Method
Sublimation on polyester fabric
Sublimation dye turns to gas and bonds with polyester. It does not sit on the shirt like vinyl. Sawgrass and Xpres publish different time and temperature pairs for that job.
| Source | Temperature | Time | Pressure | Peel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sawgrass chart, polyester fabric | 205°C (400°F) | 45 seconds | Medium | Remove the paper after pressing |
| Sawgrass polo walkthrough | 204°C (400°F) | 45 seconds | High | Remove the shirt, then the paper |
| Xpres T-shirt guide | 190°C (374°F) | 60–70 seconds | Medium | Hot |
Sawgrass call their chart a starting place and say the real result also depends on the blank, a calibrated press, colour management and practice. Their polo article prints 400°F (204°C) rather than 205°C, at high pressure rather than medium. Treat that as the same ballpark with a different pressure note, not as a third temperature you need to hit exactly.
374°F next to the Xpres figure is our conversion. Xpres publish 190°C only. 400°F is what Sawgrass print; a straight conversion of 205°C is 401°F.
What will not sublimate
Cotton, dark shirts and ordinary canvas totes are out. Nylon is not on these charts and it scorches at this heat. Poly-cotton only takes dye in the polyester portion. For a full-colour design on cotton, use DTF or cut HTV instead.
If the image has a shadow or a double edge, that is ghosting: the paper moved, or the shirt shrank, while dye was still transferring. If the colour is weak, start with the faded print checks before you add time.
Hard goods are a different table. Mugs need a mug press and a much longer time. MDF, metal, slate and acrylic each have their own Sawgrass row.
How to press it
- Print mirrored on sublimation paper. Xpres say to mirror the artwork. Use sublimation ink and paper, not a normal inkjet print.
- Use a light polyester blank. Xpres say the process needs light-coloured polyester or a polymer coating. It will not work on cotton or on dark garments, because there is no white ink.
- Tape the paper and cover it. Xpres: tape the print face down, thread the shirt on the press, and cover it with a silicone sheet.
- Press one published pair. Sawgrass polyester fabric is 205°C (400°F) for 45 seconds at medium pressure. Xpres is 190°C for 60–70 seconds at medium pressure. Do not mix 205°C with a 70-second dwell unless a test shows you need it.
- Peel hot, on the Xpres method. Xpres say to remove the silicone sheet and peel while hot. Sawgrass’s polo note says to remove the shirt from the press and then remove the paper.
Common questions
Which polyester setting should I start with?
If you use Sawgrass inks and TruePix-style paper, start from their chart: 205°C for 45 seconds, medium. If you are following Xpres’s UK T-shirt guide, start at 190°C for 60–70 seconds, medium. Then change one thing at a time on a spare shirt.
Why is my poly-cotton print speckled?
Only polyester fibres take the dye. Cotton fibres stay the original colour, so a blend looks pale or heathered. There is no separate blend temperature on these charts.
The paper print looks dull. Is the press too cool?
Not always. Xpres say sublimation ink often changes colour when it is heated and can look brighter on the shirt than on the paper. Press a test before you reprint the whole run.
Sources
- Sawgrass sublimation heat press settings — polyester fabric, 205°C / 400°F, 45 seconds, medium
- Sawgrass polo shirt walkthrough — 400°F (204°C), 45 seconds, high pressure
- Xpres, how to sublimate T-shirts — 190°C, 60–70 seconds, medium, peel hot