What Is Sublimation Paper? The Ultimate Guide

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.

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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.

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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.

Think of a sublimation paper as the vessel or the carrier of the sublimation ink. A sublimation paper is a vessel to transfer the dye sublimation ink into merchandise. That is the basic working principle of a sublimation paper. For getting more information about what is sublimation paper? check our blog.

What Is Sublimation Paper? The Ultimate Guide

Sep 05, 2022 TeckWrap Craft

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.

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.

Best Sublimation Paper For Dark Shirts

Sep 23, 2023 TeckWrap Craft

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

Jun 14, 2023 TeckWrap Craft

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.

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• 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.

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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!

How to choose the correct sublimation heat transfer paper?There are four factors that you have to consider for choosing the right sublimation transfer paper.1.INK LIMIT / CAPACITY
This is a very basic factor. The higher the ink limit (wet), the heavier gram the paper should be in order to accept the moisture from the ink without any problems like curling and warping of the paper.
 2.HEAVY INK PATTERNS
This explains the printing of an artwork that has a very complex design that has a mixed heavy and light ink loading. You can face this in low gram papers, curling will occur and also shifting after pressing. To eliminate this the best solution is a 110gsm or more that accept heavy ink and also light inks.
 3.ROLL TO ROLL OR ROLL TO SHEET
Calendar press loves low gsm papers. But on heavy ink, consider factor #1.
 4.PRINT SPEED
This is the equation:
Fast printing = lightweight paper
Slow printing = thick paper
 According to the humidity of the working environment

