Can I Sublimate on Any Glass?

As a hobbyist, you might find the shiny glass surface an ideal canvas for printing your favorite designs. Considering this, you might have wondered, ‘Can I sublimate on any glass substrate.’ Although you can, following a few essential things to achieve the desired results is crucial.

Not all glasses are meant for sublimation; therefore, you must only use the suitable type while attempting this process. Failing to do so can cause the substrate to crack or even break, wasting all your efforts in no time. Moreover, you might injure yourself in the process of cleaning up the mess.

With that said, let’s discuss how using the right glass for sublimation can help prevent such occurrences and transfer bright images onto this material that remains intact for years to come.

Image Source: Unsplash

Is it Possible to Sublimate on Glass?

Being a hobbyist, you might get the urge to try sublimation on different materials. And we are sure you might have thought, “Can I sublimate on any glass” multiple times to unleash your creativity.

Well, a simple answer to this question is yes. You can definitely transfer vivid designs on any type of glass, but not as easily as on polyester fabric. Therefore, it’s crucial to first know a few requirements that are necessary to sublimate this substrate successfully. 

Precisely, you have two options to choose from – either go with a ceramic or tempered glass blank that’s manufactured especially for sublimation and is readily available in the market. If not, you will need a sublimation coating spray, an adhesive that will make the material capable of penetrating and binding ink dyes firmly.

Which Kind of Glass is the Best For Sublimation?

Refer to the table below to understand which glass type can bring out the best sublimation results.

How Can You Sublimate on Glass?

If you are wondering how can I sublimate on any glass, the below guide can help:

Required Materials

You will need the following equipment to get started with the process:

• Sublimation printer
• Sublimation ink
• Sublimation paper
• Glass substrate
• Heat press
• Teflon sheet or butcher paper
• Heat-resistant tape

Steps

Step 1: Transfer your Design to a Sublimation Paper

You need to get a hold of your desired design printed on a sublimation paper before proceeding towards the main process. For that, make sure to use a high-quality sublimation printer, ink, and paper, as these elements can make a huge difference in determining the quality of your final results.

Moreover, it’s also important to print the image in its actual configuration, which means there’s no need to mirror it. It’s because the sublimation paper is placed directly onto the glass surface and not upside down like other fabrics.

Step 2: Stick the Image onto the Glass

In the next step, carefully align the image on your glass substrate and stick it with heat-resistant tape on the corners. You can also use a heat-resistance pad over the image to prevent any burn marks during the process in case the temperature gets too high.

Step 3: Prepare Heat Press for Sublimation

Before you run the heat press, it’s crucial to first place a Teflon sheet or butcher paper on its panel. You can then stack it with the glass blank, ensuring the substrate faces downward. This way, it’s easier to visualize the progress of the design being transferred onto the substrate.

For added safety, you must add another Teflon sheet or butcher paper over the glass surface so it doesn’t come in direct contact with the heat, minimizing the chances of cracking the surface.

Step 4: Run the Heat Press

Finally, it’s time to run the heat press by adjusting the temperature settings to 390 degrees Fahrenheit. Continue the process for at least 30 seconds, but don’t exert extraordinary pressure, or you will end up with a ruined design. Even glass can break in a worst-case scenario.

Step 5: Let the Substrate Cool

Once you see the design has completely transferred from the sublimation paper to glass blank, stop heat pressing and let the material cool down at room temperature. Then, take off the Teflon sheet or butcher paper from the glass substrate.

You can now finally peel off the tape and remove the sublimation paper slowly to see how beautifully a glass surface can penetrate ink, leading to vivid outcomes.

Which Glass Items Can be Sublimated?

You can sublimate on any glass item if it can bear the high heat and has the capability to penetrate maximum ink dye, leading to durable prints. Here are a few common examples:

Cutting Board

If you want to add something quirky to your kitchen, sublimating a cutting board with colorful designs is definitely one of the ways to achieve it. You can get sublimation-ready cutting boards from the market and print vivid designs on them conveniently. Just make sure not to exceed the temperature of 365 degrees Fahrenheit.

Frame

Printing an image of your loved one on a glass frame can make up a perfect gift idea with emotional sentiments attached to it. However, you can’t directly sublimate a glass frame. As mentioned earlier, it’s important first to spray a sublimation coat on the surface and then proceed with the process.

Tile

It’s a good idea to replace ceramic tiles with those made of glass, and customizing them through sublimation will make them even more attractive. Moreover, glass tiles have higher heat endurance, so you don’t have to worry about any undesired cracks appearing mid-process, especially when heat pressing any design onto the substrate.

Magnet

You can craft custom glass magnets by purchasing a magnet and a glass blank separately from the market. Then, simply transfer your desired design onto the substrate and remove the adhesive from the magnet to stick both pieces together. Your customized glass magnet would be ready to stick on multiple surfaces like refrigerator, cupboard, etc.

Tips to Sublimate Glass Successfully

Sublimating glass requires extra attention since you are dealing with a delicate material that can break into several pieces with slight negligence. Here are some tips that can help you attempt the process smoothly:

• We highly recommend you choose tempered glass for vivid results. Its white and opaque background reflects light perfectly to give your artwork a shiny appearance.
• Never skip using a Teflon sheet or butcher paper while heat pressing, as this can make the glass brittle, which might even break afterwards.
• You must be careful while removing the glass from the heat panel after pressing is done. The substrate can be hot enough to burn your hands. Therefore, it’s highly recommended to wear heat-proof gloves while doing so.
• Before you start, make sure the glass substrate is free from any dirt marks or oil, as any external element can interfere with your final results. Simply cleaning it gently with a wet fabric can help, or you can also use mild soap for this purpose.

Final Thoughts

Sublimating on glass has a lot of potentials that you must explore as a hobbyist. But of course, you’d first want to know, ”Can I sublimate on any glass” before trying anything new? We hope all your queries regarding this are now clear after going through our comprehensive guide.

Simply put, you can sublimate on a sublimation-ready glass surface or coat it with a special adhesive and enjoy results just as you pictured in your mind.

FAQs

What is the ideal temperature for glass sublimation?

Generally, the ideal temperatures for glass sublimation are around 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. This can vary based on glass type and thickness.

Can you sublimate on regular glass?

Although you can sublimate on regular glass, its lower heat endurance can lead to a faded print, or the substrate may break during the process. However, it’s possible to overcome this challenge by sticking a layer of vinyl on it.

How long should the glass be heat pressed for sublimation?

For desired outcomes, i.e., vivid and long-lasting prints, you must heat press glass for at least half a minute with medium pressure.