Transfer printing describes two different types of printing: Heat transfer printing and sublimation. They both have their pros and cons, but they both tend to be more suited for different needs. There is still some ambiguity on sublimation and how it works, so we are going to take a look at the most frequently asked questions and try and provide a little more clarity.
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Heat transfer printing is done using a specialist paper that is called transfer paper. You can use a standard inkjet or laser printer to print onto this paper with your normal inks. You then place the paper onto your clothing and use a heat press, or in some cases, you can use an iron, and peel away the paper.
Your design will then be stuck-on to your garment, and you will be able to see the transfer. You can use most heat transfer paper on a variety of fabrics, including most poly textiles and natural cotton. You can print on both light and dark coloured garments.
Sublimation is a modern digital printing technique that is increasing in popularity. Search volume has increased by around 115% worldwide since , according to Google Trends. It uses sublimation paper and heat to print your design.
We advise that you use this on fabrics that are 85% poly or more. This is because it is the poly fibres that open their pores to accept the dye. You can use a lower composition, however, your colours will be affected. You’ll end up with more of a ‘vintage faded’ look. You can also print on hard surfaces with a poly-coating, such as keyrings, jigsaws, mugs and so much more.
Sublimation transfer paper is a specialist paper that is used exclusively in sublimation printing. Made using a paper substrate, which is broadly based on a normal paper. A special coating added to the paper holds the dye sublimation inks. The coating includes around 35% silica and 5% binder, based on the weight of the paper when it’s dry.
Sources: Patent Encyclopedia
Sublimation doesn’t use any liquid in the process. Inks heated from their solid-state on the sublimation paper, convert straight to a gas. It is a printing method that bonds to poly fibres, and because the poly fibres have been heated, the pores expand. These open pores then allow the gas into them, which then fuses to the fabric itself, before resuming its solid-state. This makes the ink part of the fibres themselves, rather than just a layer printed on the top.
Sublimation is a two-step process. Firstly, you need to print your design onto the sublimation paper, using specialist sublimation dyes. The image would need to be mirrored, but don’t worry about that, Contrado does that for you when you place your order, so all you need to do is create your design as you want it to look when it’s finished.
Then you need to press the design from your paper onto your t-shirt (or fabric or surface). This is done using a heat press which applies either heat and pressure, or heat and a vacuum. Once pressed, simply remove the transfer paper, and voila, your t-shirt is printed.
Sublimation is best suited to white or light-coloured fabric bases. You can use it on darker shades, however, it will affect your colours. White ink is not used in sublimation printing. White parts of the design remain unprinted which shows the base colour of the textile.
The benefit of sublimation over heat transfer printing is that there is a much broader range of colours. This means that you could print your background colour onto the fabric rather than use a different coloured fabric, and because of the advanced printing methods, the material would feel exactly the same.
Sublimation paper holds an enormous amount of moisture and humid air is not great for it. Exposure to humid air causes the sublimation paper to absorb it like a sponge. This results in image bleeding, uneven transfers and colour shifting.
Heat transfer paper is also sensitive to humidity. The inkjet or laser printing is more prone to dotting and colour bleeding if there is excessive moisture in the paper, and as this form of printing applies a film, rather than being textureless, you may find that the transfer is not flat, or curls or peels at the edges.
When working out which side to print on your sublimation paper, it is important that you print your design onto the bright white side. If you order sublimation paper from Contrado already printed with your design, you will be able to tell which side is the right side.
You’ll find that your colours look pale on the sublimation paper. This is completely normal and isn’t what the finished press will look like. Once transferred to your medium your colours will come to life! Another benefit of sublimation over transfer printing is that there is a much bigger range of colours.
You can’t reuse your thermal transfer paper, whichever type you use. Although with sublimation paper, you may find that there is some ink remaining on the paper, it will not be enough to make a good-quality print.
With transfer paper, the iron’s heat melts the plastic lining on the paper, which transfers the ink to the fabric, as well as the plastic from the paper. This would be impossible to re-use.
There are some common mistakes when it comes to designing your own t-shirts, other clothing and items.
*remember, if ordering through Contrado, we will do this for you, it’s important that you don’t do this step.
We always suggest testing on a small piece first, to ensure that you get the right amount of heat and pressure, before printing your full design.
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Learn which sublimation works best for which projects … and how it compares to copy paper!
Sublimation paper is a coated specialty paper designed to hold and release dye sublimation ink onto surfaces. There’s an extra layer on the paper designed just for holding, rather than absorbing, sublimation ink. This special coating paper is formulated to hold up in the sublimation printer, withstand the high heat of a heat press, and create beautiful, vibrant sublimation transfers to your surfaces.
Want more information on Heat Sublimation Paper? Feel free to contact us.
Want to save this guide? Enter your below and we’ll send the guide straight to your inbox.Learn all about sublimation paper in this helpful video:
You should know that sublimation transfer paper is NOT the same as that plain copy paper you might already have in your copier or regular inkjet printer, even though it might look the same at first. A good sublimation paper has three things:
1. It holds the sublimation ink well without allowing the micro ink dots from your printer to blur together.
2. It withstands the high heat of your heat press machine.
3. It efficiently releases the dyes into your surface when heated.
Each of these is important for the sublimation process and getting the best results!
There are a lot of different sublimation papers out there, and you may be wondering what’s best to use and what’s better off avoided in your heat transfer printing projects.
