What are some high-quality keepsakes to sublimate for the memorial market?

When it comes to sublimatable products in the memorial industry, there are a few out-of-the-box items that allow you to make high-quality keepsakes that families will cherish and use to remember their loved ones for years to come. These include boxes, ceramic tiles, sublimatable jewelry, glass ornaments, and many other substrates that can serve as a reminder of a lost loved one in a classy and respectful way.

Many customers like personalized items for the funeral, graveside, and to keep after the burial. Funeral shirts are a tradition in some communities where it is customary to get T-shirts made with the deceased loved one’s photograph and name in which everyone wears to the funeral.

Some customers like to have an item to leave at the graveside. Ceramic tiles are perfect for this purpose. These tiles look great, however, lawnmowers tend to wreak havoc by throwing rocks and breaking them, so you may want to offer your customers a deal on multiple tiles and warn them of the risk.

Glass plaques are a popular item that some like to put up on their mantel in remembrance. These are special because a photograph can be sublimated onto the plaque in addition to names, dates, quotes, or whatever they may wish.

Another unique thing that has been growing in popularity is sublimating fabric and sewing it into caskets. For example, if a loved one was a passionate Alabama football fan, you could make it football-themed. Some universities like the University of Alabama offer a crafting license so that it is affordable for small business owners to use their logo. If they enjoyed gardening or flowers, a pretty floral design would be a special addition.

Sublimatable jewelry with an insert allows you to put a photograph, words, or a design onto a piece so your customers can keep their loved ones close to them even after they are gone.

-David Gross, Condé