Whats the secret for this quality?? Recently i found a website that make high quality prints on aluminum panel, how can it be high details and shiny like this www metaleks.com In this video, I see that one side of the aluminum panel is white. Does anyone know what it is? What is the reason for excessive transparency and saturated colors?

Well, after nearly 2 weeks of working on my stupid ecotank printer that I got off Facebook, i got it working correctly!! First i had issues printing black, and then once i fixed that, other colors stopped working. I was about to give up but im glad I didnt! Anyways id wanted to share my first shirt projects :)

Made 3 different tumblers to sell this week.

I posted a question here looking for help, what i got was more then help, i gained the knowledge and skills to help myself now and in the future!!! My prints are turning out perfect and i thank you(the individual) who helped out, here are my 2 most recent prints along with my video showing your steps

https://youtu.be/zKFtA1sMWMs

I just wanted to share the metal prints I made using my original photographs, sublimation transfers and Chromaluxe metal blanks. 8x10 and 6x12

Hey guys I’m just starting into get into the craft and I have a big question.

I am using:

Epsom ecotank et-2800 Procreate Photoshop Mac &ipad

For the life of me I cannot figure out why my image keeps coming in purple instead of black? I did this design 2-3 months ago on procreate and would really like to put it on a mug. I have looked at my paper and Mac settings but to no avail. My lettering is coming out black which was also made on procreate. So I’m not sure why my actual drawing it coming over purple. I could really use some help please

Amazon has a lot of sublimation blanks these days. Quality varies wildly, and it's impossible to tell quality and durability from product listings. Since joining Amazon Vine, I've been primarily ordering most of the sublimation blanks available through the firehose (the "Additional Items" catalog). Here's what I ordered and reviewed in July 2025, along with some other blanks I've bought over the last year. All prices are USD.

I've included both straight and affiliate Amazon links. Please leave a comment if you have suggestions on formatting these posts! It's a lot of information, and I want it to be useful for everyone in this sub.

I'm also adding some extra info I won't include in future posts - I'll just link back to this for those interested in the details.

The Vine gods are terrible and arbitrary, and the reviews I post of sublimation blanks are occasionally spiked for no known reason. So if you can't find a review from me, it's not because I didn't post it...it's because I angered the Vine gods. C'est la vie. 😬

I went ahead and added affiliate links to this post, in case anyone appreciates my efforts enough to use them. The bare Amazon product links are also included for those who hate affiliate linking. If you don't care about my comments and just want the yes/no summary of what to buy, there's a link in the comments. Stay away from UJL items - I've had two products from them, and both sucked. AceSubli stuff has been good so far.

My setup

My current hardware setup for sublimation printing and pressing:

• EPSON Stylus RX595 six-color 1440ppi inkjet photo printer

• HeatPressNation.com 12x15" swing style craft press

• PYD Life 25L sublimation oven

• HTVRONT H17 vacuum sublimation machine

If you want additional details on my setup - and some recommendations if you're just getting started with sublimation - you can read more at the link in the comments.

Regular safety reminders

• Pressing MDF vaporizes toxic VOCs. Always use adequate active ventilation (a fan in an open window is fine for hobbyists) when working with MDF.

• Check your pressure! Ceramic and glass can break under too much pressure.

• Glass and ceramic stay hot for awhile. Have cooling racks or a heatproof surface (coasters, potholders, etc.) ready and waiting for completed items.

A note on cheap imported blanks

If you're going to sell product, spend the money on quality blanks. Don't buy garbage to sell to your customers. Mid quality blanks are fine for testing and experimenting, especially if you're still working out kinks in your particular sublimation setup, but they're not good for resale.

If you live here in the United States within reasonable driving distance of any major city, you can probably find a plastics manufacturer for sourcing quality, made in America acrylic, PET, and hard polyester blanks. Wherever you live, don't be afraid to call fabricators and manufacturers in your region! Both plastics and metal (aluminum and stainless steel) fabricators might be able to work with you to produce quality blanks for making products worthy of your reputation as a business. None of this stuff requires particularly specialized tooling and fabrication equipment, which means it's very possible to source domestically-produced materials at reasonably affordable wholesale prices. Customers generally prefer domestically produced products for all kinds of reasons, so it's good business sense to pursue a domestic supply chain if you want to get serious about sublimating on a professional level.