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I have a variety of sublimation papers here in my studio — I have A-SUB 125G, A-SUB 120G, A-SUB 105G, A-SUB ECO, TruePix paper, DyeMaster-R, and Printers Jack. And there are a LOT more papers out there, too. So what’s the difference between them all? Most all of these are general sublimation papers that will work for a variety of surfaces. There are OTHERS that get more specialized, but these SHOULD all work for most sublimation jobs.
Let’s take a look at a piece of A-SUB paper. This is the BACK side of A-SUB paper, which as the word “A-SUB” print on it — be sure to print on the other side of it. The “right side” of sublimation paper is the one that is pure white, without any printing on it.
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So then how do you decide which is the best sublimation paper to use? One important thing I want you to pay attention to is the paper weight, like how A-SUB comes in a wide range of weights, including 125g, 120g, 105g, and ECO. These numbers refer to the WEIGHT of the paper.
A-SUB 125 g stands for 125 grams per square meter and it’s the heaviest sublimation paper. The heavier the paper and the thicker the coating, the better it will hold the ink and saturate your surface — if you want full color, vibrant designs, go for the heavier weight. This paper is my favorite and the go-to for nearly every project. It works great in my Epson printer, the printed image looks great, and has a true color. It also has a very high transfer rate, meaning that most of the sublimation ink will transfer from the paper to the surface. 125g sublimation paper also has a greater durability than the thinner paper, and it holds up under all the heat presses I’ve tried.
Tip: I’ve found the 120 g sublimation paper is just as good as the 125 g paper, and often less expensive!
If you use the 125 or 120 gram paper and get wheel marks, however, you may want a lighter paper, like 105 gsm. This heavier paper can also cause issues with rigid and hard surfaces (hard substrate), as the ink has no where to go and can blur or ghost — if this happens, again, go with a thinner paper.
A-SUB 105g is the one hundred and five gram paper, and it’s the lightest sublimation paper. So now you may be wondering why we’d want lighter paper if heavier gives the best and most saturated color. Well, it turns out that light sublimation paper like holds a little less ink and this is better when you’re making seamless designs, like our full-color sublimation doormat or even a sublimation tumbler. The lighter paper is ALSO better for some printers that can get wheel lines or pick up extra ink when going through the printer. For example, when I switched to 105 gram paper on my Epson Workforce, it worked much better. The catch with 105 gram paper is that it is more likely to curl with high temperatures, and it doesn’t do as well with heavy ink saturation — the low weight of the paper is more likely to cause moving, bleeding, and ghosting, And if your surface just looks dull and faded, like a T-shirt, it could also be related to the low weight of the paper — use the heavier paper to get more ink on it and more ink on your surface.
But what about the ECO paper by A-SUB? It’s basically less expensive sublimation paper. So if you’re doing a LOT of sublimation printing, you could use this, but it’s really only a little less money … I’m not sure it’s worth it, personally, unless you’re working in volume. I test out whether this paper is the same as the other papers in my video.
So WEIGHT of sublimation paper is a big factor. Another factor can be the compatibility of the paper with your printer. For example, TruePix paper is optimized to work with Sawgrass sublimation printers. It’s 120 grams and works on a variety of surfaces.
DyeMaster-R sublimation paper is optimized to work for Epson and it’s 105 grams. I am not sure why it’s so thin, but it could be because the Epson Workforce, which is one of the first printers people began converting to sublimation years ago, really needs a thinner paper.
Now, you may have heard of people using regular paper for sublimation, for example laser copy paper. It’s possible to use laser copy paper because it’s formulated to withstand the high heat of your heat press. The question is if inkjet heat transfer paper can hold and release the ink well enough, however.
So I thought we should do a TEST of six different papers — three A-SUB papers, TruePix paper, Laser Paper, and a regular Copy Paper, just so you can see what it looks like for each one. Here’s what each one looks like pressed onto polyester fabric (I used garden flag sublimation blanks):
The top results are what I think are the best sublimation paper — A-SUB 125G and A-SUB 105G. It’s always a good idea to do a test like this when you’re first learning to use your dye sublimation printer or are trying out a new sublimation project or special paper.
Q: What is the best paper for sublimation?
A: While some people will use just regular laser paper, I really recommend you use special sublimation paper for the best and most vibrant results and ink transfer. I used A-SUB paper during my tests.
Q: Can I just use photo paper for sublimation?
No, it typically cannot withstand the high temperature of your heat press.
Q: How do I test my sublimation prints for vibrancy and color?
A: Use my free subliflower design to see how your colors look! It’s Design #385 in my resource library!
Q: What is the best sublimation printer?
This depends a lot of your needs, but check out my article on the best sublimation printers!
Q: How do I learn sublimation for beginners?
A: Join Sublimation Startup for a logical, step-by-step guide to getting setup for success with sublimation! You can ask questions and feel confident that you’ll get help! The Sublimation Startup mini-course is also great for those who enjoy learning from Jennifer Maker’s easy-to-understand, calm, and clear method of teaching. This is a no-fluff, no-mess, no-distraction workshop … it’s like sitting down with Jennifer in her craft room to learn directly from her! We work in logical steps to build your understanding and confidence with sublimation, and then provide support to keep helping you as you continue on your journey! Register now!
I also have a group just for sublimation crafting where you can get help and tips from other crafters who love to sublimate, too! Come join us at jennifermaker.com/sublimationgroup to ask questions, share ideas, and get inspired!!
I hope this helps you find the right sublimation paper for your next project. Watch for more sublimation tutorials and please ask any questions you have in our Facebook group or tag me on social media with #jennifermaker.
Love,
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