How to Make Sublimation Kitchen Towels!
Can you ever have enough kitchen towels? Today I'm going to teach you how to make sublimation kitchen towels on waffle weave towels, hand towels, and microfiber towels.There are some tricks to getting the sublimation just right on these different towels so keep reading to learn all my tips for beautifully sublimated towels.
Equipment
- Sublimation Printer
- Sublimation Ink
- Lint Roller
- Heat Resistant Gloves
- Tape Dispenser
- Free Mason Jar Sublimation Design
- EasyPress
What You Will Need
- Sublimation Paper
- Protective Paper
- Heat Resistant Tape
- Waffle Weave Large from Conde
- Waffle Weave Small from Conde (sold out)
- Waffle Weave from Heat Transfer Warehouse
- Bath Towel from Conde
- Roll of Foam
Instructions
How to Prepare Waffle Weave Kitchen Towels for Sublimation
- Use protective paper to cover the EasyPress Mat, that will prevent any sublimation ink from transferring onto the mat.
- I have added a piece of foam that is larger than the sublimation print but smaller than the sublimation paper to the EasyPress Mat.
Preheat Kitchen Towel
- Add protective paper to the top of the foam and EasyPress Mat.
- Arrange your towel so the area you want to sublimate is on top of the foam. You want the foam to be larger than the sublimation design.
- Preheat the area for 5-10 seconds. This will remove any moisture and wrinkles helping to ensure a beautiful finished sublimation design.
- Allow the towel to cool completely before adding your sublimation print to avoid any ghosting.
- While the towel is cooling I like to lint roll at an angle. This will remove any lint or hair and also helps lift any areas of the waffle weave that may have been pressed down with the EasyPress.
Apply Sublimation Print to Waffle Weave Kitchen Towel
- My sublimation print has torn edges. The torn edges help prevent any harsh press marks from the EasyPress or heat press.
- You want the print to be smaller than the foam but the overall paper to be larger than the foam.
- Use heat-resistant tape to hold the sublimation print in place. I like to add a piece to each corner.
- Cover the entire sublimation print with protective paper and we're ready to press!
Applying Heat to Kitchen Towels
- I found 380 degrees for 45 seconds worked best for these waffle weave towels. I think using the lower temp and less time kept the weave from being completely crushed down.
- For pressure, we want to press down until the foam is compressed about halfway. Hold the pressure for the entire 45 seconds and then remove the heat.
- Peel back the sublimation print and reveal your new gorgeous towel.
- If you find that the waffle is a little crushed, run a lint roller over it in both directions and that should lift all the fibers back up.
- If there are any press marks around the outside edge I have success getting rid of them by going over them with my EasyPress Mini.