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Sublimation explained: polyester, mugs and the right printer

Sublimation6 min readUpdated: 10/2026

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In sublimation, the ink is not printed onto the material but brought into it. A sublimation printer prints the design onto special paper. In the heat press, the ink turns into a gas and bonds with polyester fibres or a polymer coating. The result cannot be felt and does not wash out.

What sublimation can and cannot do

Works:

  • Textiles made of polyester. For its Infusible Ink, that is, ready-made sublimation sheets, Cricut specifies at least 75 % polyester for good results.
  • Polymer-coated blanks: mugs, coasters, mouse mats, aluminium sheets, tiles, MDF boards, key rings, phone cases

Does not work:

  • 100 % cotton: The ink does not hold there and washes out.
  • Dark fabrics: Sublimation ink is translucent and disappears on a dark background. For dark textiles, Cricut recommends flex film, and an alternative is DTF.
  • Uncoated mugs, wood or metal: Without a polymer layer, the material does not absorb the ink.

There is a workaround for cotton: printable flex films such as Siser EasySubli are printed with sublimation ink, cut with a plotter and pressed on. This feels somewhat stiffer, though, and additionally needs a cutting plotter.

How it works

  1. Mirror the design and print it onto sublimation paper, on the side without the screen print. The Sawgrass software mirrors automatically.
  2. Let the ink dry.
  3. Position: Image side down on the blank, fix with heat-resistant tape, protective paper on top.
  4. Press with the values for the material.

Starting values from Sawgrass at medium pressure:

MaterialTemperatureTime
Polyester fabric205 °C45 s
Ceramic mug180 to 205 °C150 to 300 s
Metal205 °C60 s
Acrylic190 °C60 s
MDF205 °C60 s
Glass, tile, slate205 °C420 s

Sawgrass stresses that these are only starting points. The blank, press and paper also play a part. Values for further blanks such as tumblers, mouse mats and puzzles are in Sublimation: temperature and time for each blank, and more on the presses in Using a heat press properly.

Which printer?

For sublimation you need a printer with sublimation ink and matching paper. Normal inkjet or laser printers do not work with sublimation paper.

  • Sublimation-ready from the factory: for example the Epson SureColor SC-F100 (A4, ink tank with 140 ml bottles), the Sawgrass SG500 (A4) and SG1000 (A3) with their own colour management, or the Brother SP1. These printers are mostly only available through specialist retailers, which is why the manufacturers do not state a shop price. All the data is in the device overview.
  • Converted inkjet printer: Many people fill an Epson EcoTank with sublimation ink. This is cheaper but has catches: Epson writes that damage caused by third-party ink is not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. On top of that come your own colour profiles and the risk of clogged nozzles.

Conversion and ready-made machines with prices are compared in Sublimation printers: converting an EcoTank or buying a ready-made sublimation printer?.

Durability and care

Because the ink sits in the fibre, a sublimation design does not crack, flake or wash off. For Infusible Ink textiles, Cricut recommends: wash inside out and cold, mild detergent, no fabric softener and no bleach, iron only at a low temperature so that the ink does not become active again. Cricut describes Infusible Ink mugs as dishwasher-safe.

Safety

Fumes are produced during pressing. For the Mug Press, Cricut writes: use only by adults and in a well-ventilated room.

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