5 Sublimation Printing Projects with AM.CO.ZA Inks, Papers and Heatware Heat Presses

This page started as a short 2024 sublimationinks.co.za post listing five things you can make with sublimation ink. It now works as a project guide: for each of the five projects it says what to make, which AM.CO.ZA ink, paper and Heatware press to use, the settings AM.CO.ZA uses in its own videos, and the mistakes to avoid. The original post is kept at the bottom.

Product facts come from the AM.CO.ZA product data behind buythis.co.za (product JSON on am.im, dump dated 2026-10-19) and AM.CO.ZA's own YouTube videos. Prices change, so check the current price on each linked buythis page. Stock is not shown here.

Quick answer

How sublimation works: you print a mirror image of the design onto sublimation paper with sublimation ink, then a heat press turns the ink into a gas that bonds into polyester fibres or into the polymer coating of a sublimation blank. The image becomes part of the surface, so it does not peel or crack.
What it works on: white or light polyester fabric and sublimation-coated blanks (mugs, tiles, mouse pads, aluminium panels, plates and similar). Plain cotton, uncoated ceramic and uncoated metal do not hold sublimation ink.
Small start: an office inkjet printer with a bulk ink tank (AM.CO.ZA suggests a dye-capable Epson EcoTank), 100 ml sublimation inks such as H-SUBLINOVA/100MC, H-PAPER/A4 or H-PAPER/A3 paper, and a press such as the H-PRESS/MT5 multifunction press or a H-PRESS/MUG mug press.
Big runs: a roll-to-roll printer such as F2-1801/SUB, 1 kg inks such as H2-INK/COMBO/CMYK, H-PAPER/ROLL/1600 paper and a roller press such as H-ROLLER/1600/E6.
Typical setting: about 200 °C in most of AM.CO.ZA's hard-surface demos; the time changes by item, so test first.

The five projects at a glance

Project	What you make	Blank or material	Main press	Paper
1. Customised apparel	T-shirts, team jerseys, promotional clothing	White or light polyester garments and fabric	H-PRESS/3838, H-PRESS/4060 or H-ROLLER/1600/E6 for rolls	H-PAPER/A3, H-PAPER/ROLL/1600
2. Home décor	Pillowcases, cushions, throw blankets, curtains, tablecloths	Polyester fabric, sewn after printing	H-PRESS/4060, H-PRESS/4060D or a roller press	H-PAPER/ROLL/1600 or A3 sheets
3. Mugs and drinkware	Photo mugs, branded mugs, skinny tumblers	Sublimation-coated mugs and tumblers	H-PRESS/MUG, H-HOBBY/MUG/AUTO, H-PRESS/MUG5, H-PRESS/TUMBLER	H-PAPER/A4
4. Mouse pads and desk accessories	Mouse pads, desk mats	Sublimation mouse pad material	H-PRESS/3838, a roller press for desk mats	H-PAPER/A4, H-PAPER/A3 or roll
5. Photo tiles and panels	Wall tiles, coasters, aluminium photo panels	Sublimation-coated tiles and panels	H-PRESS/3838, H-PRESS/MT8	H-PAPER/A4, H-PAPER/A3

What you need for any project

Printer and ink

Office printer route. AM.CO.ZA's EcoTank video says most jobs only need a normal office inkjet printer with a bulk ink system that can print dye ink at a minimum of 600 dots per inch, and it suggests Epson. Fill it with 100 ml SubliNova Smart DT104 dye sublimation inks: H-SUBLINOVA/100MC and the matching magenta, yellow and black bottles. The H2-INK/COMBO product data also recommends a new compatible Epson EcoTank printer.
Large format route. For fabric rolls, desk mats and high volume, the FastCOLOUR ONE F2-1801/SUB is an 1,800 mm roll-to-roll sublimation printer with a sealed Epson XP600 printhead, PrintExp control and in-house InkRIP software, and it ships with 4 litres of CMYK sublimation ink and cleaner.
Bulk ink. H2-INK/COMBO/CMYK is four 1 kg bottles of Premium CMYK dye sublimation ink. H2-INK/COMBO adds a 1 litre water-based ink cleaner, and F-AQUA/CLEAN is a 1 litre cleaning solution for sublimation, DTF and DTG printers.

