Now that the holidays will soon be upon us, I decided to craft a Coasters for Santa’s Milk using Iron-on-Ink. I did not want Santa to not have a special gift to go with his snack.
What are Artesprix Sublimation Arts & Craft Supplies?
You ask “what is sublimation ink or crafting”, well for me I see it as an extension of what I currently use. Artesprix Iron-on Ink offers a complete line of sublimation products that allow artists and crafters to personalize polyester-coated blanks with their own designs.
I have discovered Sublimation Markers and Sublimation Iron-on Ink are two forms of the same product. It is heat transferable ink. I can color in stamped images with the markers after I stamp the images using the sublimation iron-on-ink onto printer paper. This ink in marker form or pad form is amazingly intense and colorful once it is ironed or heat press set onto the final blank used for the project. It will appear dull on the printer paper but the final product is beyond belief.
Materials:
Sublimation Markers
Sublimation Stamp Pad – Black
Acrylic Stamp Block
Heat Tape
Protective Paper Roll
Heat Press
Textured Coasters 4ct
Stamps
Step-by-Step Tutorial:
Step 1: Start by tracing the blank to be used. I always rough trace, leaving additional white space for ease of alignment of my design.
Step 2: Stamp the Christmas scene using the Artesprix black sublimation iron-on-ink stamp pad onto the printer paper with the template you created. These stamps are perfect for Coasters for Santa’s Milk using Iron-on-Ink.
Step 3: Next, using the sublimation markers in various shades of green I colored in the tree and greenery creating texture and dimension. I used several shades of brown to color the mice and the floor boards. The final coloring was just picking out appropriate colors to make a realistic scene. When coloring I decide where I want shadowing to occur and then started by coloring the images in the lighter colors. I finish up by adding the darker shades.
Pro Tip: I usually turn on the heat press during this stage of my creating. This allows plenty of time to get the press to the proper temperature. For this blank, I preheated by Heat Press to 400℉.
Step 4: Center the design onto the blank and using heat resistant tape attach it to the blank ensuring it does not move. The heat resistant tape is important because it resists the heat and does not leave sticky residue onto the finished product.
Step 5: This is what is referred to as a "sublimation sandwich". Cut two pieces of the protective paper larger than the project. The blank with the colored design secured is placed between the two sheets of protective paper. This protects the heating surface from the sublimation ink being transferred onto it as well as keeping the blank from being scorched.
Step 6: Heat Press according to the Blank. Different materials transfer at different rates. For the Textured Coaster, transfer at 400℉ for 90 seconds. If you're using a Home Iron, set to highest heat, no steam, and transfer for 3 minutes.
Step 7: The most important step of the project is the Peek Test! Do not remove the tape from the blank until you lift a corner of the paper with the colored design to verify the image did transfer and the colors are at the intensity that you desire. If they are not meeting your expectations, repress. This could mean the press was not fully heated and just needs a bit more time, or item not sandwiched and placed correctly onto the heat press.
Step 8: Time for the big reveal! Peel off the tape and the paper to reveal the vibrant colors on the coaster. We have come a long way from what once looked like dull coloring to a beautiful brightly colored coaster for Santa’s milk cup.
I hope you enjoyed my Coasters for Santa’s Milk using Iron-on-Ink project. I am looking forward to creating more fun projects this term with Iron-on-Ink. If you liked this Blog, check out my Metal Ornament Blog for November 2021 Blank of the Month. You can find more of my work over on my Instagram.
Thanks for stopping by!
Adam
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