Low humidity: In the humidity under 45% , It’s better to choose 70gsm . Because when in a low humidity , the paper will shrink, and the print side is hunch-up. During the printing , the paper absorb ink , the “hunch-up” will be more obviously. 90g and 120g paper are harder than 70g , so the “hunch-up” will damage the print-head . 70gsm is more softer , it could relief the “hunch-up” and protect your print-head from damage .
 High humidity: In the humidity above 70% . It’s better to choose 90-120 gsm . Because the paper is very easy to become damp in a high humidity , it will become softer and stiffness is weak at the same time . If you use low weight paper, it will be very hard to print smoothly because of the stiffness and hardness go down . At this time , 90-120 gsm is your best choice.
 When choosing the best transfer paper, there is rarely one paper that will work well with everything. The type of transfer paper you should be using depends on the substrate you will be transferring to.
 Please briefly explain to us inkjet sublimation transfer paper process?
Inkjet sublimation transfer paper is a widely used thermal transfer paper, load it using the sublimation transfer ink jet printer to mirror the way the graphic is printed on an inkjet sublimation transfer paper, then after heat transfer equipment heated to around 200 ℃, so sublimation paper sublimation disperse dyes penetrate into the substrate, so that the paper color images vividly transferred to one kind of printing process to the polyester-based textiles.
 5. How to Choose The Best Sublimation Paper When We Need?More issues need to be addressed too: How important is transfer yield? When do I need “high speed” sublimation paper? An entrepreneur who is considering his first investment in digital transfer printing is confronted with other dilemmas, too: Do I choose a water-based system, or should I consider oil-based or solvent-based inks? Which type of sublimation paper is preferable for transfers onto metal or tiles?
 The Aim
As a specialist supplier, Easty Ltd carries a broad range of sublimation paper. As our customers are entitled to objective advice, we wanted to describe the right sublimationpaper choice in a simple diagram for us to use when advising them. When we showed the draft diagram to a number of dye sublimation experts, they encouraged us to provide more background information. Thus, this article evolved from a diagram into a manual for choosing the right sublimation transfer paper, based upon the professionals’ collective experience. Unfortunately, it is not the simple diagram that Easty thought of at the outset. Rather, it is more complex.
 Overview
First, we shall discuss the fundamental choices for ink systems: water-based, oil-based or solvent-based.
Then we will provide a guide for water-based systems focusing on three aspects:
transfer onto textile fabric versus transfer onto a hard substrate
the “basis weight”- “high speed” versus “normal” transfer paper
Finally, we shall look at other aspects of the transfer printing operation because the right paper choice is by no means the only condition for successful transfer printing.
 Water-based Systems versus Oil-based and Solvent-based Systems
For many reasons, water continues to be the ideal carrier for sublimation inks. However, water and paper are not ideally suited for each other. Paper fibers absorb water by swelling. This mechanism poses an inherent problem for printing processes with water-based inks. Small variations in the amount of water can cause the paper to expand or shrink by as much as 1 percent or more. Such moisture variations not only occur as a result of the water-based ink being applied to the paper surface, but also because of variations in the air’s moisture content in the print room, to the extent that the unpacked paper is exposed to them. The limited dimensional stability of paper as a function of variations in moisture content generally does not pose many problems with narrow printers and small sheet sizes. However, wide-format printing is an altogether different matter. A change of 1 percent in the web width amounts to as much as 2.5 cm (nearly 1 inch) or more across the full width!
Grand Format printers are used for sublimation transfer printing with oil-based inks at widths of more than 3 metres.Compared with water-based inks, oil-based inks cause less swelling of the paper fibers and none of the resulting problems, such as linear extension and cockling. For widths greater than 250 cm (98 inches), we advise our customers to consider oil-based systems but to take into account the following limitations.
 Limitations of Oil-based Systems
Printed transfer paper is made up of a highly unstable system. This is because the transfer paper delivers a maximum amount of dye to the substrate during the transfer process. Dye particles in the printed paper must sublimate freely when exposed to heat in the transfer press. They must not be bound chemically or by any other means. Yet, before the transfer, the dye is not supposed to “migrate.” These more or less conflicting demands make the system extremely vulnerable and susceptible to contaminants from the environment. Even certain components of the paper and the ink may cause problems. Unfortunately, the “oil” in the oil-based ink is such a component.
When an oil-based ink is drying, the oil does not evaporate from the paper. At most the volatile fractions will evaporate. The remaining fractions facilitate the paper dye’s migration, causing colors to shift and details to lose their sharpness. Therefore, transfer paper printed with oil-based inks must be run through a transfer calender immediately after printing.
 Promise of Solvent-based Systems
Solvents hold the best promise of enabling wide-format printing systems without having the limitations associated with oil-based inks. Solvent-based systems would make a larger number of printing platforms available for dye sublimation transfer.
There is a very good reason why solvent inks have not played a bigger role in sublimation transfer printing. Solvents bring environmental and safety hazards, which printers thought they eliminated when they embraced water-based sublimation inks. Printers with a background in the textile industry are accustomed to water-based ink chemistry, which has its own environmental problems. To them, water-based transfer printing provides a clean and safe business model. The situation in the sign industry is quite different. Solvent ink is the preferred method for producing outdoor graphics on uncoated, non-absorbent media. Sign printers are fully familiar with health and safety requirements. To the sign industry, solvent-based dye sublimation is not equivalent with new health and safety hazards.
 It is too early to make recommendations about solvent-based sublimation transfer printing because there are still technical hurdles. However, we will be following developments in this new technology closely.
Small objects – the most popular application of sublimation transfer printing on hard surfaces.
 Guide for Water-based Systems
Open Substrate (textile fabric) versus Closed Substrate (metal, ceramics)
EastyLtd Transfer papers for textile fabrics are specially designed to deliver the maximum amount of dye to the substrate (maximum “transfer yield”) during the pressing process, thus meeting the highest coloristic demands and allowing for the least ink consumption. Maximum-dye release occurs when carrier liquid and dye particles are not strongly absorbed into the paper and the dye particles are not bound to the internal paper structure. To achieve this, manufacturers have developed a closed film coating, which forms a gel with water from the printing ink. The barrier character of these coatings makes the papers less suitable for transfer to hard (closed) substrates. The vapor, generated when the paper is heated during transfer, can only escape in a lateral direction. This can easily cause damage to the print, which is visible in the cloudy vapor patterns in full colors and blurred contours.
 For transfer onto hard surfaces, we recommend a transfer paper that allows the vapor to escape through the paper. This type of paper is similar to photo-quality inkjet papers, which dry immediately after printing. But there is a tradeoff. The dry paper surface is made possible by a special silicate-based coating, which draws the ink faster and deeper into the paper compared with the paper for textile fabrics. This results in a noticeably lower transfer yield. A second disadvantage of the hard-surface papers is that they cockle more easily due to the quick water absorption.

It should be noted that the hard-surface paper is popular with textiles and rigid surfaces in North America. Elsewhere textile printers generally prefer papers specially designed for soft substrates.
Easty Limited
www.eastyltd.com
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