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One-on-one sessions provide a low-stress environment that will free you from the fear of failure. It will also allow you to focus and be free from distractions. This session allows you to practice a technique or troubleshoot a project you are working on. Bring your materials or we can do it virtually!

One-on-one sessions provide a low-stress environment that will free you from the fear of failure. It will also allow you to focus and be free from distractions. You can learn a technique to decide if you want to pursue it further or to work on your technique. With this session, I will provide the materials and equipment. The price will depend on the material needed.

ESSENTIAL: Sublimation Printer with Sublimation Ink Sublimation Transfer Paper Sublimation Blank (Substrate) Design Software Heat Press, 3D Vacuum Press, and/or Convection Oven Parchment or Butcher Paper OPTIONAL: Heat Tape or Sublimation Adhesive Spray Heat Resistant Gloves Shrink Wrap/Sleeve/Film or Silicone Wrap Clear Ruler Heat Conductive Green Rubber Pad and/or Heat Insulating White Nomex Pad Pressing Pillows and Pads Lint Roller Isopropyl Alcohol Masking Tape

Print your design onto the sublimation paper, using sublimation ink. The image needs to be mirrored/flipped. You can either flip it in your design program or some printers allow for that option to be checked before you print. Prep your substrate with a lint roller or wipe with alcohol. Ensure there are no plastic coatings that need to be removed. Check the instructions that accompany your substrate to determine if a pre-press is needed. Adhere the transfer to the substrate using adhesive spray or tape. Sublimate the transfer using a heat press, convection oven, or 3D vacuum press. Use parchment or butcher on top of the transfer and below the substrate. A pressing pillow or pad may be used if necessary. Remove the sublimation paper. Depending on the substrate, there may be extra steps to follow to ensure your transfer is successfully sublimated.

Sublimation blanks are the items that an image is transferred to like T-shirts, mousepads, flags, tote bags, mugs, caps, etc. These items are either made of polyester fabric or have a special polymer coating that allows for the uptake of the sublimation ink. There are many places that you can buy sublimation blanks and other sublimation supplies like paper and ink, but purchase products with caution, especially when using large e-commerce sites like Amazon, Etsy, or eBay. Although some may claim they are for sublimation, they may not have a good quality coating or are not made for sublimation at all. Please check reviews and ask as many questions as you can from the seller. A large number of distributors and wholesalers allow you to purchase blanks in bulk and carry a large variety of items specifically for sublimation. You may pay a little more per item if a business (resale) license is not required to purchase them. Some of the more popular ones are: Coastal Business Supplies - https://www.coastalbusiness.com/ Heat Transfer Warehouse - https://www.heattransferwarehouse.com/ Best Blanks - https://www.bestblanks.com/ Heat Press Nation - https://www.heatpressnation.com/ Pro World - https://www.proworldinc.com/ A few of the larger wholesalers or distributors that require a business (resale) license, carry quality products, and are located in the United States are: Conde’ - https://dyetrans.com/ Johnson Plastics Plus - https://www.jpplus.com/ JDS Industries - https://www.jdsindustries.com/ If you want to bypass the distributors and purchase directly from the manufacturers overseas, you can purchase from Alibaba. You must vet these suppliers and their products and pay particular attention to Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) and shipping costs. You may also find sublimatable items in local stores like Walmart, Dollar Tree, Five Below, etc. Youtube or a simple search in your browser will reveal some items that others have tested with sublimation. There are also a number of sublimation groups on Facebook where users will share their discoveries of sublimatable items they have tested. Please be careful with testing random items as they can damage your equipment if they burn or melt.