Pressing Info

• For quick reference (and if you want to print it out to keep near your press), the summary of our optimum time, temperature, and pressure are listed in a table at the bottom of this info before the Notes,  for each of our different thickness and finishes of metal.
• The range of temps allows for differences in presses. For our metal, our presses operate at the temperature shown and in the middle of the time range. To find the perfect temperature and time for your make of press, we suggest you start at the middle or lower end of the time scale and experiment changing time from the lower range to the maximum listed and then if still not perfect adjust the temperature up or down and then extend up through the times again.
• Use a hinge of tape as described below and the metal offcut pieces that we often supply as extras in your orders (if you run out you can order more here), to experiment and find the sweet spot for your press and our metal to get your perfect settings for each type.
• We mention using sacrifice paper in places, this could be butcher / fish and chip shop paper or just thin copy paper- just something to protect the metal from stray ink marks and your pressing platen from contamination

INSTRUCTIONS

• Remove the plastic scratchproof coating from the coated side of the metal. Most of our sublimation metal (except those that are marked ‘Double sided’) have one coated side and a dull brushed silver or shiny silver reverse, so be careful – particularly if your metal is the brushed silver finish – when removing the plastic, to note which is the correct side.
• Lay your sublimation print down and lay your metal on top– image to the side you removed the plastic from. Secure with a long piece of heatproof tape onto the back of the metal on one edge only (like a hinge).
• Place the metal on the base of the heat press with the back of the metal up and transfer paper UNDER the aluminium and a piece of sacrifice paper and/or silicon sheet on top. The heat will conduct through the metal giving a better finish.
• Press metal at 185 degrees C for 50-65 seconds at light/medium pressure – starting with the lower settings if you’ve not pressed metal before. Higher pressure may be needed for panels larger than A3.
• Quickly check, by lifting one edge, (the tape hinge keeping the image in place) that the print is fully transferred, then you can wait for the metal to cool before removing the transfer (as it will be very hot, and it is difficult to remove the tape without burning yourself!) If the image has not transferred fully, lay the metal back in place and re-press for a further 10 seconds, repeat until your image is vibrant and the sublimation paper shows an even transfer. Be careful not to overheat (see trouble shooting for more info)

• Use the instructions above but with 10 second approx. longer pressing time for this denser metal.

• Use the instructions above but with 20 second approx. longer pressing time for this thicker metal.

  (Handle carefully so as not to scratch/dent the unprotected side whilst pressing – particularly with the thinner 0.22mm metal and be careful not to burn yourself trying to press the other side too quickly – allow to cool a little before handling!)

• Follow the method for single sided printing with these extra instructions: Remove the plastic scratchproof coating from both sides of the metal first.
• Press one side at a time, with the metal below the print both times. You can use tape on the first press – and use the hinged method above to check you are happy with the transfer before removing.
• Allow to cool, remove tape and ensure there is no residue left behind before pressing the other side.
• For the second side avoid taping over the printed area unless there are any blank areas – as some tape can remove colour from the print – so test this first on a scrap piece if possible. If tape can’t be used on the print side, you can print the transfer on a piece of paper larger than needed then wrap the paper all the way round and tape it to itself rather than the metal, or you can use heat spray or no tape – just be very careful that the piece does not move whilst it is being pressed.
• If not fully wrapped, place a piece of sacrifice paper over the top of the printed metal side to protect it.

• Manufacturer’s (Unisub) instructions. These are for larger panels (8×10) so smaller pieces may not need such a long time.
• Remove plastic scratchproof coating. In press, printable side of the material up, transfer on TOP, face down. They advise using a sheet or two of absorbent paper (or for larger pieces Endura fabric) underneath and above the material to absorb any excess moisture from the transfer.
• Medium pressure – but for larger panels higher pressure might be needed.
• Upon removing from press, allow aluminium to cool for 20-30 seconds before removing the transfer. This allows the coating to re-harden and minimises the chance of edge damage.

Your metal item should look stunning – vibrant colours and highly detailed.

• If the surface looks dull or tarnished instead of lovely and glossy you have overheated your item – lower the temperature or decrease the time on your next attempt.
• Colours should be vibrant – If the colours look faded / washed out, you have not pressed the metal for long enough. Re-press for a further 10 secs with the transfer in place.
• The image should be evenly printed – if anything looks faded in places / patchy and/or you notice the sublimation paper print has areas that still have ink on it – then check your pressure, too little and some areas , particularly edges may not transfer properly, too much and you risk trapping the sublimation gases between the metal and press and causing odd uneven patches (though we find pressing with the paper UNDER the metal helps prevent this, as the gas can escape more easily through the bottom sponge on the press than if on top against the heat element)
• If you have a stubborn area still not transferring, try rotating the piece 90 degrees before re-pressing for 10 seconds, to combat any cold spots or uneven pressure on your heat press platen.
• As mentioned, you will need to experiment to find the sweet spot for your press.

