# HELP WITH SUBLIMATION NOT WORKING!!!!



## LisaO97 (May 16, 2021)

I am new to sublimation printing. I have an Epson ET 2760 and I just completely cleaned it out of it's original ink and put Seogol Sublimation Ink for Ecotank and I print on A-Sub 125G paper and it will not transfer onto my shirts! I don't know what I am doing wrong. I have a Cricut EasyPress 2 and I press at 400 degrees for 55 seconds! Any help would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Did you use a syringe to suck out all your old ink out of the tubes leading to the print head?


----------



## LisaO97 (May 16, 2021)

yes, I also cleaned them with Epson compatible printhead cleaner and then printed on regular paper until all the old ink was completely gone.


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

OK, more troubleshooting questions.

1. You are using polyester garments?
2. You are printing on the right side of the paper? 
3. When printed, the ink looks dull and off-color?
4. Your entire image fits completely under the easypress without having to move it around?


----------



## LisaO97 (May 16, 2021)

1. Yes my garment is 68% polyester. 
2. I believe I’m printing on the right side one side is blank and the other has the logo on it. 
3. It looks a little dulled out.
4. Yes, the image fits under to whole easy press. I use butchers paper and a Teflon sheet to protect the shirt. And I’ve bought ready to press designs that work well with that combo. I have no idea what’s wrong.


----------



## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

Okay, so far so good. Tells us more about those shirts, what brand and style number? Some shirts don't' sublimate, despite having enough poly content. Also, what color are the shirts? Sublimation ink can only darken the shirt color, can't lighten. That's why most sublimation is done on white or pastel colored garments.


----------



## LisaO97 (May 16, 2021)

It’s a pastel blue I believe the brand is rabbit skins? And I bought a ready to press design for the front of it and it worked well, but mine isn’t working. Umm I also tried to sublimate the design like as soon as I printed it are you supposed to wait?


----------



## JazzBlueRT (Feb 22, 2021)

I press fabrics for 60 - 70 seconds on medium pressure. Can a Cricut Easy press apply pressure properly for sublimation?

65% poly fabrics will look dull and washed out.


----------



## webtrekker (Jan 28, 2018)

When you say


LisaO97 said:


> It’s a pastel blue I believe the brand is rabbit skins? And *I bought a ready to press design for the front of it and it worked well, but mine isn’t working.* Umm I also tried to sublimate the design like as soon as I printed it are you supposed to wait?


When you say yours isn't working, do you mean absolutely nothing is printed on the shirt, or is there a trace and of what colour?


----------



## LisaO97 (May 16, 2021)

My Sublimation isn't working at all. Nothing is sublimating onto the shirt at all.


----------



## LisaO97 (May 16, 2021)

JazzBlueRT said:


> I press fabrics for 60 - 70 seconds on medium pressure. Can a Cricut Easy press apply pressure properly for sublimation?
> 
> 65% poly fabrics will look dull and washed out.


 yes I can apply proper pressure. I have never had an issue with ready to press designs I purchase offline but my own printer I just set up isn't working.


----------



## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

LisaO97 said:


> It’s a pastel blue I believe the brand is rabbit skins? And I bought a ready to press design for the front of it and it worked well, but mine isn’t working. Umm I also tried to sublimate the design like as soon as I printed it are you supposed to wait?


Yes, should wait 15 - 20 minutes for the ink to dry, as the moisture turning to steam on press can "blow away" the ink gasses and cause disruption to the image. But that might have resulted in a poor print, not no print. So something else is going on.

Given that the sublimation transfer you bought worked on the shirt, there is rerally no explanation left other than the ink in your printer not being sublimation ink. You did all the right stuff to get the old ink out of the printer, so the new ink you put in has to be the problem.


----------



## LisaO97 (May 16, 2021)

NoXid said:


> Yes, should wait 15 - 20 minutes for the ink to dry, as the moisture turning to steam on press can "blow away" the ink gasses and cause disruption to the image. But that might have resulted in a poor print, not no print. So something else is going on.
> 
> Given that the sublimation transfer you bought worked on the shirt, there is rerally no explanation left other than the ink in your printer not being sublimation ink. You did all the right stuff to get the old ink out of the printer, so the new ink you put in has to be the problem.


I have Seogol Sublimation ink for Epson printers. I bought it off of amazon. It's where my problem is still??


