How To Sublimate On Wood? (Done In 10 Easy Steps) 2023

Sublimation printing is a technique that transfers your desired design in vibrant colors to a blank surface. There are many different types of metals and materials used for sublimation.  It is creative and exciting to use sublimation to print photos and other designs into wood, cloth, metal, and more.

Do you know how to sublimate on wood for high-quality sublimation designs to decorate your home and rooms? If No! Don’t worry; due to the rising demand for wood in home décor, I will describe the easiest and most effective approach to sublimate wood. To get lovely outcomes, you should know that 100% polyester-coated material is acceptable for sublimation printing.

In this method, the technique I’m going to apply will also teach you how to sublimate on wood that hasn’t been treated. Additionally, I’ll utilize the thermal laminating sheet to prepare wood for sublimation.

Related Post: Can you Sublimate On Canvas

How To Sublimate On Wood?

Can you sublimate on wood? The answer is positive. Wood may be effectively printed with brilliant designs and colors using sublimation. We already understand that sublimation printing works well on polyester substrates. We must put a polyester coating on the wood’s printed surface to sublimate it.

As a good result, we can apply a lamination sheet since its exterior and shiny layer is formed of polyester resin or apply sublimation on wood with polycrylic. Furthermore, we will be sublimating on wood using a lamination sheet because it is inexpensive, trouble-free, and effective. Moreover, the wood should have a polymer coating to absorb the sublimation DIY better. It’s also important to remember that the wood you plan to use must be thin and fit for your heat press.

Moreover, If you intend to launch a wood sublimation business, you can finish your work quickly by following our thorough guide to sublimation printing on wood. After applying our strategies correctly, you will not need to go elsewhere.

Also Read: Can you sublimate On Glass

Several Types Of Wood That Can Be Sublimated:

Wood can be sublimated in wide forms because the thickness and color of the wood are distinctively their own, which could impact how your design appears when printed. People most well-liked choices preferred:

• Oak
• Pine
• Maple
• Cherry
• Mahogany

Material Required For Sublimation On Wood:

Before we begin the sublimation process, let us describe the equipment and materials required to complete the job because we need the necessary equipment to do the sublimate on wood. Check out the list below.

• Best Sublimation Printer
• Sublimation Ink
• Sublimation Paper
• Parchment Paper
• Butcher Paper
• Wood Blanks
• Heat Press Machine
• Heat Resistant Tape
• Thermal Laminating Sheet

How To Prepare The Wood For Sublimation?

To prepare your wood surface for sublimation, you must sand it down first. By doing this, you will get rid of any filth, dust, or waste that may exist on the wood’s surface. After the wood has been sanded, you must clean the wood with a wet & clean towel.

The next step is that you must coat the wood with a polycrylic solution. Because this will improve the print quality and help the inks stick to the wood. After the coating has dried, you can start sublimating on wood.

Process Of Sublimate On Wood | In-Depth Guide

There are various ways to sublimate wood using uncoated wood, but this is the first, simplest, and most effective way to achieve the desired effects. In case you don’t have time to read this guide. So watch this video to understand the canvas sublimation process.

Step 1: Availablity of wooden blanks and thermal lamination sheet

Before the beginning, you must have the wooden blanks you want to sublimate. And those components must be accurately cut to suit the heat press without difficulty. The design you wish to transfer should have a good appearance and dimensions under the cut wood. We also advise having the thermal laminating pouches. Because thermal laminating sheets protect the transferred design from damage, the substance will be secure even after coming into contact with many people’s hands or wetting with water.

Step 2: Cutting The laminating Sheets

Since the thermal laminating sheet will be larger than the heat press, you must cut it into two pieces. However, ensure the cut sheet is larger than the wood when cutting. Additionally, you can utilize the second cut sheet for the wooden project.

Step 3: Set Heat Press & Laminating Sheet

In this phase, we’ll tell you to set the heat press’s temperature and timing to the suggested levels. And after keeping the temperature and time at 385 F for approximately 60 seconds, we achieved the best results. After setting up the heat press machine, cover the heat press’s bottom with parchment paper. After that, place the wood pieces on top of the thermal laminated sheet.

Step 4: Place Parchment Paper On Wooden Piece

The next step is that you want to need to put parchment paper on top of wooden pieces and press for 60 seconds to adhere to the laminating sheet completely. Now, ensure that the wooden pieces stick to the laminating sheet properly,

Step 5: Extra Sheet Cutting

Now, You will need to cut the additional sheet around the wooden pieces. You could trim the extra sheet surrounding the piece of wood with scissors which is a simple task.

Step 6: Clean The Wood

Once the additional laminating sheet is cut. Simply clean and smooth the surface of the wood you want to utilize for sublimation using sandpaper or a paper towel. To achieve good outcomes, it is necessary to clean.

Step 7: Print Design Using Sublimation Printer

It’s time to print your design on heat transfer paper. Because you need the sublimation design to proceed with this project, if you are doing this only for business purposes, you will need an excellent print to entice customers. You must realize that only some printers can perform head this task, like sublimation printers. Therefore, you can use the best sublimation printer to print your design. You can only get the desired effects with high-quality sublimation ink and paper.

Step 8: Transfer Design On The Wood

After printing is complete, It’s time to transfer the design onto the selected wood. Before moving, ensure your printed design is equal and acceptable to your wood. Now, you can place the design onto the laminated surface of the wood. Furthermore, To avoid any hassle during the sublimation process, you must stick the design to the wood using heat-resistant tape.

Step 9: Apply Heat Press

In the last phase of this procedure, put the piece of wood back onto the heat press. After that, position the sublimation design to face the heating element, place the parchment paper onto the design, and put the heat press downward. After making the appropriate adjustments, heat press the design on wooden pieces for 60 seconds.

Step 10: Remove Sublimation Paper

The final step is to carefully remove the sublimation paper from the wood you applied to the design. Before touching, make sure you wear heat-resistant gloves to remove the sublimation paper; if you do not wear gloves, wait until the design doesn’t become cool. After removing the paper, you will see that your desired sublimation design has been prepared for wood sublimation.

Frequently Asked Question For Beginners

Final Thoughts

In the end, we hope that you are well aware of how to sublimate on wood. Because we did our best to test various approaches, and the thermal laminating sheet method turned out to be the most effective procedure for sublimation on wood. Additionally, you may also sublimate the uncoated wood using this procedure. Further, you do not need to spray the wood with polyacrylic or sublimation coating before attempting to transfer the design. You will perform the procedure carefully, following each instruction and using the suggested temperature and time. However, if you are unaware of the best temperature for sublimation on wood, one mistake might ruin your design and the wood.