Chart

How To Sublimate Merchandise? 

Sublimating merchandise is a simple process. Print and press! That’s it! Whether you’re printing on a shirt or a sublimation blank. Whether you’re sublimating on a shirt or a mug, the transfer process is fairly similar. To give you an idea, here are the steps.

• Print the design on your computer using sublimation paper.
• Don’t forget to use the highest quality print setting on your computer.
• Print on the white side of the sublimation paper.
• Don’t forget to mirror the design.
• Let the ink on the sublimation paper dry for a few minutes.
• Cut the un-printed part of the sublimation paper.
• Prepare the heat press machine to its recommended time and temperature.
• Take note that the time and temperature of the heat press vary on the product you want to sublimate on. Make sure to check out the manufacturer’s recommendation.
• Place the printed image, with the printed side facing down the merchandise.
• Secure the sublimation paper on the merchandise by using thermal transfer tape.
• Heat press the merchandise.
• Remove the merchandise from the heat press and remove the sublimation paper.
• You’re done!

Sublimation Vs Heat Transfer Paper: Which Is Better?

You may have heard of another transfer printing method using heat transfer paper. These heat transfer papers are called dark transfer paper and light transfer paper. These types of special printing paper are coated with wax and pigment which transfers into the canvas.

Unlike sublimation paper where the dye-based ink turns into a gas and only the ink transfers into the merchandise. Sublimation printing and heat transfer paper printing are both different printing methods.

Heat transfer paper is available in laser heat transfer paper printed on a laser printer. There’s also the inkjet heat transfer paper to be printed on the inkjet printer only. Which printer do you use when working on a heat transfer paper design? Inkjet or laser printer?

Inkjet or laser transfer paper is commonly used as an iron-on print. But which printing method is better? Sublimation or heat transfer printing? This depends on your preference. If you don’t want the wax coating transferred onto the heat transfer paper garments, sublimation printing is preferred.

Which Printers Can You Use With Sublimation Paper?

There are printers specially used for sublimation printing. However, you can use a regular inkjet printer with dye sublimation ink on it. If you intend to invest in a printer for sublimation printing, make sure to consult with the manufacturer if the printer is compatible with sublimation printing.

There are also printers you can convert into sublimation paper using a CISS Ink system. If you have a regular inkjet printer at home and it already has regular ink on it, you cannot use it as your sublimation printer. Just like any other printer, when you refill a different kind of ink, other than the original ink you used, it might ruin the printer. That’s a big no-no!

The best brands of inkjet printers for sublimation are Epson and SawGrass. Just a tip, most HP printers won’t print a sublimation paper. Also, generally speaking, laser printers cannot print quality images.

Can I Use Regular Ink On Sublimation Paper? 

No, you cannot use regular ink on sublimation paper. Even though the sublimation paper will produce prints, it will not transfer to the merchandise. Sublimation paper is a special paper that contains a special coating that locks the ink and releases it into gas when exposed to heat.

The bottom line is, that regular printer ink is not made compatible with sublimation printing. The regular ink when printed onto a sublimation paper when printed on light-colored polyester fabrics or any sublimation blank.

Can I Use Dye Sublimation Ink On Regular Paper?

In sublimation printing, you cannot use dye sublimation ink on regular paper. You can try to print dye sublimation on regular paper, maybe for your documents, but it won’t look too good. The colors will look pale on the paper, a bit too blurry, and oftentimes smears. Don’t even think about using dye sublimation ink on regular paper if you intend to use it for sublimation printing. It simply won’t work! Sublimation paper works only for dye sublimation ink, and that’s about it!

Does Sublimation Ink Transfer Onto Dark-Colored Shirts?

No, sublimation ink does not directly print onto dark-colored shirts. If you want to print on a dark-colored shirt, there’s an indirect way to do it. What you want to do is print a white heat transfer vinyl on the dark shirt, then sublimate over it.

Sublimation print won’t be visible in dark-colored shirts like royal blue, dark gray, maroon and black. Also, one tip you should know — white ink does not print out in sublimation printing. White ink remains unprinted, in short, transparent.

Which Side Do You Print On Sublimation Paper?

The print side of the sublimation paper is the white side with a matte texture. Typically, a sublimation paper has one white side and a colored side. As for TeckWrap Craft’s sublimation paper, the colored side is colored light pink. in dark-colored shirts like royal blue, dark gray, maroon and black. Also, one tip you should know — white ink does not print out in sublimation printing. White ink remains unprinted, in short, transparent.

As mentioned, a tip when printing on sublimation paper is to always mirror the image on your computer. This tip was mentioned earlier because it is important. Once you press on merchandise, you have to press the printed image facing the merchandise, that’s why you have to mirror the image.

What To Look For In A Sublimation Paper? 

When you’re looking for a sublimation paper, what you need is a high-quality product. A sublimation paper must have a high transfer rate, at least 100 gsm, fast drying speed, ink-saving performance, and does not fade, smudge or crack.

High Transfer Rate

When you’re looking for a sublimation paper, you’d want a product with a high transfer rate. A sublimation paper with a high transfer rate prints vivid images and is ink-saving. A sublimation paper with more than a 98% transfer rate prints higher quality images.

Fast Drying Speed

Some sublimation paper may have longer drying times. This means you have to wait several hours for the ink to dry before pressing the design onto merchandise. You can’t even touch the ink for hours as it may smudge. Why wait for the ink to dry if there is sublimation paper with a fast-drying speed? That’s what you should look for!

Ink-Saving Performance

Who likes to waste ink? No one! If there’s any way you can save on ink or any additional overhead cost, you should! That’s why you should look for sublimation papers with an ink-saving performance. Sublimation papers with a higher gsm have an ink-saving performance.

What Is The Best Sublimation Paper? 

One of the best sublimation papers available is from TeckWrap Craft. It’s fast-drying, waterproof, has great ink-saving performance, and does not fade, smudge or crack. Additionally, it’s affordable. You can use the TeckWrap Craft sublimation paper to print on shirts, mugs, tumblers, and all sublimation blanks.

The Takeaway 

Now that you’re aware of what a sublimation paper is, its uses, and the projects you can create with it, are you excited to start with your crafting projects? Surely, you are! Don’t forget — only use a sublimation printer containing sublimation ink and a high-quality sublimation transfer paper.

For your sublimation paper needs, don’t look elsewhere. A pack of TeckWrap Craft sublimation sheets comes in 100 sheets of A4 paper. It’s 100 gsm that’s why it dries fast, is ink-saving, and has a 98% transfer rate. Get your sublimation paper at TeckWrap Craft now!

For more information, please visit Large Sublimation Paper.