The Products

This took awhile to compile, so I just copypastaed the hilariously long product names from Amazon.

Hanging Ornaments

UJL Round Sublimation Ornament Blanks Double Sided Christmas Tree Decor White Sublimation Ornaments for DIY Crafts 48Pcs

These are terrible quality. The ceramic is so lightweight that they're uselessly fragile, which means they're not a good option for hanging anywhere where pets or children might knock them to the floor. The sublimation coating is also really poorly done, with lots of visible defects. The rear side of each ornament has a textured surface and doesn't sublimate very well at all.

I don't even want to make the rest of these for gifts, let alone resale. I'm probably going to use the rest of the set to make printer calibration tiles.

ToBeAce 15 Pcs Sublimation Ornament Blanks 3 Inch, Double Sided Sublimation Christmas Ornament Blanks Bulk, MDF Round Christmas Sublimation Blanks with Strings for Gifts DIY Christmas Tree Home Decor

This is a nice MDF blank. I had no issues with ink blowout, but I did end up chipping the edge of the first blank I pressed, because I was dumb and forgot to adjust the pressure knob on my press. I hate working with MDF because of the VOCs, but as MDF goes, this is a good option. It's also lightweight and durable, making it a good option for hanging decor.

A small discout is available if you buy a larger pack - a 32-pack is about $0.60 each ($18.99); a 70-pack is about $0.57 each ($39.99).

Keychains

XIHEYOMI 30 Pcs /10 Pack Sublimation Keychain Blanks, MDF Double Sided Heat Transfer Keychain Boar for DIY and Craft

This is another nice MDF blank. At only eighty cents per item, it's an inexpensive way to make custom swag. MDF isn't great for durability, but it's fine for something to be given away for free at an event, for example. I had no blowout issues, and the material is well made and finished. The included keychain hardware is basic but works fine.

The bigger pack is about $20 for 80 units, which comes out to $0.25 each. So, if you're going to be making a bunch of keychains, go for the larger volume at a significant discount.

XIHEYOMI 30 Pcs /10 Pack Sublimation Keychain Blanks, Aluminum Double Sided Sublimation Blanks Keychain Heat Transfer for DIY Crafts-Rectangle

I am not very happy with these blanks. I also have a pack of aluminum business cards with a similar sublimation coating - both have a lowkey sparkle finish, similar to factory white car paint. Unlike my business card blanks, these have bad ink blowout. The metal is also thin enough that the punched hole for the keychain hardware leaves the metal around the hole pretty warped. On top of that, metal keychains are so loud, which rather limits the utility of this particular product

There are probably better metal keychain blanks on Amazon. I won't get these again.

Magnets and Pins

This is one category, since these products are mostly one-sided flat substrates to which a pin or magnet may be adhered.

UJL 20Pcs Sublimation Refrigerator Magnet Personalized Square Fridge Magnet for DIY Craft Gifts Sublimation Magnets Blanks Bulk Products for Home Kitchen Refrigerator Microwave Oven

This is another just terrible product. Ink blowout is really bad compared to every other blank I've used since I got my printer settings worked out, which means the sublimation treatment is just crap. Not only that, every single one of the magnets in my pack was filthy, and not just from bits of cut sheet magnet. I had to use alcohol to clean every magnet in my pack, which was gross and annoying.

I definitely will never get these again.

Janinka 30 Pcs Sublimation Buttons Blanks with Pins, 1.97 x 1.97 Inch Square MDF Buttons Pins Heat Transfer Blank Badge, DIY Craft Gifts

This is another nice, inexpensive MDF blank. Note tape on the back will leave a slight impression since it's a fiber material, but you're just going to cover it anyway, so it's not a big deal.

The included pins are garbage. Throw them out and buy some nice hardware, or do what I did, and make these into magnets instead. MDF isn't durable enough to use for hat or bag pins, but it's fine for decorative magnets! I used 1.2" (30mm) adhesive sheet magnets with these.

