Can You Use An Iron For Sublimation? Yes! You Can
Yes! You Use An Iron For Sublimation. Most craftsmen wonder if sublimation can be done with an iron. They don’t want to get a heat press. Instead, they want to use a household iron to do the sublimation transfer. Let me answer the question: Yes! Since the majority of irons can reach temperatures of up to 400 F, you can use them for sublimation.
But you do not use iron for sublimation. It might cause uneven results. Keep reading to learn about sublimation with iron. You will learn its downsides and how to get great results with iron.
Can You Use an Iron for Sublimation
Well, I’ve tried the sublimation with an iron. The results were good. I even didn’t get the difference sometimes. It was between a heat-press sublimated image and an iron-pressed one. But I won’t suggest using iron for sublimation to beginners. You can use Circuit infusible ink sheets, markers, or sublimation paper. You print on the paper with a sublimation printer.
Some Downsides to Keep In Mind
Before starting iron sublimation printing, look at some key points.
1. With iron sublimation, you can’t print curved items like mugs, tumblers, and plates. You can sublimate flat surfaces. This includes t-shirts, acrylic keychains, leather, and flat glass.
2. Larger prints cannot be produced on wide substrates. We sublimate them using a dedicated heat press.
3. You cannot use iron to measure the pressure. We measure it on a heat press using the PSI parameter or medium pressure. Another factor is the time which is completely essential as the pressure is. Use of the timer is required for the time count.
4. The iron with the steam option on and filled with water should not be used. Flush the water out of the iron and turn off the steam option.
I would love to use an iron without any steam option. The holes under the iron will affect the sublimation transfers. Thus, the prints won’t transfer.
I usually use a stainless steel iron which is a cheaper option than a high-end iron. To be honest, nothing beats the quality of my heat press.
5. Do not apply heat and pressure many times on each section. This is because the colors will not transfer. It would make some spots dark and others light. This happens due to uneven pressure and time. Also, using iron is strictly prohibited if you frequently sell those products sublimated online.
We’ll exert a fair amount of pressure, similar to what we would with an Easypress from Cricut. If you’ve used the Cricut Easypress before then you can get a clue about applying the amount of pressure.
6. If you own a digital household iron, it will show the temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius. It is recommended that you use an iron between 385 and 400 F, which is the greatest temperature possible. For a more detailed guide read: Can I use an iron instead of a heat press?
How To Use Sublimation Paper With Iron
I’ve used both methods. I used a heat press and an iron. They show the difference in quality and perfection.
I’ve printed the designs using a sublimation printer. But, you can use Cricut infusible markers and sheets too.
To transfer both test patterns, I’ll be utilizing a polyester bag as my substrate. I used my heat press to press the sublimation paper for 52 seconds at 365 degrees Fahrenheit.
To prepare the substrate, I taped the sublimation paper to the fabric. I faced the printed side down. Then, I covered it with a Teflon sheet or butcher paper. And here is the final result of using a heat press.
Using An Iron
I’m going to use an iron to sublimate the same image now. Iron won’t allow us to count down the time, so I’ve utilized a timer to clock down the seconds. Additionally, I used the same preparation for the sublimation paper as I did for the heat press procedure.
I pressed down firmly and set the iron to its highest heat setting for roughly fifty seconds. When using heat, avoid moving the iron as this can cause the image to ghost. Also, use the heat press mat beneath the substrate.
Now you can see the difference between a heat press result and an iron sublimating result. In contrast to heat press colors, iron pressing colors are more subdued. That’s the reason I advised against using iron for sublimation. But, it is your personal choice to use it or not. These were the results of the small images. To test the outcomes, though, I submerged a larger image. I need to apply the iron many times on the substrates because of the larger image.
However, the huge polyester fabric’s iron-on sublimation transfer also worked out beautifully. However, there are some white shadow lines in the picture.
Even so, I experimented with other do-it-yourself projects using iron and sublimation phone cases. And the results I got were like my tests with the polyester bag above. One phone case had iron sublimation and was a bit faded with light colors. The second was pressed with a heat press and turned out rich in colors.
Other than iron sublimation, many crafters use a convection oven. They use it to print mugs and tumblers with sublime wrap. There are countless methods to experiment with, but utilizing a heat press is the most practical one.
Can You Use An Iron Instead Of A Heat Press?
No, a heat press should not be substituted with an iron. Iron cannot do sublimation like the heat press as I’ve tried and shown you the results of a heat press and iron. You can use it for DIY. But, for selling, iron is not suitable for making personalized products for customers.
Conclusion
To conclude, you can try the iron-on sublimation transfers. But, we can’t guarantee iron will work to transfer the images well. Iron does not support the most important ideal temperature, pressing duration, or applied pressure. But, if you want to use a household iron for sublimation, then start by messing up with small substrates. Read the above precautions.
Read More: Best Sublimation Ink for Epson Eco Tank & Sawgrass for Cotton
