What is sublimation printing¹?

You want to print vibrant designs on mugs or shirts, but regular ink just peels and cracks. This ruins your product's quality and makes it look cheap.

Sublimation printing uses special ink and heat to turn a design into a gas. This gas permanently embeds itself into the material, creating a vibrant, smooth, and durable image that won't crack or fade easily, becoming one with the product.

2 machine transferring a colorful design onto a t-shirt." title="Sublimation Printing Process" />

In my world of packaging, I'm used to giant offset printing³ presses that lay wet ink onto paper to create thousands of boxes. So when I first learned about sublimation, it was like magic. Instead of sitting on top of the material, the ink becomes a part of it. This digital technology opens up a whole new world for creating custom and personalized items. Let's dive into some of the most common questions people have about it.

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Is a Cricut a sublimation printer⁴?

You have a Cricut machine⁵ and want to make sublimation projects⁶. You might think you have everything you need, but the process isn't working. This is a very common point of confusion.

No, a Cricut is a smart cutting machine, not a printer. It can perfectly cut designs that have been printed on sublimation paper⁷, but you still need a separate, dedicated sublimation printer⁴ to create the initial print.

5 cutting a design on a sheet of [sublimation paper](https://heyletsmakestuff.com/sublimation-paper-comparison/)⁷, with a printer nearby." title="Cricut and Sublimation Printer" />

Think of it as a two-step team project. The printer does one job, and the Cricut does another. You need both a specific type of printer and a heat source, and the Cricut machine⁵ is a helpful tool that fits in the middle of that process. As a designer who appreciates precision, you'll love what a Cricut adds, but it's important to understand its specific role.

The Sublimation Workflow with a Cricut

To get a clear picture, let's break down the exact steps you would take. It’s a simple production line, just like the ones in my factory, but on your desktop.

1. Design: Create your artwork on your computer. This is where you let your creativity shine.
2. Print: This is the crucial step. You must print your design using a dedicated sublimation printer⁴ filled with sublimation ink⁸ onto sublimation paper⁷. A regular printer won't work.
3. Cut (Optional): If your design has a complex shape and you want a clean edge, this is where your Cricut comes in. You place the printed sublimation paper⁷ on the Cricut mat and it will cut your design out with perfect precision.
4. Press: You take your printed (and cut) design, place it on your sublimation-ready item (like a polyester shirt or a coated mug), and use a heat press² to apply high temperature and pressure. This is where the ink turns into a gas and the magic happens.

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What are the disadvantages of sublimation printing¹?

You see the amazing, bright results of sublimation and think it's perfect for everything. But jumping in without knowing the limits can lead to wasted materials, money, and a lot of frustration.

The main disadvantages are that sublimation only works on white or light-colored polyester fabrics⁹ or special polymer-coated hard surfaces. It does not work on cotton or dark materials, and it cannot print the color white.

Every production method has tradeoffs, and sublimation is no exception. In my business, choosing the right material and process is critical to success. If you try to print a beautiful design on the wrong material, the result will always be disappointing. It's better to know the limitations before you start so you can plan for success.

Key Limitations to Consider

Before you invest in the equipment, be fully aware of what sublimation can and cannot do.

• Material Restriction: This is the biggest one. The sublimation process¹⁰ requires synthetic polymers. This means it works great on 100% polyester fabrics⁹. For hard goods, they must have a special polymer coating. This is why you can't just grab any ceramic mug from the store; you have to buy "sublimation blanks¹¹." It will not work on natural fibers like 100% cotton.
• Color Limitations: Sublimation ink is transparent. This means a few things. First, you can't print on dark-colored items because the color of the item will show through your design. The process works best on white surfaces. Second, there is no white sublimation ink⁸. If your design has white in it, that area will simply be left blank, showing the color of the item you are printing on.
• UV Sensitivity: While the print is permanent and won't wash away, it can fade over time if left in direct sunlight continuously. For items that will be used outdoors, this is something to consider.

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Can any printer do sublimation?

You want to experiment with sublimation but don't want to buy a new machine. It's tempting to think you can just put sublimation ink⁸ in your home office printer, but this is a mistake.

No, you absolutely cannot use any printer for sublimation. You need a specific type of inkjet printer that uses a piezo-electric printhead¹², and it must be brand new or have only ever been used for sublimation.

4." title="Choosing a Sublimation Printer" />

This is one of the most important rules. In my factory, using the wrong ink in a million-dollar press would be a disaster. The same principle applies here. Using the wrong printer or ink can permanently ruin the machine and will give you zero successful prints. It's a costly mistake that is easy to avoid.

Choosing the Right Printer

So what kind of printer do you need? You have two main options.

1. A Converted Inkjet Printer: Some specific models of new inkjet printers, most commonly from Epson (like the EcoTank series), can be used for sublimation. The key is that you have to buy it brand new and fill it with sublimation ink⁸ from the very beginning. Once regular printer ink has run through the printheads, it is contaminated and cannot be used for sublimation.
2. A Purpose-Built Sublimation Printer: Companies like Sawgrass and Brother make printers that are designed from the ground up specifically for sublimation. These are a bit more expensive, but they are easier to set up, often come with software, and have customer support. For someone starting a business, this is often the more reliable path.

No matter which path you choose, you must use it with sublimation ink⁸ and sublimation paper⁷. There are no shortcuts.

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What is the difference between sublimation printing¹ and normal printing?

You've heard terms like "digital" and "offset" and are confused. Understanding this is key to choosing the right process, whether for one t-shirt or thousands of boxes.

Sublimation is a digital process where heat turns ink to gas to fuse it into a surface. Normal printing for mass production, like offset printing³ for boxes, uses plates to transfer wet ink onto paper. They are for completely different purposes.

3 press and a small desktop sublimation setup." title="Sublimation vs. Normal Printing" />

This question goes to the heart of what I do every day. In the printing industry, we generally have two modes: traditional offset printing³ and digital printing¹³. Sublimation is a very specialized type of digital printing¹³.

Two Worlds of Printing: Proofs vs. Production

At my packaging company, we use both types of printing every day. We have a fast, low-cost digital printer that we use for making proofs. We send these proofs to clients so they can check that the text and layout on their box are correct. We don't use it for the final product because, as we know, the color from a simple digital print is not the same as the final color from a big press. It’s just for checking content.

The offset press is for the real production run. It's a huge machine that is expensive to set up for each job. But once it's running, it's incredibly fast and the cost per box is very low. Most importantly, my press operators can adjust the colors on the machine to get a perfect match. With a digital proof, the color is what it is; you can't adjust it. With offset, we can tweak the ink levels until the color is perfect.

Feature	Offset Printing (Normal for Boxes)	Sublimation (Specialty Digital)
Process	Wet ink transferred via custom printing plates.	Ink turns to gas with heat and fuses into the material.
Color Control	Full control. Colors can be adjusted on the press.	Direct output from file. No color adjustment on press.
Best For	High-volume runs (thousands of units) of paper/card.	One-offs & small batches of custom items.
Cost	High initial setup cost, but very low cost per unit.	Low setup cost, but high cost per unit.
Materials	Paper and paperboard.	Polyester or polymer-coated items only.

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Conclusion

Sublimation is a powerful digital tool for creating custom products. Knowing its unique process, benefits, and important limitations helps you decide if it's the right choice for your next creative project.

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