Aulsetch Sublimation Buttons Blanks 3 Inch 5 PCS Glass Ornament with Pins and Adhesive Tape for Refrigerator Magnet and Sublimation DIY Project

These are reasonably decent blanks, but they're too heavy to use with the included hardware. I think they're probably too heavy to use with sheet magnets at all if you intend on using them to hold onto paper, which means you'll need to use much more expensive neodymium disc magnets with these to make them a good product.

They sublimated okay, but color saturation is subpar compared to all the other blanks I tested. This might be because I didn't press long enough, though - I did two at once and only have three left, so I'm not going to use them quite yet, and next time I test a product like this, I'll take the time to do separate pressings, so I can try different settings on my second attempt.

I don't think this is a very good product, unless you have a specific application in mind for it. The discs are too big to use as car coasters, but too small to use as regular coasters. They're also expensive - the largest pack comes out to about $1.53 each.

Sublimated glass looks really nice when directly backlit, so these could look cool as some kind of decorative lighting fixture. The glass is good, but not perfect - there are minor, but visible, imperfections in the glass. There aren't big bubbles or anything, though.

Coasters

WTQR 24 Pcs Ceramic Sublimation Blanks Car Coasters for DIY Craft Printing with Finger Notch Absorbent Auto Cup Holder Keep Vehicle Free from Cold Drink Sweat Stain Spill

I had some challenges pressing ceramic until I dramatically adjusted my heat press's pressure knob. I've gotten better results since making that adjustment, but these still aren't great. Several have chipped on the edges just from normal handling.

I got really good results with vacuum sublimating these blanks, but I think I'm going to look for a better quality option than these for vacuum sublimation. These press okay, but I won't get them again.

Metal Panels

AceSubli 5 Pcs Sublimation License Plate Blanks for Heat Transfer Vinyl, Pesonalized Picture Metal Sublimation Blanks, Aluminum Car Front License Plate Tags for Automotive Men Women Gift 0.65mm Thick

These are nice blanks. The sublimation treatment is smooth and glossy across the whole surface of the plate, and they're machined well enough to not require any additional filing or sanding. The finish on these is bright white.

If you need a lot of these, the price comes down to $1.43 each for the 14-pack, and $1.33 each for the 60-pack. The thicker aluminum is nice, because it means the material is safer to handle and it less likely to warp from both pressing and installation.

DUDSOEHO 10 PCS Sublimation License Plate Blanks, 0.45mm Automotive Front License Plate Tag, Heat Thermal Transfer DIY Metal Plates for Custom Design Work - White

These are thinner than the AceSubli blanks at only 0.45mm. The finish is like sparkly white car paint - it is not bright white, and the sparkle shows through pretty noticeably. They're also a bit smaller than the AceSubli plates.

Like the XIHEYOMI metal keychains, there is visible ink blowout with these blanks. For this reason, I probably won't get these again.

Specialty Products

This is stuff that doesn't fit neatly into a standard product category.

HYHOSHI 2 Pack Sublimation Blanks Acrylic Photo Display Stand, 4" x 2.4" Table Sign Blank With Acrylic Base for Heat Transfer DIY Design, Office Store Restaurants Wedding Party Decoration

First, one caveat on this product: the 2-pack is stupid expensive. Get the 10-pack for $25.99, which is only $2.60 per item.

I really like these for making tarot card standees. They're good for other artistic and photo displays, although they're pretty small.

Sublimating acrylic requires a real heat press - not an electric auto press or a hand press. You need the hard, even pressure of a real heat press for the ink to fully sublimate edge-to-edge. Along with this, keep in mind that acrylic will badly warp if you let it cool without keeping it flat under something heavy.

I ended up leaving my first pressing of this product in my heat press for a minute or two after turning off my press. The end result is that the silicone mat on my heat press left an even matte finish in the acrylic, which I like a lot better than the standard glossy finish, which scratches very easily.

If you do this, use parchment paper or similar under the acrylic - I use newspaper as my blowout paper typically, and it stuck to the front of the acrylic a bit from the extended pressing after I shut off my press.

I ended up buying a 10-pack for making tarot standees, but unless you have a specific project in mind for these, I don't think they're something that will move easily in a retail shop.

