So, you want to get into sublimation but don’t know what you need to start? Well, we are here to help you out!
You’ve figured out that you want to get into sublimation. You may know that it’s a process of heating ink into products such as mugs, clothing, tumblers, acrylic and more. Items must be coated for sublimation or fabrics must have high count polyester for sublimation to work.
We recommend that you purchase everything you need and start with small projects such as our keychains, bookmarks, mug’s or tote bags before getting into larger/more expensive products such as tumblers & water bottles.
Things you will need to start include a new printer, heat press, sublimation ink, sublimation paper, butcher paper, heat tape & blanks.
Let’s talk printers. The most popular printer is the Epson EcoTank which comes with fillable tanks. When you purchase this printer, DO NOT put the ink that comes with the printer in the tanks as you will fill with sublimation ink. If you fill with regular ink, it will no longer work for sublimation unless you go through many steps to clean the heads and tanks. So, take the ink that come’s with it and use it in another creative way. Other printers that will work are Epson Workforce, Sawgrass, Canon PIXMA or any printer that has fillable ink tanks.
To fill the printer that you just bought, you will need Sublimation Ink. We suggest ours of course. They are high quality inks that will not disappoint! They are even designed to fit the Epson EcoTank for easy filling, otherwise they do have a twist off top to fill other printers.
Okay, so you have your printer filled with sublimation ink. What’s next? You are going to want to set up your printer. So, put a couple of sheets of sublimation paper in your printer, ensuring it will print on the matte side and run through the setup guide. This will vary depending on your printer, YouTube is a great resource to find specific Sublimation printer settings. Do a couple of test prints before starting your first design to get your settings right. Once your printer is set up, you are ready to print your first design!
When it comes to a heat press, there are a few options you can use depending on what you are making. The Cricut AutoPress is a great press for signs, fabrics, clothing and any flat items. Another alternative to this is a 5-in-1 press that is on Amazon, usually runs for about $400. This one comes with attachments so you can do hats, mugs, clothing, plates and more. If you just want to do smaller mugs and tumblers, the Cricut Mug Press may be a good option as well. An easy to use press that does most of the work for you!
To shop our Sublimation products, follow this link -> HFX Sublimation – HFX Vinyl & Craft Supplies
We have just about everything you need to get started into the world of sublimation, other than the printer. The most affordable place to purchase our preferred, Epson EcoTank is at Costco. If you do not have a Costco membership, you can also usually find them at Staples, Walmart or Amazon.
We recommend our Sublimation Starter Kit, as it gives you a great start up kit including ink, paper & blanks. Find it here -> Sublimation Starter Kit – HFX Vinyl & Craft Supplies
Any further questions, please feel free to reach out, we would be happy to assist.