Types of Sublimation (Processing Guide Included)

Sublimation is transferring your favorite design on sublimation paper and then transferring it to your favorite material. The majority follows a few sublimation processes. Here we will share the 3 different types of sublimation with you. 

Most importantly for all these types of sublimation you can use a specific sublimation printer or add sublimation ink to your existing printer. Both will work fine for you. Remember, all the printers do not support sublimation ink, so you need a certain printer for this purpose. Following are the few common sublimation types we are going to discuss:

• Basic Sublimation
• Spot Sublimation
• Full Sublimation

Different Types of Sublimation Printing

Imagine what is more satisfying than converting your favorite design to your desired fabric or any material. Let us tell you that you can do it at home without visiting a shop. Yeah, you read it right. If you have a sublimation or ink-supporting printer, you can easily put your design on any material like a mug, shirt, etc. 

As we discussed earlier, there are different types of sublimation, and now it’s the right time to explore them one by one to understand them better and use them more effectively. 

1- Basic Sublimation

The basic sublimation process involves heat and great pressure to transfer the design onto materials like metal, plastic, polyester, etc. The design is first printed onto a transfer paper(also known as sublimation paper), then placed onto the desired material. Then you need to apply heat using any heat presser to transfer the design from paper to material. 

During this process, the design will get transferred to your desired material and stay there for longer. Let your material cool down for 5-10 minutes before doing anything to it. Proper heat and pressure at the right time are necessary for a good and everlasting sublimation design. 

Double-check if there is any oil spot or related stuff on your transferring material. Remove it if you find such stuff before heading toward the sublimation process. Now the major question is, where we apply this Sublimation, or where can we use Sublimation? You can use too many things for Sublimation, but a few common ones are mugs, keychains, phone cases, and t-shirts. You can use it on other specialized items like customized plates, signs, or awards.

Furthermore, if you do the process right, your design will not peel off at any stage. Just have some patience, and you will have done it easily. Basic Sublimation is a cost-effective printing procedure to achieve more precise and evergreen results. 

2- Spot Sublimation

The third type of sublimation is spot sublimation which is a printing process that allows you to transfer a design with multiple colors onto your favorite fabric. Before this process, we do this procedure using screen printing which increases the cost. With the help of spot sublimations, the additional screen setup fee is waived. 

The recommended material size for this Sublimation is around 12*16 inches, which is good for creating different logos and large images. Before transferring your design, make sure it is printed on paper and placed perfectly on the fabric. Sublimation printing is relatively easy but a little tricky. 

If you have an idea about the process, you will nail it without any issues. Sublimation is more effective for transferring your favorite design onto fabric. Just keep an eye on a few things, and it will work fine for you. Things that need to be focussed on are:

• Perfect temperature.
• Accurate time to apply.
• The proper use of all accessories involved in the process.

The question here is what will happen if someone applies the wrong temperature or doesn’t know a perfect time? The answer to this question is quite simple, if you apply the wrong temperature or play around with time poorly, then the outcome of your design could be better. 

On the other hand, if you apply everything at a specific time, the result will be more eye-catching and attractive. 

3- Full Sublimation

Full Sublimation is based on dye sublimation to transfer the design onto a full-color garment. It is comparatively different from spot sublimation, where a design is only transferred to a specific area of fabric. In full sublimation printing, your design is printed on the whole garment instead of a certain area. The process involves printing the design onto a sublimation paper, then putting it on your garment. 

After placing it properly in the right area, start applying heat and pressure according to the requirement. This exercise will let your design transfer onto your fabric safely. A proper process and step-by-step approach will provide you with a durable and colorful design. So, if we talk about the positive aspect of full Sublimation, its ability to create a unique custom design on the whole garment is unmatchable.

Moreover, this practice will add more creativity and versatility to your fabric and turn it into a more attractive garment.On the other hand, it reduces cost more efficiently as you do not need to have additional color laminations. 

Mostly small business owners, event planners, or people at home prefer it to create more personalized and promotional items with it. Before going through this process, remember that it is only suitable for a few fabrics. The most common one is polyester. Use the best and most high-quality equipment for better output and a more attractive design. 

So, now we have discussed all the different types of Sublimation printing in detail so that you could easily choose the one you like. Additionally, if you need information about any Sublimation, don’t hesitate to write back, and we will respond soon.