Try This: Sublimate Socks

Personalizing socks has never been easier. Just a few short years ago, sublimating socks wasn’t readily available, but today (for a relatively low price) you can customize socks for children all the way up to adults. How fun to be able to offer your customers socks for a special occasion such as Mother’s or Father’s Day, a birthday gift, or Easter Sunday to match a child’s outfit.

If you wanted to get creative, you could add a bow, and if you sew, you could add some lace around the edge. So much diversity and so little cost to adding a profitable substrate to the services you offer your customers.

Materials Needed:

Image courtesy Cheryl Kuchek

• Sublime socks (most vendors carry them)
• Tape measure
• Image transfer
• Lint roller
• Repositionable spray
• Protective paper: parchment or white butcher paper
• Heat gloves (recommended)

Settings:

• 380 F
• 60 seconds
• Light to medium pressure

Steps:

1. Measure the sock, both in width and length adding at least a quarter inch for the bleed. There are two sides, so you will need to double your image. When picking out an image or pattern for socks, it is best to use a seamless pattern. Alignment is easier, and usually you can print out one image and fold it in half.
2. Lint roll socks on both sides.
3. Apply a light coat of the spray on the transfer image.
4. Line up your sock on your image before you fold it in half. Be sure to leave the cardboard insert in the sock while pressing it.
5. Press the sock (George Knight DK20S Heat Press is shown in this example) at 380 F for 60 seconds. Use protective paper on top and bottom of the image. Shown here is parchment paper and a heat glove.
6. Flip the sock and press for 50 seconds. If you allow the sock to cool down, press for 60 seconds.

• Important Tip: Do not use the same protective paper unless you move it to an area that has not already been used previously to prevent ghosting.