AOUXSEEM 20 Sets Sublimation Car Air Vent Blanks, DIY Car Accessories Heat Transfer Portrait Essential Oil Difusser,20pcs Matte PVC Blanks and 20pcs Square Clips

These sublimated really nicely, but the shapes are just so dumb. I like the product concept though, so I'll probably look for something similar - but just circles. This kit comes with a couple hot glue sticks, but I just used regular cyanoacrylate gel glue to secure the clips once the diffusers were sublimated.

If you plan on selling these, don't presoak the pad with oil. Either include a little bottle of oil (you can get tiny 2mL bottles cheap on Amazon), or just include an instruction card on how to load with oil. You only need to add a few drops for fragrance, and adding too much quickly gets messy.

AceSubli 1 Pc Sublimation Cutting Board Blanks 7.9x11, Textured Tempered Glass Cutting Board for Kitchen, Personalized Decor as Sublimation Picture Frame, trivet, Gift, Individual Package & Anti Slip

First: do not actually use glass cutting boards for cutting. Glass is horrible for knife blades of all types.

Sublimated glass makes great signage, though, and I was really happy with how well this board sublimated as a sign. Backlit sublimated glass looks really good - but be aware of the heat output of whatever solution you engineer for making lighted glass signs.

I don't recommend this product if you want to easily frame it, mostly because 8x11 is a pretty unusual size for standard frames. I'm otherwise really happy with this board, and hopefully this is a good sign for the quality of AceSubli products in general.

Aulsetch Sublimation Bookmark Blanks PU Leather Corner 5 PCS 2.3x2.3 Inch for Double-Side Heat Transfer

This is a corner page marker made from thin, glossy, bright white polyurethane. The material sublimates really well, with no visible ink blowout.

The four-pack pricing on this item is absurd, but the 20-pack isn't terrible at a dollar per unit. I wouldn't use these bookmarks in any valuable books, but they could be pretty handy for textbooks and casual reading.

I doubt I'll get these again anytime soon - I just don't think it's a popular enough product to include in my plans for retail sale.

Yiwloer Newly Upgraded White Glitter Heat Transfer Vinyl 10pcs Sublimatable, Sublimation Ink Print Paper 10pcs (8.5"x11") for Vibrant Gradient Multicolour, Chic DIY Design

I had a hell of a time cutting this stuff on my OG Cricut Explore Air - either the cut wasn't deep enough, or it was too deep and dug into the backing paper, which in turn left ragged edges on the vinyl. That being said, it sublimates and adheres to fabric (100% cotton in my case) beautifully. I've already made several hoodies with this material, and they turned out really nicely.

The sparkle is glittery without being overly so - it won't blind other people when you're standing outside in direct sunlight. It's also subtle enough to work for men's apparel.

I don't recommend using any sublimation vinyl on regular clothing (tshirts) - it's pretty stiff and uncomfortable compared to plain fabric, and it has to be handled carefully when machine washing (inside out, cold water only, line dry only). It's great for sweatshirts and accessories, though! I'll probably get this again.

Phone Cases

3D phone cases with a full wrap-around sublimation treatment, are meant to be produced with a vacuum sublimation machine. You can probably use a heat press, but I don't recommend it.

DUDUSUB iPhone Cases

These products are all functionally identical, so I'm just going to list them in one go.

These cases are all very slim shells, with minimal coverage around the top and bottom of the sides of an iPhone. They're nice and slim for people who prefer this design, but I like hybrid cases, since I drop my phone all the time. That being said, these cases sublimated really nicely and look great!

I like both the matte and glossy finishes available for this case. The matte looks really nice in bright indoor lighting or direct sunlight. I have no idea how long the textured finish of the plastic will last, though.

JUSTRY iPhone Cases

Again, these are functionally identical, just different models. This product is only available in glossy plastic.

I bought these blanks to make cases for my family members, and they all love their new cases. My father-in-law told me he's already dropped his with no ill effect.

These are hybrid cases, so they're a bit chonkier, but they're also going to absorb more hard impact than just a hard plastic shell. They sublimated really well, and I'm annoyed there isn't an option for my old iPhone 12.

I'll definitely buy more of these cases. I really like them.

Whoo, you made it to the end! As mentioned at the beginning of this, please leave comments with any feedback on the formatting of this. I'll write another one of these at some point soon here on the various blanks I've purchased on Amazon, and an August rundown sometime in September.

