🎨🔥 What Is Sublimation? The Complete 2,200-Word Guide to Sublimation Printing & Why It’s Changing the World of Personalised Gifts
If you’ve ever wondered how companies create vibrant, permanent, full-colour prints on mugs, cushions, apparel, photo slates, and more — the answer is often sublimation printing. It’s one of the most popular methods in the personalised gift industry, and for good reason.
In fact, at Spotted Lizard Prints, sublimation is a cornerstone of how we create so many of our high-quality personalised products. From baby gifts to home décor and custom keepsakes, sublimation delivers stunning colours, exceptional durability, and a flawless finish every time.
But what exactly is sublimation printing?
How does it work?
Where did it come from?
And why is it the preferred method for so many personalised gift businesses worldwide?
This comprehensive guide breaks down everything you need to know — from the science behind sublimation to why it’s a revolutionary method and how Spotted Lizard Prints uses it to produce beautiful, long-lasting gifts for customers around the globe.
🌟 What Is Sublimation?
Let’s start with the basics.
Sublimation is a printing method that turns special dyes into gas using heat and pressure — without ever becoming liquid — so the ink permanently bonds with polyester fibres or polymer-coated surfaces.
In everyday terms:
✅ A design is printed onto sublimation paper
✅ Heat + pressure turns the ink into gas
✅ The gas penetrates the material
✅ The ink becomes one with the product
This is why sublimation prints are:
• permanent
• vibrant
• waterproof
• fade-resistant
• peel-proof
Unlike vinyl or screen printing, sublimation does not sit on top of the fabric — it becomes part of the material itself.
That means:
- no cracking
- no peeling
- no heavy texture
- no fading after washing
Just flawless colour every time.
🔥 How Sublimation Printing Works — Step by Step
To understand sublimation fully, it helps to walk through the complete process:
1️⃣ Step One: Print the Design on Special Sublimation Paper
A sublimation printer uses special sublimation inks that only activate under heat.
The design is printed in reverse (mirrored) so it transfers correctly onto the product.
2️⃣ Step Two: Apply the Print to the Product
The printed paper is placed face-down on the chosen item such as:
✅ a polyester t-shirt
✅ a ceramic mug (polymer-coated)
✅ an aluminium photo panel
✅ a fabric cushion cover
✅ a coaster
…and many more.
3️⃣ Step Three: Heat Press the Item
A heat press applies:
🔥 high heat (usually 180–200°C)
💪 firm pressure
⏱️ for 45–90 seconds
This causes the powdered sublimation dye to turn into gas.
4️⃣ Step Four: Ink Turns to Gas & Fuses with the Material
This is where the magic happens.
Heat opens up the pores of the polyester or polymer coating.
The dye gas flows into the open pores and bonds with the molecules.
5️⃣ Step Five: Cooling Locks in the Colour
As the item cools:
✅ the pores close
✅ the dye becomes solid again
✅ the colour is now inside the material
The result?
✨ Permanent
✨ Vibrant
✨ Photographic-quality colour
Just like a tattoo — but for fabric, mugs, slates, cushions, plaques, and more. We have a Youtube channel showing our work being printed.
🧪 The Science Behind Sublimation: Solid → Gas Without Liquid
Sublimation is a special chemical process where a solid transforms directly into a gas without becoming liquid first. When using sublimation, you must use in a well ventilated area and review any COSHH recommendations.
This is also how dry ice evaporates.
Sublimation dye behaves the same way.
When heated, it bypasses the liquid stage entirely.
This makes it ideal for heat-based printing because:
✅ no dye spills
✅ no smudging
✅ no mess
✅ perfect precision
Every line, shade, and detail transfers flawlessly.
🎨 Why Sublimation Is a Game-Changer for Clothing and Gifts
Sublimation has become the most popular digital printing method in the personalised gift industry for several huge reasons:
✅ 1. Full Colour, Photographic Printing
Unlike vinyl, screen printing, or DTG, sublimation allows:
- unlimited colours
- gradients
- photographs
- complex artwork
- detailed designs
Perfect for personalised gifts with:
📸 baby photos
❤️ pet portraits
🎅 Christmas designs
💖 sentimental keepsakes
✅ 2. No Cracking, Peeling, or Fading
Sublimation bonds with the material — it never sits on top.
This means:
✔ washable
✔ long-lasting
✔ stays vibrant for years
✔ no texture
✔ always smooth
✅ 3. Seam-to-Seam Full Coverage — “All Over Printing”
Sublimation allows entire garments to be printed from:
✅ seam-to-seam
✅ edge-to-edge
✅ full-coverage designs
This is impossible with many other printing methods.
