Sublimation Transfers

Sublimation Transfers are the NEWEST product to CSDS Vinyl and we are so excited about it! By offering sublimation transfers to our customers, we are hoping to open a whole new world of high quality, amazing images that compliment our already vast inventory of heat transfer vinyl, adhesive vinyl, printed vinyl, blanks and so much more! We also want to educate our customers about sublimation transfers and what they can do for you! So please read the information we have gathered below and get excited to create amazing and beautiful garments for yourself, your family and friends and even your own customers!

All of our sublimation transfers are offered in the following sizes:

3.5" on the longest side - Pocket

5" on the longest side - Infant

7" on the longest side - Toddler

9" on the longest side - Youth

11" on the longest side - Adult

Sublimation is a little more complicated than simple heat transfer vinyl. But don’t let that scare you! Sublimation ink, when heated, turns into a gas that actually embeds itself into anything with a polyester coating. This creates a cleaner, more professional look while allowing for a much more detailed image than what heat transfer vinyl can offer. Shading, gradients and a rainbow of colors are huge benefits to using sublimation transfers. There is no difference in feeling between the image and the shirt. Sublimation must be used with at least 50% polyester (white or light colored garment) but will show better results the closer to 100% polyester your garment is (white or light colored garment). The higher the polyester content, the brighter and clearer your image will be. The lower the polyester content, the more vintage, faded or aged your image will be. Also, with a lower polyester content, you may see your image fade slightly with the first wash. Sublimation printing, also referred to as dye sublimation printing, is a printing method for transferring images onto a substrate (usually a cloth material such as polyester). Sublimation refers to a process where a substance moves from a solid to a gas state without ever being in a liquid state. Sublimation printing normally involves the use of a digital printer to produce mirrored images on paper that has been specially coated with a transfer material.

Heating Process

The transfer paper typically is placed into a heat press with the substrate and exposed to temperatures from 350° to 400° degrees Fahrenheit. This allows the ink and transfer material to move into the gas state. Once the ink and transfer material are in a gas state, they permeate the fibers of the substrate material.

Ink Transfer and Bonding

When the heat is removed from the transfer paper and substrate, the ink that has permeated the substrate fibers solidifies and is locked permanently into place by the transfer material. Assuming the procedure has been performed correctly, the image should never be subject to deterioration beyond that of the substrate itself.
*The above information was sourced from https://bizfluent.com.

Application Instructions:

Set temperature on heat press to 400° degrees Fahrenheit.
Set timer to 60 seconds.
Set Pressure at medium.
Place paper face down on garment. The garment needs to be at least 50% polyester and white or light color fabric.
Press at 400° degrees F for 60 seconds with medium pressure.
Remove paper immediately and peel hot. Allow garment to cool.

Tips & Suggestions

Calibrating the heat press is recommended to ensure an accurate temperature. For this procedure, temperature test strips are more accurate than the use of infrared temperature guns.
If desired, you may trim the non-printed media around the printed image before transferring to garments. Leaving a ¼" margin around the printed area is highly recommended for light-colored garments.
If possible, avoid pressing any zippers, buttons or other plastic decorations attached to the garment. The heat and pressure needed to bond the ink to the cotton fabric may cause these to crack or melt.
If immediately after pressing, the paper is not easily peeled from the garment and resists removal because the transfer is somewhat tacky, increase the amount of cure time.
If immediately after pressing, the transferred image has a slick or shiny appearance, increase the amount of pressure used.
Different cotton fabrics will exhibit slightly different results. Please test your fabric before pressing your final design to ensure desired results.