What Material Can You Sublimate On? A Complete Guide

Sublimation printing is an exceptional tool for permanently customizing crafts with eye-catching designs. Many crafters and small businesses utilize this transfer method to create great products.

The dye sublimation process utilizes heat and special ink to transform artwork into a gas that bonds with surfaces. However, not all materials are suitable for sublimation. Some surfaces can take sublimation without any preparation, while others require a special coating or spray. Knowing which materials are compatible will save you time, money, and frustration as you begin crafting.

This guide will walk you through which surfaces can accept sublimation ink. Along the way, you will learn the materials that deliver the best sublimation results as well as the surfaces that require extra preparation for the ink to bond. Whether you are new to sublimation or looking to expand your product line, this guide will help you determine if you can sublimate on your desired surface.

Understanding the Basics of Dye Sublimation

What Does Sublimate Mean?

“Sublimate” means to bond sublimation ink to a substrate, such as a polymer-coated tumbler or mug. When you sublimate a surface, you use heat and pressure to turn solid dye into a gas. This gaseous dye fuses with the substrate material, creating a permanent, high-resolution image.

While sublimation empowers you to create stunning designs, it’s important to note that these results are permanent — you cannot remove sublimation dye from your products.

What Can You Sublimate On?

Sublimating on the right material makes all the difference in how crisp, colorful, and durable your finished products will be. To achieve the best results, you’ll need to sublimate on polyester or items that have polymer coatings.

Trying to sublimate on unsuitable materials will lead to faded or failed transfers, ultimately wasting your time and sublimation supplies. If you want to sublimate a material that is not naturally compatible with sublimation, apply a special polymer spray before applying heat and pressure. 

Now that you understand the basic requirements for sublimation, let’s examine the most common materials crafters try to sublimate. 

Sublimating on Fabrics & Clothing

Can You Heat Press Polyester?

Polyester fabrics are highly suitable for sublimation. The fibers contain polymers that absorb the ink and lock in the design. Sublimation is especially effective on white or light-colored polyester fabrics. It’s important to note that sublimating on dark polyester will not yield as clear and vibrant results, as sublimation printers do not deposit white ink. The colors rely on the base fabric, so dark backgrounds can make the design appear dull.

For the best results, use a clamshell or swing-away heat press when applying dye sublimation to polyester fabrics.

Can You Sublimate on Cotton?

Sublimation ink will not bond directly with natural cotton fibers. The design may transfer initially, but it will fade or wash out quickly because there is no polyester for the ink to bind to.

Rather than using 100% cotton fabrics, use a fabric blend that combines cotton and polyester. Keep in mind that the higher the polyester content in your fabric blank, the brighter and more vivid your printed image will appear.

Can You Sublimate on Cotton Spray?

Another way to sublimate on cotton is to use a polymer-coating spray. The sublimation dye can bond with the polymer coating, allowing for the successful transfer of an image. While it adds an extra step to your process, it enables you to offer sublimation designs on popular cotton garments.

Can You Sublimate on Rayon?

Rayon is a synthetic fabric created from regenerated cellulose. The material does not inherently contain polyester fibers, so it cannot hold sublimation ink on its own. If you want to feature a sublimated design on rayon material, you’ll need to apply a polymer coating first. Alternatively, you can use a rayon-polyester fabric blend. Just note that rayon is highly sensitive to heat, so you’ll need to reduce the heat press time and temperature to avoid damaging the fabric.

Can You Sublimate on Nylon?

While nylon is technically a synthetic polymer, it cannot accept sublimation ink the same way as polyester. Nylon is a synthetic polyamide, which doesn’t hold sublimation dyes effectively, resulting in weaker bonding, reduced vibrancy, and poor wash durability.

Like with rayon and cotton, you’ll need to use either a polymer spray or a nylon-polyester fabric blend to achieve suitable sublimation results.

Can You Sublimate on Microfiber?

Most microfiber is made from polyester or a nylon-polyester fabric blend, making it an excellent choice for sublimation. You can sublimate microfiber cleaning cloths and towels to display sharp, colorful designs. Always check the product label to confirm that the microfiber content is mostly polyester.

Can I Sublimate on Canvas?

A plain canvas will not hold sublimation ink without preparation, as the material is usually composed of cotton, hemp, or linen. Some crafters use the reverse canvas technique to apply sublimation. They remove the canvas from the frame, apply a polymer coating, and sublimate the fabric. Next, they reattach the reverse canvas to the frame with the design facing outward to create vivid artwork that retains the canvas texture.

Can You Sublimate on Leather?

Natural leather does not contain polyester, so it cannot be directly sublimated. To sublimate leather crafts, you’ll first need to apply a polymer coating. With proper preparation, you can create custom wallets, coasters, and keychains that showcase your unique designs.

Can You Sublimate on Faux Leather?

Faux leather is often made from plastic materials, such as polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). While faux leather often features a polyester base, it’s still not suitable for sublimation due to the PU or PVC surface. The ink will not bond properly unless it has a polyester-based coating. 

Can You Sublimate on Leatherette?

Leatherette is essentially the same as faux leather, as it’s also made from polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Once again, you'll need to use a polymer coating to allow the dye sublimation ink to bond with the surface.

Can You Sublimate on Fleece?

Whether fleece is suitable for sublimation will depend on the fabric blend, as fleece can be made from a combination of polyester, cotton, and acrylic. Fleece often contains a high polyester content, allowing it to be sublimated without additional treatment. Check the fabric blend of your fleece before applying sublimation.