✅ 4. Perfect for Small Businesses & Personalised Gifts
Sublimation is loved by small businesses because it allows:
✅ print-on-demand
✅ one-off personalised items
✅ low-cost production
✅ fast turnaround
At Spotted Lizard Prints, sublimation is at the heart of creating:
🎁 personalised mugs
🎁 cushions
🎁 teacher gifts
🎁 baby gifts
🎁 Tooth Fairy gifts
🎁 Christmas decorations
🎁 memorial items
🎁 photo slates
…and so much more.
🕰️ A Timeline of the Invention of Sublimation Printing
Sublimation printing may seem modern, but its roots go back decades.
Here’s a brief look at how it evolved:
📌 1950s–1960s — Discovery of Sublimation Dyes
Chemists discovered disperse dyes capable of sublimating at high temperatures.
This breakthrough laid the foundation of the technique.
📌 1970s — Heat Transfer Printing Emerges
Japanese researchers advanced the method significantly.
Heat transfer printing became popular in:
✅ fashion
✅ sportswear
✅ textile production
📌 1980s–1990s — Sublimation Adapts to Desktop Printing
Sawgrass Technologies and Epson pioneered inks suitable for:
✅ inkjet printers
✅ home use
✅ small print studios
Sublimation became accessible for small businesses worldwide.
📌 2000s–Present — Explosion of Personalised Gift Industry
With modern sublimation:
✅ mugs
✅ phone cases
✅ slates
✅ cushions
✅ apparel
✅ tumblers
…all became easy to personalise.
Today, sublimation remains the #1 method for personalised gifts thanks to its speed, vibrancy, and affordability.
☕ Which Products Can Be Sublimated?
Sublimation works on:
✅ polyester fabrics (best at 100% polyester)
✅ polymer-coated ceramics
✅ polymer-coated aluminium
✅ polymer-coated MDF
✅ specialist plastics
✅ sublimation-ready blanks
Popular sublimation products include:
• Mugs
• Cushions
• Photo slates
• Passport covers
• Baubles
• Clothing
At Spotted Lizard Prints, we specialise in many of these items, printing each one by hand in our Stafford workshop.
💡 Why Sublimation Is Ideal for Personalised Gifts
Personalisation requires:
✨ vibrant colour
✨ durability
✨ precision
✨ customisation
✨ affordability
Sublimation delivers all five.
That’s why it’s used to create bestselling personalised items like:
🎁 teacher gifts
🎁 baby vests
🎁 Tooth Fairy gifts
🎁 memorial cushions
🎁 Santa sacks
🎁 Christmas baubles
One-off printing is affordable and fast, making sublimation the perfect solution for a personalised gift business.
🛍️ Why Spotted Lizard Prints Chooses Sublimation
At Spotted Lizard Prints, sublimation allows us to create:
✅ long-lasting gifts
✅ eco-friendly prints
✅ beautifully vibrant designs
✅ fully personalised products
✅ handmade quality
Every order is printed with care, love, and attention to detail.
🌱 Eco-Friendly Sublimation at Spotted Lizard Prints
We take sustainability seriously.
Our eco-friendly approach includes:
♻ recycling packaging
♻ recycling paper and offcuts
♻ minimising waste
♻ using energy-efficient equipment
♻ choosing sustainable suppliers
When you shop with us, you’re supporting:
✅ a UK small business
✅ ethical production
✅ eco-friendly values
❤️ Spotted Lizard Prints – High Quality, Eco-Friendly Personalised Gifts Made with Care
At Spotted Lizard Prints, every order is:
✨ handmade
✨ checked by hand
✨ produced with high-quality materials
✨ printed with professional-grade equipment
✨ created with love
From personalised baby grows to teacher gifts, mugs, baubles, cushions and more — we pour pride and passion into every single item.
🎁 Final Thoughts: Why Sublimation Is the Future of Personalised Gifts
Sublimation has revolutionised the world of custom printing.
It’s fast, affordable, vibrant, and extremely durable — everything a personalised gift should be.
Whether you're ordering:
🎀 a sentimental keepsake
🎄 a Christmas decoration
🧚 a Tooth Fairy gift
👶 a baby vest
☕ a personalised mug
…you can trust sublimation to deliver quality that lasts.
At Spotted Lizard Prints, we proudly use sublimation to create magical gifts that make people smile — sent worldwide with love from our Stafford workshop. Check our Blog for regular updates.