Paper

H-PAPER/A4 and H-PAPER/A3: Heatware 100 gsm white sublimation paper, 100 sheets per bag, for hard surfaces (coated mugs, tiles, promotional items) and light-coloured polyester fabric. Print the design as a mirror image.
H-PAPER/ROLL/1600: 1,600 mm by 100 m, 120 gsm sublimation paper roll for wide-format printing onto polyester.
H-PAPER/A3L: a different product, A3 transfer paper for normal inkjet or laser printers that suits fabric with up to 95% cotton. Use this when the customer insists on a cotton garment, not sublimation ink paper.

Pressing accessories

H-FABRIC/4060: 400 by 600 mm non-stick PTFE (Teflon) coated fibreglass sheet that stops ink and transfer residue sticking to the platen.
H-MAT/3838: 380 by 380 mm high-temperature silicone foam rubber mat for replacing a worn press mat.
Heat-resistant thermal tape to hold the paper in place. AM.CO.ZA's mug and mouse pad videos tape every print down so it cannot shift.

Project 1: Customised apparel

What sells: personalised T-shirts, hoodies with a polyester face, team jerseys and promotional clothing. Sublimation gives full colour that does not crack, but only on white or light polyester.

Kit: for single shirts, a flat press such as the 380 by 380 mm swing-away H-PRESS/3838 (1,400 W), the 400 by 600 mm heavy-duty swing-away H-PRESS/4060 (1,800 W), or the compact 290 by 380 mm H-PRESS/2938 Hobby press (930 W, up to 205 °C, 1 to 999 second timer, 220 V). For a busy shop, the twin-station air-lifting H-PRESS/4060D (3,000 W) lets you prepare one shirt while the other presses, with crosshair lasers to line up the artwork. For edge-to-edge garments made from fabric rolls, use a roller press such as H-ROLLER/1600/E6 (1,620 mm working width).

How to:

Design and mirror the artwork. AM.CO.ZA's mouse pad video recommends designing in RGB rather than CMYK for the most vibrant sublimation colour, unless you must match Pantone colours.
Print onto H-PAPER/A3 (sheets) or H-PAPER/ROLL/1600 (roll).
Place a Teflon sheet below and above, tape the print down and press. AM.CO.ZA's paper guideline video covers temperature and press time for each paper type.
Remove the paper and let the garment cool flat.

Project 2: Home décor items

What sells: full-print pillowcases and cushions, photo throw blankets, curtains, bed linen and tablecloths.

Kit: a large flat press such as H-PRESS/4060 or H-PRESS/4060D for cut panels, or a roller press with H-PAPER/ROLL/1600 for long lengths like curtains and tablecloths, plus a sewing partner.

How to: AM.CO.ZA's MakersLAB.TV pillowcase and throw blanket episodes print a colourful design onto sublimation paper at a 70% black output ("no need to do 100"), press it onto soft brushed spandex, then hand the panels to a local seamstress. The blanket got a fleece backing and a corded edge so it would not fray. Print, press, then sew: the panels must be printed before they are made up.

Project 3: Sublimation mugs and drinkware

What sells: photo mugs, corporate and event mugs, and skinny tumblers. Mugs must be sublimation-coated.

Kit by volume:

H-HOBBY/MUG: Hobby 320 W portable mug press for standard 320 ml mugs, up to 210 °C, 220 V.
H-HOBBY/MUG/AUTO: Hobby 280 W automatic mug press for 320 ml mugs with one-button pressing, up to 200 °C.
H-PRESS/MUG: single sublimation mug press with a free 320 ml cylinder attachment and adjustable temperature and pressure.
H-PRESS/MUG5: five-station mug press that presses up to five mugs at a time.
H-PRESS/TUMBLER (27 cm skinny tumbler press, F270, can also take two standard 320 ml mugs) and H-HOBBY/TUMBLER (Hobby 620 W tumbler press for straight tumblers up to 85 mm across with a 270 mm holder, up to 210 °C).
Attachments for the cup and mug lock stand H-PRESS/CUP: H-PRESS/MUG320 (320 ml, about 82 mm across, 95 mm high) and H-PRESS/MUG240 (240 ml, about 71 mm across, 95 mm high).

