Can you sublimate over sublimation? [Top 3 best tips]

Can you sublimate over sublimation? Sublimation printing is a fantastic technique that you can use to make beautiful designs on a countless range of surfaces, the technique is getting more popular by the day thanks to its simplicity and its ability to make lovely, long-lasting prints.

It’s common knowledge that you can sublimate on several materials but can you sublimate over another sublimation? This and every important detail you need will be explained in detail in this article.

Can you sublimate on sublimation?

Yes, you can sublimate over sublimation by approaching it carefully and taking necessary precautions, it is called “Layer sublimation”.

Sublimation printing is a very popular method to create complex designs and awesome prints, and it works on numerous types of materials when considering sublimating over a sublimated image.

Technically, any canvas you use for sublimation once can be sublimated again if the right steps are followed, the only issue is you have to carefully select your color choices, I recommend using a white background for this technique.

This amazing method permits the development of stunning, elaborate, and sophisticated designs. 

You can add more depth and texture, to your masterpieces by combining many sublimation transfer layers, giving the result a more realistic and amazing look.

How to sublimate in layers

You can easily sublimate in layers if you want to make your existing print even more beautiful or if you want another design on the other side of your canvas, the steps to achieve the best outcome are explained below.

Get everything you will need

Before proceeding with this amazing process you will have to set up your working environment and gather everything you need, below are the fundamentals you should get ready.

Sublimation printer: Ensure you have a high-quality sublimation printer to ensure a swift and easy sublimation process.

Sublimation papers: Go for high-quality sublimation paper to avoid compromising the design, sublimation papers are primarily designed for this purpose and regular paper cannot be used as a substitute.

Sublimation ink: I recommend getting good sublimation ink as this technique needs to help you ensure stunning and vivid prints. Using inferior sublimation ink may affect the appearance of your work.

Heat press: This will be used to imprint your design on your sublimation blank. You should note that you cannot use a regular pressing iron as a substitute as it does not get hot enough.

Decide on the positions

Now that you have gotten everything you need ready, it’s time to make the big choice and decide how you want your new design to look.

 Make the parts you want to sublimate on your sublimation paper and leave enough margins to prevent color bleeding.

For instance, if the first layer is a sketch of Cristiano Ronaldo’s face and your new sublimation print will be “CR7” you should mark the area you think is best for the inscription on the sublimation paper.

Tape the top layer

After deciding what you want and printing your design you should position and tape the new sublimation design according to the markings you did earlier (use heat-resistant tape), the markings will help you ensure everything is correct and also help you prevent overlapping prints. Be very careful during this process to prevent the sublimation ink from affecting the first layer.

Tape the paper

After this, you should tape the sublimation paper ensuring that it is positioned correctly, check the edges to ensure everything is the way you want it, and make sure that both the material and heat transfer paper are smooth.

Press it

Now that everything is ready it’s time for heat pressing, you should turn on your heat press and set the correct settings depending on your sublimation blank, carefully raise the press after the sublimation process.

There you have it, your brilliant design has gotten even better, by following the above steps religiously you can use this technique to make your sublimation skills even better and produce amazing sublimation pieces.

Advantages of layer sublimation

Creativity: This amazing technique allows you to unleash your creativity and try out new designs, you get the chance to experiment on different ideas and produce fantastic outcomes.

Versatility: This heat transfer method can be used on an endless range of surfaces, from a t-shirt to mugs and sublimation tumblers.

Enhanced beauty: You get to put another sublimated image on a previous print, meaning you get double the beauty, combining layers of sublimation ink helps you attain more excellent sublimation print.

Disadvantages of layer sublimation

Complex: The procedure of adding multiple layers is far more complex than just doing a single sublimation design on a canvas, and it’s generally more stressful to sublimate over sublimation.

Error-prone: This technique can help you make your sublimation designs better but several things can go wrong, including sublimation ink from the upper layer affecting the bottom one.

Time-consuming: The process is very time-consuming as you have to wait a while for one sublimated image to dry before adding another sublimation print.

Tips for getting the best results

Always use markings: The significance of marking and alignment in this technique is very underrated, properly marking and aligning your work is the best way to guarantee that the outcome will be excellent. Good design software will come in very handy in aspects like this.

Practice: Practicing is one of the most common secrets I recommend to perfecting this technique, sublimating over and over again helps you get better every time you try, the more you sublimate, the more professional you get.

Practicing also helps you discover possible mistakes you can make and how to adjust them.

Use high-quality materials only: You should know that the caliber of materials you use for sublimation has a vital role to play in determining how your project will turn out, make sure everything you use is of the highest quality, from the sublimation printer to the butcher paper and Teflon sheet, everything you use will affect your final design.

FAQ

The bottom line

Sublimation printing is a very fun and exciting process that can yield excellent results when done properly, by following necessary precautions and using this article as a guide you can easily sublimate in layers, explore intriguing ideas, and create jaw-dropping designs.