Sublimation happens when sublimation inks are exposed to the right combination of time, temperature, and pressure, causing them to transform from a solid to a gas. At this point, the polymers on a polyester-coated surface, to which the ink transfer is affixed, open up and absorb the ink, turning it back into a solid. During sublimation, the ink transitions directly from a solid to a gas and then back to a solid, bypassing the liquid state entirely.

Sublimation printing is perfect for producing vibrant, durable decorations. In this process, a design or photo is embedded into the polymer surface coating of an item, ensuring it won't fade despite repeated scratching or washing. With numerous sublimation blanks available for home, personal, and drinkware items, sublimation enables creators to customise almost anything.

Generally, sublimation printing cannot produce white because there is no white sublimation ink. In a sublimation design, white areas are simply the absence of ink on the sheet. The white seen in a sublimated item comes from the blank item's background colour. Therefore, it is recommended to use white or light-colored items for sublimation. Since sublimation ink is transparent and can't print white, the item's colour significantly impacts the final design, as the design will incorporate the item's background colour.

To get started with sublimation, first think about what you want to create. This will help you choose the right printer and manufacturer. For desktop sublimation printers, we recommend Sawgrass, which offers the SG500 (A4 paper) which can use a bypass tray for larger projects.

Sawgrass, a pioneer in desktop sublimation for over 35 years, produces printers specifically for sublimation, along with US-made inks, colour correction technology, automatic maintenance, lifetime tech support, and a 2-year warranty.

Next, find a reliable heat press machine that is suitable for the items you would like whether that is a flat heat press for coasters, t-shirts, keyrings, phone cases and more or mug and tumbler presses for drinkware. Finally seek out a reliable blanks distributor, as the quality of your blanks will impact your business. Look for well-made, polyester-coated items that are trend-responsive and cost-effective.

At Craft Express, we offer high-quality blanks made from ceramic, stainless steel, polyester, glitter, and sequins. Our double-walled stainless steel drinkware, certified for 8+ hours of temperature control, rivals top brands. We focus on trends and affordability to help you maintain competitive profit margins.

When sublimating, whether to mirror the design depends on the item you're pressing. For most items, such as ceramic, stainless steel, fabric, and enamel, you should mirror the transfer. However, if you're pressing glass from the backside with the image showing through to the front, like with glass ornaments and glass frames and cutting boards, you should not mirror the design. For glass drinkware, you should mirror the design because the image is applied directly on top of the item.

To start with, this question can only be answered by you! Think about what items you would like to print and also other factors such as budget, how much space you have in your workshop and whether you want to start small and cautious with dedicated presses or go all in and get one of our multi-function presses that have multiple heating elements that you can swap over to print on different items. We're of course always on hand to advise you so feel free to contact the team and we'll be happy to help!

Every person and every business is different and therefore have different requirements. Small hobbyists and crafters will prefer ease of use, small footprints and may be budget-conscious. Larger printers may value productivity more and have more space for larger machines. That's why we have a number of different versions of flat heat presses, mug and tumbler presses and ovens. If you need any help deciding what is best for you then please drop us a line!

All of our Craft Express heat presses come with 12 month warranty. Please note that the heating elements are not covered under this and have a standard 30-day warranty on them. If you have any issues with your press please contact us first and we can then advise on the best way to fix the situation. This may include sending you components that you can easily swap over (such as logic boards inside the display unit). If a fix is not possible then we will either replace or refund on the unit for you.

Not all mugs are made equally so always double-check with the retailer or manufacture to ensure your mugs are certified for both. Our mugs are 100% microwave and dishwasher safe and our 11oz white mugs are certified upto 3,500 dishwasher cycles so you won't be disappointed!

We always hope you'll love your products but if you have a change of mind then all items must be returned within 30 days after receiving your order. You must notify us by email first so that the return can be authorised. Items must be returned in the same condition in which they were received, be unworn/unused, have any tags still attached, and include all the original packaging.

Items must sent back to us via recorded post to ensure items are received back to us safely.

If items are not in a resellable condition then a refund will not be possible.

Refunds are processed to the original payment method within 2-3 days from when we receive the item(s). It can take up to 2 working days for amounts to appear on your balance so please allow this time to pass before contacting us.