Sublimation

General Information

Sublimation is a method for transferring printed text and images onto compatible materials. In this process, the specially formulated sublimation ink from the print chemically bonds to the material after applying heat and pressure, leaving the design embedded below the surface instead of on top. Sublimation produces several benefits, notably longevity and the ability to easily infuse multiple colors. 

Templates

Unisub 3.5" square coaster

Sublimation Instructions

Printer   

  1. Make sure the computer you are using is connected via USB to the Sublimation Printer.
  2. Open Sawgrass Print Manager. It may look like nothing opened, but in the bottom, lower-right corner, you will see the orange icon, with the white S appear.
  3. Design in your preferred software. Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or Inkscape work well as default programs.
  4. With your design ready to go, click File > Print.
  5. From the drop-down menu, choose Sawgrass Print Manager as the printer.
  6. The print manager will launch and a dialog box will appear. Work through the on-screen prompts to select your material and choose J15120/21 S-RACE for the paper.
  7. Click print and your job will be sent to the SG1000.

Note: The color that is printed may look muted or otherwise different than it did on the computer screen. This is OK. The color will be close to the design after it is pressed. If color accuracy is extremely important, we recommend using a test product first.  

Heat Press Settings

Instructions for the heat presses are available on the heat presses page.

Materials may vary based on manufacturer, so follow the manufacturer instructions where available. If there are no manufacturer settings, the Sawgrass SG1000 settings can be used as a good starting point. Some trial and error may be needed to dial in the best settings. 

Approved Materials

  • Fabrics with light colors and composed of at least 60% polyester. Higher polyester percentage works best.
  • Materials with a sublimation coating

Potential Vendors

Not all materials from the vendor may be suitable for MakerLab or compatible with MakerLab equipment. If you have any questions, please contact Digital Services.