Can You Sublimate a Tumbler Twice

Do you want to know that can you sublimate a tumbler twice? All of the information you require is provided. Read on.

Can You Sublimate a Tumbler Twice
Can You Sublimate a Tumbler Twice

Can you sublimate a tumbler twice? If you ask us a quick question, We would say “It depends,” since a polyester shirt that has already been sublimated can be sublimated again.

Yes, you can sublimate a tumbler twice, but the results may vary. The second sublimation might not be as vibrant or clear as the first due to potential misalignment or residual ink. It’s important to carefully realign the design and ensure the tumbler can handle additional heat.

On the other hand, doing too much sublimation can mess up the colors that have already been sublimated on shirts. This is because the image that has already been sublimated may ghost, bend, or bleed the sublimation ink, which can cause the colors to melt and mix, or even turn yellow from too much heat. Let’s go over double sublimation in more depth now.

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Key Takeaways:

  • You can sublimate a tumbler twice, but results may vary, with potential issues like misalignment and reduced vibrancy.
  • For the second sublimation, use a lower temperature and longer pressing time to avoid damaging the existing design.
  • When sublimating over an existing design, ensure the new design is darker to effectively cover the previous image.
  • You can layer sublimation designs, but protect previous layers with butcher paper or a Teflon sheet to prevent yellowing from excessive heat.
  • Repeated sublimation may cause colors to mix, bleed, or fade, so handle the process with care to maintain quality.

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Is it Possible to Sublimate on Top of Sublimation- Detailed Answer:

In sublimation, we mostly use two kinds of media. One is a hard substrate that has been coated with a polymer. The other is a cloth that has a lot of polyester in it or a t-shirt that is made of polyester only.

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An Essential Read for Hard Substrates:

First, let’s talk about hard surfaces that you might see, like mugs, plates, tumblers, and shiny glass. After taking off the image, you can either sublimate the image on top of the already sublimated image or the other side of the base. It depends on your needs.

Sublimating an image on top of a previously sublimated image is not a good idea because the already sublimated ink could start melting, which would cause disappearing and bending problems. Your substrate and design would also be damaged. The substrate will still take the sublimation ink, though.

If you want to sublimate the mug or glass again on the other side of the substrate, you can do so at a lower temperature and for a few more pressing times. 

The low temperature and longer time is a safe way to sublimate because the mug will be heated each time. This way, the picture on the substrate will not be damaged. It’s safe to sublimate on the other side.

What should you do if you take off the sublimation picture and then want to put it back on? When you make a mistake, you only take away the sublimation in ways. You also won’t be able to re-sublimate the substrate until you take off the sublimation picture. The already sublimated colors will still be visible, even if the picture gets darker.

This way is safe. You just made a mistake when you took off the sublimation ink. we know that the picture will be faded because the sublimation ink won’t be completely gone.

The good news is that you can sublimate the darker picture on top of the damaged lighter picture. But make sure to sublimate the image with darker colors than the image that has already been sublimated. 

This is because the darker image will cover up the sublimation print that is broken. It’s how you can burn off the condensed ink that is already on the mug to do the next step.

  • Set the heat to 480F for two minutes to get rid of as much dissolved ink as possible.
  • Be sure to use butcher paper to wrap it.
  • The sublimated picture will turn yellow and the colors will fade. Also, be careful not to touch the mug because it will be very hot, and wear gloves.
  • Wait for the mug to cool down.
  • Wrap the mug around the darker picture and sublimate it again.

As long as the polymer coat on the surface of the ink is safe, the mug will accept it.

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Can You Sublimate a Tumbler Twice:

Can You Sublimate a Tumbler Twice Detailed Guide
Can You Sublimate a Tumbler Twice

The answer is yes! It is possible to sublimate a tumbler twice, but remember that the lower temperature is needed the second time so as not to damage the picture that was already sublimated on the other side.

But if you want to sublimate on top of a picture that has already been sublimated, try the above method of over-sublimating on a mug to fix the mistake. To give you a quick idea, the tumbler should have the light color picture hidden under the dark color image when we over-sublimate.

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Is it Possible to Layer Sublimation?

Yes, you can put the design under the heat in layers. But make sure to put butcher paper or a Teflon sheet over the sublimated picture to protect it. If you don’t, the extra heat will damage the sublimated layers, which is why the pictures will turn yellow.

But if you want to layer like we do with HTV, you can do it with sublimation on HTV, just like we do with white glitter HTV.

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Bottom Line: Can You Sublimate a Tumbler Twice

When it comes to sublimating complicated patterns, the process can be a little tricky. You can sublimation print on almost any object, like steel, fabric, leather, plastic, and wood. You can add three more prints to an item that already has a sublimation print on it.

We hope you know the answer to your question: yes, you can sublimate on top of sublimation. Sure, but the effects you want won’t come out the way you want them to. Even though there are some things to think about before re-sublimating, you should follow and read them all the way through.


FAQ

You can heat transfer the mug again to fully release the ink into the substrate if the sublimated image is only partly transferred. Just be careful not to shadow or ghost the sublimated image. 

If you want to print on the sublimation paper again and use it again, however, the clear answer is no! There is no way to print on the transfer paper again. It will work, but the effects will wear off quickly.

The second copy, on the other hand, depends on how good your sublimation paper is. If your sublimation paper is very good but loses all of its color when heated, you won’t be able to use it again.

Well, you need to keep an eye on the temperature, and if you heat press the sublimated picture again, the colors may lift and ghost. If you want to heat press the sublimation twice as hard, you should put the temperature down.

It can be made a second time, just like shirts and mugs. But you need to make sure that the first design doesn’t change. If it does, it will look like ghost pictures.

For people who are new to sublimation, baking the glass in a convection oven (also called a sublimation oven) is one of the best ways to do it. For sublimation heaters, 375°F (190°C) for 5 to 6 minutes is the recommended time and temperature setting.

Spray isopropyl alcohol on a soft cloth and wipe down the mug. Use hot tape to print the sublimation transfer and stick it to the tumbler. Go ahead and put the tumbler in the mug press. Press and hold for the time given.

Last Updated on June 8, 2024 by Muhammad Haseeb

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