Tips and tricks

In this article, you’ll find tips and tricks you need to get started with sublimation.
New to the world of sublimation? Then you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we share our knowledge and experience to take your sublimation projects to the next level. From beginner to professional, you’ll find everything you need to improve your skills.
We’ll discuss the most common mistakes and how to avoid them, saving you time and materials. We’ll also give you practical tips to achieve the best results, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes we did in the beginning.

Printing on white polyester

To print on white polyester fabric, you will need to consider the following instructions.
Set the press to 190°C and press for 70 seconds.
Ensure a Teflon sheet is placed on the base plate of the heat press.
Place the fabric on top and pre-press for 3 to 5 seconds to remove moisture.
Place the transfer on the fabric and secure it with heat-resistant tape to prevent ghosting.
Place a second Teflon sheet on top.
Press for 45 seconds.
Remove the transfer immediately after pressing, ensuring it doesn’t shift while it’s still on the fabric.

Increasing the print surface

When sublimating textiles, a raised base plate can ensure that the press plate only makes contact with the part of the shirt where the print is actually intended and not around it. This also helps prevent ghosting.
The MagicTouch Application Support Kit is useful for this. This custom-cut rubber mat with heat-resistant cardboard is ideal for easily creating such a raised base plate.

The contribution of Teflon sheets

If the T-shirt doesn’t fit on the press’s base plate, for example, because it’s too small, make sure to place a Teflon sheet inside the T-shirt to prevent the sublimation pigments from penetrating the fabric during the pressing process and causing unwanted color transfer to the other side of the T-shirt.
For sublimation printing, it’s recommended to always place Teflon on top of the transfer and the product itself, and on the base plate. For larger quantities and/or colored textiles, it’s recommended to clean the Teflon sheets with alcohol between printings.

Irregular color transfer

This can cause uneven color distribution and staining on a sublimated product. Ensure the sublimation paper doesn’t absorb too much moisture.
When sublimating textiles, pre-pressing is often recommended to prevent moisture damage, but polyester generally doesn’t absorb much moisture from the air, and if moisture is a problem, it usually comes out of the sublimation paper first. If this is the case, using a blowout sheet can be helpful.

Be aware of Ghosting

If the press is very hot after several T-shirts and you place another T-shirt on it, it will immediately become quite hot, especially if you pre-press it. If you then place the transfer down, the sublimation process can already begin, and when you slide the transfer into place, it can cause color to transfer to the T-shirt in the wrong place. This is also called ghosting. Allowing the bottom plate of the transfer press to cool slightly between printings helps prevent this.

The print is too brown or too green

If the black in the design turns brown on the product after sublimation, it usually means the pressing temperature was too high or for too long. The solution is simple: shorten the pressing time and/or lower the temperature slightly.
If the black in the design turns green on the product after sublimation, it usually means the pressing temperature was too low or for too short a time. The solution is also simple: lengthen the pressing time and/or increase the temperature slightly.
Tip: The recommended temperature and time settings for all sublimation products on our website are listed on the product page.

Points of attention when sublimating sublimation mugs

The mug’s temperature can significantly influence the final result. This also depends on the mug press used. If a mug has a relatively low temperature, for example, 16-17°C, the result can be very different than with a mug with a slightly higher temperature (e.g., 20-25°C).
The HTP621 mug press automatically compensates for this thanks to the standby temperature and the pressing temperature. Because the mug first has to bridge the temperature difference between these two settings, a slightly colder mug will automatically stay in the mug press longer than a warmer one.
Most other mug presses don’t have this feature. In that case, it can be helpful to preheat the mug slightly before sublimating it.

Perform a nozzle check

If you think your sublimation printer is missing colors or producing streaks in your print, the first thing you should do is a nozzle check.
Here’s how to perform a nozzle check with the Sawgrass SG500/SG1000 printers:
How-To: Print a Nozzle Check (SG500/1000)

Perform a head cleaning

If the nozzle check reveals any nozzles are missing, you can perform a head cleaning.
Here’s how to perform a head cleaning with the Sawgrass SG500/SG1000 printers:
How-To: Perform a Head Clean (SG500/1000) – Sawgrass Care

Preventive maintenance

It’s important to leave a sublimation printer running to ensure it can perform the necessary preventative maintenance. There are also a few other things you can do yourself. More information about maintaining your Sawgrass printer can be found here:
Preventative Maintenance Steps (SG500/1000) – Sawgrass Care