Convert an Epson EcoTank Printer to for Sublimation Printing
This post and video will walk you through what sublimation printing is as well as how to set up your eco tank printer for sublimation printing!
Let me give you a little backstory...I got my silhouette in 2016 and was making all sorts of fun things! The thing I *wanted* to make the most fun coffee mugs. (hello I’m coffee obsessed over here) But as a teacher, I was consistently microwaving up my cold coffee I never got a chance to finish. (this only got worse with kids LOL)
So I couldn’t use any handmade mugs because them needing to go in the microwave was honestly a necessity and a deal breaker. So 5 years ago I stumbled upon Sublimation & I’ve wanted to get into it ever since!!! But I kept putting it off...
Well, here comes 2021 and a sublimation ink company (Wokok Ink on Amazon) reached out and got me all set up to do sublimation with their ink! So far I’ve been really happy with the materials they sent me!
WHAT IS SUBLIMATION & WHAT CAN I SUBLIMATE ON?
Sublimation is a chemical process that embeds dyes into polymer surfaces. There are tons of surfaces that you can sublimate including wood, ceramics, glass, metal, etc. You want to buy materials specifically made for sublimation. There are lots of suppliers but I recently purchased from proworldinc and I’ve gotten sublimation tumblers from Craft Haven (use code alisoncrafts).
WHY SUBLIMATION VS VINYL?
I think this question depends on what you’re trying to add a decal too. The main reason sublimation is awesome is because it’s permanent & the fibers are actually dyed with the colors in your design.
Mugs made with sublimation can go in the dishwasher and microwave! (that’s huge!) It also dyes the fabrics you’re adding it too, so it makes them more permanent and long lasting. The only downside when it comes to apparel is that you have to use a high polyester count material as well as lighter materials because it doesn’t show up on a black shirt.
Vinyl is great and I really think you can use vinyl and sublimation in tandem in your hobby or business but Vinyl can peel and crack over time.
WHAT MATERIALS DO I NEED TO GET STARTED?
For all the supplies you need, click here to see them on amazon!
Sublimation Printer
You basically have two options: 1) purchase a printer made for sublimation (i.e. Sawgrass) or 2) convert a regular printer into a sublimation printer
Converting is less expensive for sure but I’d say the downside is that it’s not actually made for sublimation so you don’t have any technical support with it plus the sawgrass probably has slightly better quality but not enough for me to spend all that money :)
I converted an Epson EcoTank 2760 into a sublimation printer but any ecotank will do! These are nice because you just fill the tanks with sublimation ink instead of the ink it comes with.
When choosing your printer there are some that only print 8.5x11 and some that print larger. The epson 15000 prints 13x19 if you think you want to do larger items!
I personally know that my focus will be smaller items like ornaments, coasters, tumblers, and mugs so I went with the 2760 but may upgrade later if It’s something that takes off.
STEPS TO CONVERT YOUR EPSON:
Unpackage your printer and place it where you want it to live
Load your SUBLIMATION INK into the printer
Turn on and follow printer instructions
Sublimation Ink
You need specific ink to put into your printer! I got mine from amazon here.
Sublimation Paper
When you print your images from your computer, you will print them onto sublimation paper. Here is a link to some on amazon:
Heat Press/Mug Press/Convection Oven
You need a heat press to apply pressure and heat to get the ink to embed in your surface. I will be using my heat press (from amazon) for most of the smaller items like coasters, ornaments, magnets, fabric, etc.
Some heat presses have mug press attachments you can buy but mine does not accommodate that so to do mugs/tumblers you will either need a specific heat press for that or you can use a convection oven!
I was using a convection oven for a bit, but recently upgraded to a Tumbler Press and am SO HAPPY that I did!
Shrink Wrap/Mug Wraps
If you’re using a convection oven, I need to get enough pressure to get my designs to transfer to tumblers! This is where this shrink wrap comes in. You can either go with the shrink wrap or buy some wraps from a sublimation supplier!
Watch Full Tutorial on YouTube:
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