Impressions - March 2016 - 59

PREVENTING CHIPPING
The market for hard-surface sublimation is expanding daily. There
are numerous opportunities to grow and expand your business into
new markets, such as personalized gifts, cell-phone cases, customized business products, schools, sports, professional photography,
fine art and more.
If you're already sublimating, here are a few helpful tips that will help
you avoid chipping on aluminum or metal products.
1. When removing the protective film from your panels, do not
use any hard or sharp tools that could possibly damage the
surface or edges. Also, remove the film without digging into
the sublimatable surface.
2. You may be able to save an aluminum panel with a chipped
edge by sanding it, which also prevents future chipping. Use
220-grit sandpaper and a sanding block to sand the edges and
round the corners. Sand in one consistent direction along the
edge, holding the block at a 45-degree angle to the face of the
aluminum in order to bevel the edge. Use even force and light
pressure so that you don't cause even more chipping.
3. If you experience chipping on small aluminum shapes (some
keychains, keepsakes etc.), you can lightly sand the edge after
sublimating to prevent chipping. If you sand before you sublimate, it may cause delamination. Sand the item in a different
location than where your heat press is located to prevent dust,
which may cause other sublimation issues.
4. When applying tape before pressing your panel, apply it to the
opposite sides, but not the corners of the transfer paper. Use
two or three pieces of tape on the sides of the panel close to the
corner. This will hold the transfer in place and still make it easy
to pull off. Once removed from the heat press, take the transfer
off as soon as possible by gently pulling where the transfer
paper is attached to the panel.
5. Handle all panels with care, especially when preparing them
for pressing. Use extra care with hot aluminum panels, especially around the edges.
6. Never lean panels against a wall. This can cause them to bow
when they are displayed. Store larger panels on a flat surface
before displaying them. When hanging panels, make sure they
have enough support so that they don't fall and get chipped.

Top
Augment the markets
to which you're
already selling by
expanding your
product offerings
to include products
like keychains
and magnets.
Bottom
There is significant
variety available
in the marketplace
for hard-surface
products that can
be sublimated.

Are you currently selling
Batman T-shirts because you
have a license? Take those
licensed items and add them
to hard surfaces. Batman
keychains can be great sellers
and add-ons to your current
product line.
5. Make sure you have what you
need to be successful. Get
the details on the ink you
will need for hard surfaces.
Here's the basic equipmentand-accessories recipe for
this type of decoration:
MARCH 2016

P.59

Impressions - March 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - March 2016