Method
Sublimation on hard blanks
MDF, aluminium, slate and acrylic only sublimate when they are made for it. On the Sawgrass chart the times are not interchangeable: slate stays down for seven minutes, MDF for one.
| Blank | Temperature | Time | Pressure |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDF board | 205°C (400°F) | 60 seconds | Medium |
| Metal | 205°C (400°F) | 60 seconds | Medium |
| Acrylic | 190°C (375°F) | 60 seconds | Medium |
| Slate | 205°C (400°F) | 420 seconds (7 minutes) | Medium |
Sawgrass also list glass and ceramic tiles at 205°C for 420 seconds, and neoprene with the polyester fabric row at 45 seconds. Those are on the same chart if you press them. They are not an excuse to reuse the slate time on a photo panel.
The chart text says it is only a starting place, and that you should ask the blank maker when your substrate is not listed. A dial that reads 205°C is not proof the platen is at 205°C. If every blank from one batch is pale, check the press before you blame the paper. The faded print page lists the other causes.
Fabric sublimation is hotter-and-shorter or cooler-and-longer depending on the brand. It is still a different craft from this table. Start at polyester fabric for shirts, and mugs for drinkware.
How to press it
- Confirm the blank is coated. Sawgrass list MDF, metal, slate and acrylic as sublimation blanks. Bare wood, bare aluminium and ordinary acrylic will not hold the dye, and some acrylic warps.
- Tape the paper. Hard surfaces ghost when the paper shifts as the press opens. Tape the edges. Do not cover the whole image with tape.
- Use the row for that blank. MDF and metal: 205°C for 60 seconds, medium. Acrylic: 190°C for 60 seconds, medium. Slate: 205°C for 420 seconds, medium.
- Lift the paper straight up. Sliding it off can drag a second image if dye is still moving.
- Protect the press. Use a blowout sheet or cover so ink does not stain the platen. A stained platen marks the next shirt.
Common questions
Can I press slate for the same minute as MDF?
Not from this chart. Sawgrass list MDF at 60 seconds and slate at 420 seconds, both at 205°C and medium pressure. A one-minute slate is likely to look faded.
Is aluminium the same as their metal row?
Sawgrass print the word metal, at 205°C for 60 seconds, medium. In craft use that means a coated metal panel, including the coated aluminium blanks sold for sublimation. Uncoated aluminium is not that row.
Why is acrylic cooler?
Because that is the row Sawgrass print: 190°C (375°F) for 60 seconds, medium, against 205°C for MDF and metal. Follow it rather than “correcting” it upwards.
Sources
- Sawgrass sublimation heat press settings — MDF, metal, slate and acrylic rows