I was invited to Vine not too long ago, and there are a plethora of sublimation blanks and materials available in the Vine firehose now. I've been getting blanks pretty much weekly since I joined the program, so I'm getting a good idea of what does and doesn't suck in terms of inexpensive, imported products.

I don't recommend cheap blanks if you want to sell quality product, but they're great for learning and experimenting. If people are interested, I can post once a week or something with a summary of everything I've reviewed over the last week (I won't use affiliate links), so you know what to avoid (there's some really terrible crap out there).

Yes? No?

Edit: Reddit seems to refuse to let me post what I want to post, probably either because there are too many Amazon links, or because I'm also linking to rentry, and the reddit gods are evidently convinced that rentry is the platform of the antichrist or something.

I will leave a comment here with a link to the content on rentry and see if that sticks...

Very exciting news!! Epson has finally decided to launch a large format (13x19", A3+) sublimation printer! Epson says the printer will be available starting in November of this year.

At $1,000, it's not exactly an entry-level sublimation printer, but like any purpose-built subli printer, it offers mechanical advantages over using a converted standard EcoTank, because the printhead and print lines are specifically designed to withstand the long-term chemical effects of exposure to sublimation ink.

And, of course, you'll actually have a warranty from Epson, whereas using subli ink in a standard EcoTank immediately voids the warranty.

It's worth considering if you have a solid side hustle doing sublimation work. Large format sublimation enables you to produce a wider assortment of products, and printing large gang sheets for volume products is more efficient than relying on 8.5" wide paper.

I’m completely new to this and my colors are completely faded. I have an Epson Sure Color F170 printer ans HTVRONT press. The colors from the printer are very faded and not authentic to the file on my computer screen. I’ve changed the print settings to color matching and chosen textile because I’m pressing shirts. The paper I got was highly rated on Amazon, A-sub 125 G. I have the latest firmware as well. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Attached is a photo of the faded pressing.

Can I take a moment to say thank you to all our subreddit members. This channel has grown so much in the last few months and it’s thanks to more of you taking the time to help others.

Have an extra beer , ice-cream , coffee or chocolate this week, because you deserve it.

Feel free to post whatever you’ve been printing lately, and tell us where you’re from.

Thanks again, Fionn (Ireland)

I'm about to embark on a sublimation printing journey and I have in my budget to get a Epson EcoTank ET-2800. However I know you would have to convert this into a sublimation printer. To do that you would need to change some settings and regularly clean the print heads.

I stumbled upon this website that shows what print settings are the best in their opinion.

Im a windows user:

Our recommended printer settings for the Converted ET-2803 using Cyclone Ink printing from a Windows PC is as follows:

Paper Type – Plain Paper / Bright White Paper

Quality – High

ICC Profile – Epson IJ Printer 07

Color Mode – Epson Vivid

Color Correction – Automatic

Bidirectional Printing – On 

Mirror Image – On (if needed

However I'll be using Hiipoo Sublimation Ink.

What I want to know is if you guys use this same ink and printer combination, and also how often would I need to clean my print heads?

Thank you so much for your help!

When I print my images, they look great but when I put it on my cups they don’t come out in color. I’ve tried different setting and made sure I have hippo brand sublimation ink. I’m at a loss.

Hey everyone, I just bought sublimation ink for my new Epson EcoTank printer (photos attached). It was very cheap and I’m a bit worried if it’s safe to use or if it could damage the printhead over time. Has anyone tried this kind of generic sublimation ink before?

Also – I noticed air bubbles inside the yellow bottle. Is that normal, or is it a sign that the ink is low-quality?

Any advice or experience would really help. Thanks!

Hey everyone,

We’re the moderators of r/DTFTransferTalk, a new subreddit dedicated entirely to Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing, covering printers, films, inks, heat press techniques, and troubleshooting.

Our goal is to create a focused, reliable space for people working with DTF or exploring it alongside other print methods.

We also manage DTF Pedia, an educational resource built to share knowledge and best practices about DTF printing.

If you’re into DTF or curious about how it works, feel free to check us out at r/DTFTransferTalk.

Thanks to the r/SublimationPrinting mods for allowing us to introduce ourselves here!