How to Sublimate Ornament: Ceramic, Glass, MDF, and Aluminum

Sublimating ornaments is a creative and personalized way to decorate your home or create unique gifts for friends and family. These ornaments can be made from various materials, including ceramic, aluminum, glass, and MDF (medium-density fiberboard). Now I will provide you with detailed instructions on how to create sublimated ornaments and the necessary supplies, helping you to craft personalized decorations.

Items needed: 

  1. Sublimation Printer
  2. Sublimation Ink
  3. Sublimation Paper
  4. Heat Press Machine (flat heat press machine/3D vacuum machine/mini iron heat press machine)
  5. Scissors
  6. Heat Resistant Tape
  7. Various ornament (ceramic, aluminum, glass, MDF, Christmas ball)

sublimation printer

sublimation ink

sublimation paper

flat heat press machine

3D vacuum machine

mini iron heat press machine

Scissors

heat tape

blank ornament

Step 1: Sublimation Print and Cut Out the Design

Begin by selecting and printing your favorite images onto sublimation paper using a sublimation printer. Ensure that you reverse the images before printing to account for the mirror effect during the sublimation process. While the printed images may appear dull initially, they will become vivid and vibrant after heating. Adjust the size of the images to fit your ornaments.

Carefully cut out the printed designs, being cautious not to touch the ink with your fingers to avoid smudging. When you need to print ornament on both sides, don’t forget to align the two patterns, it’s easier to see under the light.

Prepare the pattern

Alignment pattern

Step 2: Secure the Ornament (ceramic ornament for example)

Use heat-resistant tape to secure the ornament onto the sublimation paper. A simple method is to place the paper on a flat surface, position the ornament on top, and then secure it in place with tape. It is best to fix all four sides of the ornaments to ensure that the design will not be distorted.

Put ornament on the pattern

Anchor ornament

Step 3: Preheat the Heat Press Machine (3D vacuum machine for example)

Preheat the heat press machine to 200℃ for sublimating ornaments. You can choose between a flat heat press machine or a 3D vacuum heat press machine. Generally, the 3D vacuum heat press machine yields better results and reduces the risk of ornament breakage during the sublimation process. If you don’t have access to these machines, you can also use a regular iron for heating, although the results may not be as optimal.

Machine silicone mat

Place on silicone mat

Step 4: Sublimation Process

Once the heat press machine is preheated, it’s time to sublimate the ornaments. Set the temperature to 200℃ and the time to 150 seconds. Proper heating is crucial to achieve vibrant colors and ensure the durability of the prints. Apply even pressure when pressing the ornaments to ensure uniform coloration and image transfer. Remember to wear heat-resistant gloves during this process to prevent burns.

Set the temperature to 200 ° C and 150s

Remove with insulated gloves

Step 5: Cooling Down

Allow the sublimated ceramic ornaments to cool down completely before handling them. Once cooled, carefully remove the heat-resistant tape to reveal your stunning custom-made ornaments. Now the printing of this ceramic pendant has been completed. 

The right side

Reverse side

Printing Effect: 

ornament’s printing effect depends on a number of factors, the above mentioned tools: sublimation printer, sublimation paper, and ink quality, heat press time and temperature Settings, are likely to affect the printing effect. In addition, the coating quality of the blank pendant is also an important factor affecting the effect. When purchasing ornament, we must choose the blank ornament with good coating quality, so as to obtain the best effect.

In other materials ornament, such as glass, aluminum, MDF, the printing process is the same as that of the ceramic ornament, but the corresponding temperature is set somewhat differently. The following is the best temperature tested.

Sublimation glass ornament: 150℃, 150s.
Sublimation aluminum ornament: 180℃, 60s.
Sublimation MDF ornament: 180℃, 60s.

Additional Tips: 

  • Conduct test prints on spare materials to fine-tune your printing settings and ensure optimal results.
  • Experiment with different design placements and orientations to create visually appealing compositions.
  • Regularly clean and maintain your sublimation equipment to prolong its lifespan and ensure consistent results.
  • Keep a log of temperature and timing adjustments for future reference.
  • Always work in a well-ventilated area and wear appropriate safety gear, such as gloves, when handling sublimation ink and equipment.

Application Suggestions: 

  • Ceramic ornament: suitable for making beautiful home decorations or personalized gifts.
  • Aluminum ornament: Durable and lightweight, suitable for outdoor decoration or commercial promotional materials.
  • Glass ornament: transparent, can be made of exquisite window decoration or decorative ornaments.
  • MDF ornament: Can be carved, painted, to create unique art or DIY handmade items.
  • Hanging ball: Suitable for making holiday decorations or personalized displays, such as Christmas decorations or birthday gifts.

Conclusion: 

The above is to introduce all the steps of ornament and some suggestions. You can easily use the sublimation printing technology to make a variety of ornaments to add personalized decoration to your home or gift. Remember to pay attention to safety when operating, and adjust the printing parameters according to the actual situation to obtain the best printing effect.

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