----------



## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

LisaO97 said:


> I have Seogol Sublimation ink for Epson printers. I bought it off of amazon. It's where my problem is still??


The transfer that you bought somewhere and that worked, it was a regular sublimation transfer? Not EasiSubli vinyl, or the like? It imparted nothing to the shirt but color, no layer of plastic, nothing you can feel?

Well, you can try again. This time let the print dry before pressing. If that still doesn't work, the only real difference between the print that worked and the ones that don't is the ink. Mistakes happen, perhaps the bottles were mislabeled (like the other ink makers, it seems that they make normal inks too, not just sublimation inks). The bottles are clearly labeled as sublimation ink, right? Else someone might just have pulled the wrong thing off the shelf.


----------



## JazzBlueRT (Feb 22, 2021)

LisaO97 said:


> yes I can apply proper pressure. I have never had an issue with ready to press designs I purchase offline but my own printer I just set up isn't working.


Maybe go out to a fabric store or Joann's and buy some cheap polyester fabric to test on while you sort out the problem. If nothing transferred then either the ink is not sublimation ink or the temp is way too low. Sublimation requires temps of 385 - 400 F. What kind of "ready to press" design did you buy?


----------



## DrivingZiggy (Apr 24, 2017)

Have you VERIFIED that your press is actually heating up to the desired temperature?


----------



## LisaO97 (May 16, 2021)

DrivingZiggy said:


> Have you VERIFIED that your press is actually heating up to the desired temperature?


 Yes I’ve used other ready to press sublimations and they work perfectly. Mine just doesn’t.


----------



## vinyllady (Feb 18, 2019)

Forgive me if this been asked, but have you done a nozzle check and printhead cleaning since making the switch? If NOTHING is coming through it would seem to indicate that the nozzles are blocked. Please don't do more than one printhead cleaning. If nothing is coming through, try printing a purge file (can be found on Google Images). Doing a ton of printhead cleanings is only going to lead to more problems.


----------



## LisaO97 (May 16, 2021)

vinyllady said:


> Forgive me if this been asked, but have you done a nozzle check and printhead cleaning since making the switch? If NOTHING is coming through it would seem to indicate that the nozzles are blocked. Please don't do more than one printhead cleaning. If nothing is coming through, try printing a purge file (can be found on Google Images). Doing a ton of printhead cleanings is only going to lead to more problems.


I have had to do a nozzle check a couple of times but it prints just fine. It just won’t transfer onto my shirt.


----------



## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

Post a picture of your printed transfer. And of the shirt after you tried to press it.


----------



## webtrekker (Jan 28, 2018)

This is looking like your ink isn't really sublimation ink.

To eliminate the printer being the problem, dip your finger into one of the inks, smear it on a sheet of sublimation paper and try pressing it. If it still won'ttransfer to the polyester shirt then it is definitely NOT sublimation ink.


----------



## sharon b (Jul 6, 2011)

if you're pressing a rabbit skin, its a baby-toddler shirt. you might not have good pressure on the print area because of the bulk from the collar &/or crotch snaps. stuff the shirt with a stack of paper & try pressing again?


----------



## Bushy69 (Apr 10, 2014)

I do a LOT of sublimation and what you are describing would imply your inks are not Sublimation Ink.


The lower the polyester % the less vibrant the image would be - not zero image
Heat Press not reaching full temp would just result in a dull image - not zero image
Heat Press pressure being too low would just result in a dull/fuzzy image - not zero image
Printing to the wrong side of the paper, it would still transfer, just the quality of the print is compromised

I have used premium photocopy paper with brilliant results, the paper is not as important as people think (it is not about release, it is about absorption in low quality papers). That is to fabric, to hard surfaces you need good quality sublimation paper.

The fact you have used pre-printed sublimation images with good results also indicates that your press is OK and that you also know how to do it.

So IMO, it has to be the ink.


----------



## LisaO97 (May 16, 2021)

splathead said:


> Post a picture of your printed transfer. And of the shirt after you tried to press it.











__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content


----------



## Northern_Winter (Nov 14, 2018)

LisaO97 said:


> View attachment 273299
> View attachment 273300


Is that a Rabbit Skins 5379 French Terry Dress? If so, it's possible that the Terry side (The Interior) is the polyester part and you are trying to sublimate to the cotton face of the fabric. As a test you could try and sublimate the interior of one if you have a spare. - Nw -


----------

