Tumblers have been popular ever since glittering tumblers came onto the DIY scene a few years ago. Every lover of art should study everything there is to know about sublimation tumblers right now because of the growing popularity of these crafts.
A stainless steel tumbler or tumbler made of a different substance printed with a process known as sublimation is referred to as a sublimation tumbler. The most common type available is the skinny 20 oz sublimation tumbler that measures 2.27 in diameter, 8.125 in length and 9.25 circumferential area.
In this article, we’ll provide specific instructions on how to make simple sublimation tumblers using the 20 oz model as a case example. Read along.
Materials Needed For The Making Process
Some of the materials needed to make a simple sublimation tumbler include blank sublimation tumbler, heat source, laser paper, heat resistant, butcher paper and sublimation link wraps if you are using an oven.
Creating Designs For Sublimation Tumblers
Although sublimation prints can be ordered, I much prefer to create my own. Procreate, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop are, in my opinion, the best software packages for sublimation. The nicest part about looking for designs to utilize with sublimation is that practically any style may be used!
You can print pictures, drawings, or any other artistic diagram that can be produced using an inkjet printer that has been converted.
The Making Process
The first step would be to get a blank tumbler before you can proceed with the following steps:
The procedure is easy:
- Copy your duplicated designs on sublimation paper after creating them on specific programs like Photoshop, Procreate, or any other one.
- To prepare for heating, you can tightly affix the design to the cylinder with a heat-resistant tape.
- Make sure the design extends all the way to the tumbler’s edge and watch the remodeled tumbler perform admirably!
- The design is heated so it integrates into the entire coating of the tumbler.
So, that’s the basic steps of making a DIY tumbler. However there’s room to choose from three different techniques. Either by using a tumbler mug press, an oven or even the unexpected Cricut Mug Press!
Application Of The Oven Method
You must use a sublimation plastic wrap after attaching your design to your tumbler with hot tape. To compress the wrap to fit, place it over the tumbler and apply a low-temperature heat source. This will apply the necessary pressure for a smooth transfer while holding your design firmly against the tumbler.
The kind of movement technique matters and the oven type you are using will determine the precise temperature and heating time. For instance, a conventional oven uses a setting of 400 degrees for around 15 minutes while toaster ovens with convection will heat the makeshift tumbler considerably more quickly.
Conclusion
When applied to items like tumblers, sublimation becomes an art rather than a solid science experiment. There are other factors at play, including the ink, print quality, pressure, time, overlapping areas, heat variations, and more. From the thinnest, the 20oz sublimation tumbler to the largest in width, the art has to be a careful, precise and sequential act.
