Sublimating a Tri-Blend Tank Top

with Siser® EasySubli® Inks & HTV, Sawgrass SG400 & CreativeStudio, and the Brother ScanNCut SDX125

If one of your business goals in the new year is to print and cut full color images without breaking the bank, EasySubli Inks and HTV  are the solution for you! Gradients, patterns, and portraits are all within reach when you have the HTV that bridges the gap between sublimation and colored polyester, cotton, rayon, and many more! Available through a select variety of authorized distributors, please email us at Info@SiserNA.com if you’re interested in purchasing information.

Now before you go stock up on this amazing HTV, there’s a few more things we recommend having on hand to achieve best results…

EasySubli HTV Companion Products

• Sawgrass Virtuoso SG400 desktop sublimation printer*
• Siser® EasySubli Inks by Sawgrass**
• EasySubli Mask***
• Brother ScanNCut SDX 125 (other ScanNCuts are also compatible)****
• Heat press

*Also compatible with the Sawgrass Virtuoso SG800 desktop sublimation printer. While only currently available in 8.4″x11″ sheets, EasySubli will additionally be offered in 11″x17″ sheets in the future.

**Other brands of sublimation inks and printers may work, but they will require trial and error testing.  Siser has partnered with Sawgrass to develop special inks and a profile for the greatest print quality with the least hassle.

***EasySubli Mask is not always necessary. Mask is only required when designs have multiple pieces that need to be kept in alignment.

***Other brands of cutters can be used with EasySubli as well. Read the Silhouette Cameo 3 post here! Read the Cricut Explore Air 2 post here!

These last few items are likely already in your craft arsenal, but were necessary to complete this project:

• Siser Weeder
•  Tri-Blend Tank Top (polyester, cotton, viscose)
• Parchment Paper

Typical sublimation inks are only compatible with light colored polyester fabrics. If I tried to use traditional sublimation paper on my colored tank top, the results would be unpredictable with muddied colors. Not to worry though! Siser has your back with EasySubli heat transfer vinyl and we’re going to walk through all the steps to working with this new product right now!

Step 1: Design Your Print & Cut File In CreativeStudio

When you purchase a Sawgrass printer you also get access to their cloud based design software, CreativeStudio. CreativeStudio is accessible through the Sawgrass website. It includes built in templates and designs that can be adjusted to fit your needs and preferences.

1. Choose “Products” to start the design process and select  your product based on your project. Several of the templates will work as long as they match the paper size. You can choose to mock it up on a shirt template or simply use “US Letter (8.5″x11”).

3. Choose “Designs” or “Images” to browse through a variety of free artwork. Or use the search function to find exactly what you’re looking for.

4. Adjust size and colors. Add text if you want with the “Text” tool on the top ribbon! While I love the pastel color palette, I wanted to punch up the colors to show what EasySubli Inks and HTV are capable of. One important thing to note for your artwork when working with a ScanNCut: ensure the border is dark. I changed the color from a dark purple to black to make it easier for the ScanNCut to read and create cut lines later.

5. Select “Print” to  save the design directly to Virtuoso Print Manager’s hot folder. Open the file and the VPM window will appear.

Step 2: Print Siser EasySubli Inks by Sawgrass on EasySubli HTV with the Sawgrass Virtuoso SG400 Desktop Sublimation Printer

If you have a new printer, follow the installation instructions for Siser EasySubli Inks by Sawgrass. If your printer is currently utilizing another type of ink, please contact Sawgrass Customer Support for further guidance.

1. Place EasySubli in printer tray so the glossy side is facing up and matte side is down.

2. Select “Siser EasySubli Vinyl” from the “Substrate” and “Paper” drop downs. Additionally, make sure the “Mirror” box is NOT checked. If these options are not available, you may be running an older version of VPM. Click here for instructions on updating your VPM and activating the Siser Edition.

5. Save material by enabling “VPM Performs Layout.” Go to the “Layout” tab in VPM and check the “VPM Performs Layout” box.

6. Select “Print” in VPM and listen for the tell tale sounds of the SG400 sucking in a sheet of EasySubli HTV to get this printing party started!

7. Carefully remove the printed sheet from the tray to avoid smudging the damp inks and set aside to air dry for 30 minutes. Damp inks and over saturated prints can prevent EasySubli Mask from bonding properly so this step is especially important if you plan to use the mask.

The drying process can be sped up by placing the printed sheet under a Clam Shell Heat Press (that is open, on, and heated up) for 60 seconds. The residual heat will do the work of 30 minutes in just 1!  With this drying method you may notice the colors begin to develop a little under the heat. This is normal and will not effect the overall vibrancy of the end result.

However, it is NOT RECCOMENDED to use the quick dry method if you are using a drawer style or swing away style Heat Press. The residual heat is too close to the HTV on these types of presses and may activate the adhesive on the back therefore bonding it to the liner and making masking almost impossible.

If your design is one big piece that doesn’t need to be cut (or it can be hand cut), then there’s no need to dry or mask it. However, be very cautious when removing printed EasySubli from the backing and transferring to your garment to prevent smudging the inks. If you’re in this boat, you can skip the next two steps and move onto Step #5: Heat Application!

If your design is like mine and it’s made up of multiple pieces, then it’s cutting time…on the next page that is.