Sometimes I’ve found that a black image, when printed using the sublimation technique, appears brown and with various different shades. Why does this happen?

First, it’s worth remembering that sublimation printing tends to change the colours slightly, giving an almost magenta tone, so if the file isn’t completely black it’s possible that this difference will be even more noticeable.
However, the shading that you’ve witnessed is due to the fact that the press wasn’t pressing on the entire design: to get an even print when sublimation printing on mugs, it’s important to make sure that the press is applying pressure uniformly across the entire design.

In short, to transfer images onto ceramic mugs using the sublimation technique, the following steps should be taken:
Set the press to 195/200°C for approximately 160/180 seconds.
To transfer the image onto the mug, we suggest using tape that’s resistant to high temperatures and placing it a few millimetres away (on either side) from where the image is due to go, this will help facilitate the pressing operation.

Apply medium/strong pressure.
Then peel the paper off, this can be done when it’s either hot or cold.

Firstly, it’s worth bearing in mind that sublimation prints which have just come out of the printer always look different to how they appear on the monitor. This is because, regardless of the usual differences you get between what’s displayed on screen and what’s printed on paper, freshly printed sublimation colours always tend to change colour slightly, giving an almost magenta tone, depending on the shade.

It’s always better to work in CMYK and then carry out some print tests before proceeding to the final print run.

The main difference between CMYK and RGB lies in the number of colours and the intensity of each colour tone. RGB colours are more vibrant, and the colour range is much wider.

CMYK colours, on the other hand, are more subtle and the colour range is narrower. This is the method that’s commonly used in colour printing.

Sublimation is used on water bottles, cylindrical mugs (the classic mugs), key rings, polyester t-shirts and only on white objects with a polyester-treated surface.
Only then is sublimation transfer possible.

Laser transfer paper for rigid surfaces is ideal for customising aluminium, metals in general, ceramics, plexiglass, rigid plastics and glass. Excellent for plaques and metal objects for sports awards, small signs and souvenirs.

The transfer of these papers takes place ‘hot’, and a manual or pneumatic heat press and silicone mat are required.
Naturally, the substrate onto which the laser print is transferred must be flat.