Can You Sublimate on Satin?

Satin can be composed of many different types of fabrics, including nylon, rayon, polyester, and silk. If the satin contains a high polyester content, you can bond sublimation ink. Polyester satin is highly suitable for sublimation, as it features a smooth surface that's ideal for sharp, colorful designs.

Can You Sublimate on Spandex?

While spandex alone isn’t suitable for sublimation, spandex-polyester blends — which are common in clothing — can accept vibrant sublimation designs. Before sublimating your spandex clothing, you should verify that it contains a high polyester content. Otherwise, the design will appear faded, or it may not transfer at all.

Can You Sublimate on Burlap?

Burlap is made from natural fibers that cannot absorb sublimation ink without preparation. Using a polymer-coating spray can make sublimation designs possible, but the surface texture may result in a rustic, uneven appearance.

Sublimating on Wood & Paper Products 

Can You Sublimate on Wood?

Plain, uncoated wood will not bond with sublimation ink, as it lacks the necessary polyester. To get a vibrant and permanent design, use wood that has been coated with a polymer finish. Polymer-coated wood is especially popular for creating custom signs and decorative wood rounds. Wood rounds often come with laminate sheets or laminate pouches that have been treated with polymer, making them ideal for sublimation.

Can You Sublimate on Cardstock?

Standard cardstock is made from paper fibers that do not hold sublimation ink. If you attempt to sublimate untreated cardstock, the print will likely appear faded and lose detail quickly. To create long-lasting images, you’ll need to purchase polymer-coated cardstock specifically designed for sublimation. 

Sublimating on Vinyl, Plastic, and Synthetic Rubbers 

Can You Sublimate on Vinyl?

Vinyl is not compatible with sublimation because it does not contain polyester. To apply a sublimation design to vinyl, you’ll need to coat it with a polymer spray or use a sublimation-compatible heat transfer vinyl. When using heat transfer vinyl, place a carrier sheet over the vinyl to protect it and ensure proper adhesion during the pressing process. This is a popular method for creating custom decals, stickers, and garment decorations.

Can You Sublimate Polypropylene?

Polypropylene is a lightweight, durable, and moisture-resistant synthetic polymer commonly used for packaging, household items, textiles, and industrial products. Even though polypropylene is a type of polymer like polyester, it lacks the chemical groups that allow sublimation ink to bond to it. It cannot hold a sublimated design without an additional polyester coating.

Can You Sublimate on Acrylic?

Crafters and small businesses often use acrylic sublimation blanks, but these blanks include polyester-based coatings. Acrylic is not compatible with sublimation without the additional polymer coating. Some of the most common acrylic blanks with polymer coatings include photo panels, signs, keychains, and acrylic tumblers.

Can You Sublimate on Silicone?

Silicone is a flexible, heat-resistant polymer made of silicon and oxygen chains. It is non-porous and lacks polyester, so sublimation ink cannot bond to it. You’ll need polyester-coated silicone products to create colorful sublimation designs.

Can You Sublimate on Neoprene?

Neoprene is a synthetic rubber that requires a polyester coating to hold sublimation ink. While neoprene itself isn't suitable for sublimation, crafters frequently customize neoprene koozies, mouse pads, and laptop sleeves that feature polymer coatings.

Sublimating on Glass, Ceramic, and Metals 

Can You Sublimate on Glass?

You can transfer vibrant sublimation designs onto glass when they’re prepared correctly. While glass itself cannot accept sublimation ink, there are plenty of sublimation-ready glass blanks available online that you can customize. You can use heat and pressure to customize polymer-coated glass tumblers and cups, leaving permanent, striking images.

Can You Sublimate on Ceramic?

Like glass, ceramic will not absorb sublimation ink unless it has a polyester coating. Fortunately, there’s a wide range of sublimation-ready ceramic drinkware available, making it easy to sublimate coffee mugs. Sublimatable ceramic mugs are especially popular among creative entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Can You Sublimate on Metal?

Bare metal surfaces cannot accept sublimation ink directly because they lack polyester layers, but many retailers sell metal sublimation blanks that feature polymer coatings. These coated surfaces enable you to create sharp, colorful images for decorating signage, nameplates, drinkware, and more. While there are plenty of sublimatable metal cups and other crafts available online, be sure to check customer reviews to ensure these products feature high-quality polymer coatings. 

Can You Sublimate on Stainless Steel?

Like other metals, stainless steel needs a polyester coating to hold sublimation ink. If you want to customize and sell stainless steel drinkware, consider finding a high-quality wholesale tumbler supplier to save money on individual cups. 

Find the Best Polymer-Coated Sublimation Blanks for Your Next Project

Sublimation offers endless creative possibilities for your crafting business, but using the right materials is key to achieving professional results. Polyester delivers vibrant, long-lasting designs, while non-polyester materials require an added polymer coating to be suitable for sublimation.

If you're interested in diving deeper into sublimation, you can explore other articles on our website, including our overview of the sublimation process and our step-by-step guide to sublimating tumblers.

Additionally, check out our high-quality sublimation blanks and supplies, including sublimatable tumblers, mugs, polyester shirts, heat presses, sublimation printers, and more. With our sublimation-ready blanks featuring premium polymer coatings, you can start your crafting journey or grow your business with affordable wholesale products. The Stainless Depot Company is here to help you take your custom creations to the next level.