How to:

Print on H-PAPER/A4, trim the print and wrap it round the mug, centred top to bottom and left to right.
Hold it with heat-resistant thermal tape so it cannot slip.
Insert the mug with the handle facing up. Set the clamp so the mug cannot move but the lever is not hard to close.
Press. In AM.CO.ZA's standalone mug press review the setting is 392 °F (200 °C), held steady rather than fluctuating, with a 200 second timer that starts once the temperature is stable. The automatic Hobby press heats to 200 °C, waits for a green light, clamps by itself and opens when done.
Let the mug cool before removing the paper: the automatic press video warns it will burn you.

Project 4: Mouse pads and desk accessories

What sells: branded mouse pads for businesses and full-desk mats in custom shapes.

Kit: H-PRESS/3838 for single mouse pads, a roller press for desk mats, and optionally a CO2 laser cutter to cut custom shapes and an overlock sewing machine to lock the edges.

How to (from AM.CO.ZA's mouse pad videos):

Design with a rounded-rectangle border for a laser cut line, and use a black or dark background to hide imperfections in the pad material.
Run a test print first to check pressure, or you waste material.
Turn the mouse pad upside down onto the print to line it up, then tape it.
Use Teflon above and below, and wipe the Teflon with a slightly moist cloth between prints so old ink does not transfer.
Press at 200 °C for 90 seconds with light to medium pressure. Too hard gives blurred edges and burns; too light leaves patches with no ink.
Lay the finished pad on a flat surface to cool. Cut small pads to shape before pressing; big desk mats are pressed from the roll and laser-cut afterwards.

Project 5: Photo tiles and panels

What sells: photo wall tiles, coasters, key holders with tile centre pieces, and full-colour aluminium photo panels.

Kit: a flat press such as H-PRESS/3838 or a multifunction press such as H-PRESS/MT8 (1,400 W, 290 by 380 mm flat press plus seven 3D shape attachments for mugs, cups, plates and caps). For round plates, H-PRESS/DISK15 is a 150 mm+ round disk heating pad for plates of 250 mm and larger. Use sublimation-coated tiles and panels only.

How to: AM.CO.ZA's aluminium panel video sizes the artwork to the board in Photoshop, prints it on 130 gsm sublimation paper, trims it so there is little overlap, tapes it in place and presses at 200 °C for 90 seconds, warning not to go over 90 seconds.

Settings AM.CO.ZA uses in its videos

Item	Temperature	Time	Pressure	Source
Mugs (standalone mug press)	About 200 °C (392 °F)	200 seconds, counted once the temperature is stable	Firm enough that the mug cannot move, but not so tight the handle is hard to close	video
Mugs (Hobby automatic mug press)	Heats to its 200 °C maximum; press when the light turns green	Automatic countdown, then it opens by itself	Automatic clamp	video
Mouse pads	200 °C	90 seconds	Light to medium; too hard blurs and burns the edges, too light leaves patches with no ink	video
Coated aluminium panels	200 °C	90 seconds, and no longer	Even, flat pressure	video
Polyester fabric on a roller press	195 to 240 °C depending on the fabric	Set by drum speed; test first	Even pressure across the width	video

These are starting points from AM.CO.ZA demos, not fixed rules. Blanks, papers and presses differ, so always do a test piece first.

