The sublimation paper is used in heat transfer printing. This is a professional way of customizing puzzles, shirts, coasters, mousepads, and many other types of equipment.
Parts of sublimation paper
The unit is made up of three parts: base paper, anti-curling coating, and ink-absorbing coating. The ink-absorbing coating is the functional layer. Its primary role is to hold the sublimation dye in place for the process to be a success. The coating contains filler that can be silica, clay, or calcium carbonate. The coating also contains binders such as latexes, polyvinyl alcohol, and acrylics. The quality of this layer significantly affects the ink absorption rate.
There are two types of base papers in the market that you can go for: sublimation paper and offset base papers. The sublimation base unit is made up of hardwood and softwood pulp that provides high-heat durability. The offset base sheet is made up of waste papers pulp such as magazines and newspapers.
The anti-curling coating prevents the sublimation coating from curling when it gets wet. Due to the extra cost that comes with adding this coating, most manufacturers avoid this layer which results in poor quality sublimation paper. When buying the paper, you should carefully take a look at the different layers. For perfect results, purchase paper with all the coatings.
How to use the sublimation paper
As mentioned above, you use the papers during the printing process. The process is divided into three steps: printing your image, transferring your image, and washing. You need to carefully follow the instructions and do all the right things to achieve perfect results. When printing your image, print on the bright white side of the paper. Also, remember to flip your image before undertaking the printing.
When transferring your image, remember to preheat your paper and place your image face down. To keep the paper in the right place, use heat transfer tape for vinyl. When it comes to washing, wash the paper with cold water. For best results, use a mild detergent. Avoid bleach or bleach alternatives as they can damage the paper.
One of the most popular ways to customize a coffee mug is by adding a full-color photo to it, to preserve a memory, promote an event, or even create a unique gift. The process of adding full-color images to coffee mugs may seem as somewhat of a mystery to some, but once one sees just how simple the sublimation process is, they will want to create one themselves!
The sublimation process is often used by small businesses, or even for crafts out of a home or garage, which goes to show how simple it is to complete yourself. By using this method, you can use full-color, detailed artwork for your mug, without worrying about it fading, scratching, or peeling. The artwork is permanent. To create your full-color sublimation mug, you will need to personalize your mugs are sublimation coffee mugs, coated with special sublimation coating, sublimation paper, inks, take (heat-resistant), a bucket of water, and a sublimation heat press. Most of these products can be found at your local craft store, or online from a printing supplier. This may be better, as printing suppliers can often offer you the items needed in bulk, at wholesale prices.
Once your artwork has been prepared, it is printed with dye-sub ink onto your special sublimation paper. The ink is usually a lot denser than regular printed paper. You should then cut off any excess paper so you can begin transferring the image. First, center your artwork on the coated sublimation mug, and then apply heat-resistant tape to keep it in place. Your mug and artwork are then ready to be transferred into the heat press. The mug then takes 3-5 clamped into the sublimation heat-press, which heats your mug to transfer the ink. What makes sublimation different than other printing methods is the way that the artwork is transferred onto a product. When heated to such extreme temperatures, the ink your artwork is printed with gets so hot, it is absorbed by the mug material itself. After the 3-5 minutes have elapsed, you can remove your mug from the heat press, take off the tape and artwork, and then place it into a bucket of water. The water is crucial to the process, allowing the mug to cool quickly, permanently sealing in the sublimation inks, making the art and mug one single product.
Due to the way that the ink transfer process occurs, the sublimation process provides much more vibrant results than can be achieved with regular printing, or even with full-color decals. Because the ink itself is absorbed into the product, it is almost as if you are gazing into a full-color picture itself, rather than a printed mug. This is why sublimation photo mugs have become such popular gifts and souvenirs for events and occasions of every kind.
Sublimation Mugs are one of the most popular custom gifts, promotional items, and souvenirs. Unlike regular printing, these vibrant and eye-popping Full-Color Photo Mugs allow you to preserve your favorite memories for years to come.
