Popular Sublimation Blanks That Cause the Most Difficulty for Beginners

Socks and mugs can pose some difficulty for those who aren’t experienced in the process.

With socks, you will often get a darker print along the side of the sock, and a busy pattern helps hide this feature. Try using a spray adhesive or a dye-sublimation paper that has an adhesiveness on it.

When pressing the socks, decorators can use a sandwich technique. Make sure that you print both the front and the backside of the sock at once. Then, fold the paper in half, and insert the sock. Next, put the sock into the heat press. Press the top side first and then the bottom. When finished, remove the transfer, and your sock is done.

Mugs are another popular item in sublimation that can give beginners some trouble. For this drinkware item, producers have a couple of options. You’ll need to decide if you’re using a mug press or a mug wrap.

Regardless of design size, the transfer paper should completely cover the mug from top to bottom and all the way around to the handle. With the mug press, you want to test out how long you will be pressing your mugs. The time is usually between 10-15 minutes per mug.

If you go with a mug wrap, you’ll want to decide which conveyor or convection oven to use. It will dictate how long the mug needs to be inside the heat source. Whichever heat source the shop chooses, it needs to maintain a consistent temperature of 400 F.