Common mistakes

Mistake	What happens	Fix
Forgetting to mirror	Text prints backwards	Mirror the print in the printer or RIP settings
Using cotton or uncoated items	Colour is dull or washes out	Use polyester fabric and sublimation-coated blanks
No tape	Print shifts and ghosts	Tape the paper down with thermal tape
Dirty Teflon	Old ink stains the next item	Wipe Teflon with a slightly moist cloth between prints
Too much pressure on a mouse pad	Blurred edges and burns	Light to medium pressure
Removing the mug paper straight away	Burns	Let the mug cool first
Going over 90 seconds on aluminium	AM.CO.ZA's aluminium video warns against it	Stick to 200 °C for 90 seconds

Choosing a starter kit

Gift and mug business at home: an Epson EcoTank-type office printer, SubliNova 100 ml inks, H-PAPER/A4, and H-HOBBY/MUG/AUTO or H-PRESS/MUG.
All-round personalisation shop: a multifunction press such as H-PRESS/MT5 (290 by 380 mm flat press, mug press, two plate presses and a cap press), H-PRESS/MT6E (380 by 380 mm flat press, two mug presses, two plate presses and a cap press) or H-PRESS/MT10 (adds shoe and pen presses), with H-PAPER/A3.
Apparel and décor production: F2-1801/SUB, H2-INK/COMBO/CMYK, H-PAPER/ROLL/1600, H-ROLLER/1600/E6, plus H-PRESS/4060D for cut panels and H-PRESS/MUG5 for mug orders.

Videos

FAQ

Do I need a special printer to start? Not for small items. AM.CO.ZA says a normal office inkjet with a bulk ink system that prints dye ink at 600 dpi or more is enough, and suggests Epson.

Can I sublimate on a cotton T-shirt? Not with sublimation ink. Use polyester. For cotton, AM.CO.ZA sells separate transfer paper such as H-PAPER/A3L for normal inkjet or laser printers.

Can I sublimate on any mug or tile? No. The mug, tile or panel needs a sublimation (polymer) coating for the ink to bond.

Which press is the most flexible? A multifunction Heatware press such as H-PRESS/MT8 or H-PRESS/MT10, which combines a flat press with mug, cup, plate and cap attachments.

What temperature should I use? About 200 °C covers most of AM.CO.ZA's hard-surface demos: mugs, mouse pads and aluminium panels. The time varies, from 90 seconds for mouse pads and aluminium to 200 seconds in the standalone mug press review. Test on a spare blank first.

Why do my colours look dull? Check the item is polyester or coated, the paper is sublimation paper, the press reached temperature, and the pressure is even. Designing in RGB also gives brighter colour than CMYK, according to AM.CO.ZA's mouse pad video.

Original post (sublimationinks.co.za, 2024)

Source: https://sublimationinks.co.za/5-sublimation-printing-projects

published: 2024-01-16 14:54:34
modified: 2024-01-16 14:57:59

AM.CO.ZA offers a range of Sublimation printing Inks and products that are ideal for creating vibrant and long-lasting prints on various surfaces. Here are five projects you can consider using their sublimation printing materials:

Customized Apparel: Printing personalized designs on T-shirts, hoodies, and other garments using AM.CO.ZA's sublimation inks. Create unique fashion statements, team jerseys, or promotional clothing items. The vibrant colours and durability of sublimation prints make them a popular choice for customized apparel.
Home Décor Items: Transform plain home décor items into personalized masterpieces. Print vibrant and intricate designs on items like throw pillows, bed linens, curtains, and tablecloths using sublimation inks. This allows you to add a personal touch to your living space or create customized gifts for friends and family.
Sublimation Mugs and Drinkware: Use sublimation printing to decorate mugs, water bottles, and other drinkware. This is a popular application for creating personalized gifts, promotional items, or branded merchandise. The sublimation process ensures that the prints are vibrant and resistant to fading, even with regular use.
Customized Mouse Pads and Desk Accessories: Print unique designs on mouse pads, desk organizers, and other office accessories. This is a great way to add a personal touch to workspaces or to create branded promotional items for businesses. Sublimation printing allows for detailed and full-colour designs that stand out.
Photo Tiles and Panels: Turn photographs into decorative pieces by printing them onto ceramic tiles or other sublimation-friendly panels. These custom photo tiles can be used for wall art, coasters, or as part of a larger mosaic. The sublimation process ensures that the images are infused into the material, resulting in a long-lasting and vibrant finish.

Remember to check and follow the specific guidelines provided by AM.CO.ZA for their sublimation inks and products. Proper preparation of substrates and accurate temperature and pressure control during the sublimation process are crucial for achieving high-quality and durable prints