Metal	Temperature	Time	Pressure
0.35, 0.5, and 0.7mm Aluminium	185 c	50-65 seconds	Light / medium
(inc. outdoor grade, textured and matt)
0.7mm Steel (magnetic)	185 c	60-75 seconds	Light / medium
1 mm Aluminium (inc outdoor grade and matt)	185 c	60-90 seconds	Light / medium
Chromaluxe 1.1mm Aluminium	200 c	60-80 seconds	Medium
Double sided 0.22mm Aluminium	185 c	50-70 seconds	Light / medium
Double sided 0.5mm Aluminium	185 c	70-90 seconds	Light / medium
Double sided 0.7 and 1 mm Aluminium	185 c	85-105 seconds	Light / medium

3D products – Cuff bracelets, heart wraps, napkin rings and other curved/wavy items are formed AFTER pressing by bending around our Forming jig here (which produces consistent results every time) or a cylindrical object (like a can) – For instructions on how to bend standard or scored items to be freestanding click here

Printing and Pressing Hints and Tips
Printing and pressing your metal items well and to a high standard is key to maximising sales and growing your business. Here at Subli Metals we offer a support service for any problems or issues that you might have, along with our money back guarantee. All our metal is coated with polyester which means it is suitable for sublimation. Use our pressing information above to the letter (including experimenting with the offcut pieces we send with orders) as it is key to finding the sweet spot for your press and getting a good consistent finish – we regularly test new items, finishes and batches of metal to ensure you’re getting premium products that always press well. 

• Design work  
  Every item begins with design work! We have two main areas which our customers sell into, the pre-printed market and the personalised market. For the pre-printed market designs tend to be generic “World’s best daddy” or “Merry Christmas” and copyright free! For the personalised market you can work more closely to give the client an individual product. You need a design programme,  like Photoshop, Affinity Designer/Affinity Photo, Corel Draw or Illustrator that supports the ICC profile that your sublimation ink supplier supplies you with. Remember to always flip designs before printing so it prints the correct way. Also use our free downloadable templates for anything that is not a standard shape (so non circular or rectangular) so your designs fit precisely. 
• Printing Tips
  We get asked for printing tips all the time! We’re always here to support you if you’re having any issues. There are always three key variables you need to remember that affect your printing.
  1. Creating and printing your design – making sure you have flipped it ready for printing. Make sure to use a template or ensure you leave a 2mm bleed around your design, to help lining up your item onto the print. Print using correct settings from ICC supported software.
  2. Pressing your item –  While your press is heating up stick your metal to the design using heat proof tape along one long edge. Enure you peel the protective film off the metal!
  3. Check Your Design – Once your design has been pressed use the sellotape hinge to immediately check your design has sublimated correctly. If any areas are faint, then repress straight away – place the item in the press at a different angle and reheat for 10-20 secs.

More Troubleshooting
Despite the best intentions there are sometimes still problems when printing and pressing. These are some common problems and  issues we have seen customers have in our 20+ years of printing! and how to solve them:

• Patchy Black Large areas of dark colours, particularly black can cause problems. Usually solved by doing a nozzle and/or head check and clean on the printer, or ensuring more drying time between printing and pressing (we always place the printed sheet under the press for 30 secs or so before pressing to dry out the ink when sublimating large solid dark areas of colour).
• Fading / Blurring / Ghosting We get this a lot – when people have forgotten to remove the protective film before printing, or if not using a tape hinge and trying to align the transfer for a further press – always use a tape hinge! 
• Design not Perfect. There are three variables with pressing metal, time, temperature and pressure. If you’re having trouble our first options would be to alter these for different results. Metal is so conductive it only needs light to medium pressure – but this can be difficult to guage on different presses – so try experimenting with different pressures first, before adjusting time/temp
• Blotchy areas. This tends to be when people have put the metal underneath the print on the press instead of paper on the bottom and metal on top (as this is the opposite way to most other substrates!). This alternate method gives the sublimation gas a chance to escape through the soft bottom platen, rather than getting trapped between the metal and the hard heated top platen -resulting in fewer blemishes. Heat set too high also causes metal to look patchy, as if the gloss has worn off in places – Remember metal sublimates at around 15 degrees C lower than most other substrates.