# Sublimation imagine won’t transfer, please help (new here)



## NancyFlores

Hey everyone, so I recently bought an Epson 2760 printer, Printers Jack sublimation ink, and A-Sub sublimation 120g paper. I am using a 95% polyester shirt and nothing is transferring over. Can I please get some feed back on what I’m doing wrong? I apply 200C 405F for 60seconds and still nothing.


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## splathead

The usual culprit is your ink. Are you sure it's sublimation? Post a picture of the transfer you printed.


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## NancyFlores

Nothing got transferred.


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## NancyFlores

This is the paper and ink that I used


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## NancyFlores

And this is the Epson 2760 printer and heat press


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## mfatty500

Are you printing on the right side of the paper?


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## splathead

How old is your ink and paper? Show us the transfer paper with your design printed on it.


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## into the T

try regular copy paper and see what happens


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## TABOB

mfatty500 said:


> Are you printing on the right side of the paper?


This silly question posted every time does annoy me a little bit...
Printing on the wrong side of the paper will still work, just not as good as when printing on the correct side.



NancyFlores said:


> I recently bought an Epson 2760 printer, Printers Jack sublimation ink, and A-Sub sublimation 120g paper.


Have you used the original epson inks in your printer?
If yes, did you run enough head cleaning cycles to replace the ink already in the tubes and dampers?


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## NancyFlores

Okay so I printed on the right side of the paper and still nothing. The printer is brand new and I never placed the ink in the printer. As soon as I got the sublimation ink, I poured it into the printer. When I print stuff with the sublimation paper. The colors are saturated. I thought it was the ink but I saw a lot of people who have used that. Maybe a bad batch? I’ve heard people say that the prints are supposed to look faded and that’s not the case here. When I print on regular paper, it still won’t transfer and the papers image looks a bit faded


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## webtrekker

Forget about the printer. Rub some of your ink onto a sheet of paper (sub paper or regular copy paper) and press it onto the fabric, 190 C for 60 seconds. If nothing prints then it ain't sublimation ink.


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## TABOB

What color is the shirt?


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## NancyFlores

I used a white and black shirt and nothing transferred


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## NancyFlores

I’ll try it but if nothing transfers then would that be the paper or?


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## splathead

Sublimation ink looks dull and faded when on the transfer paper. Colors don't pop until applied to your garment. If what you are printing on the transfer looks like the colors on your computer screen, then you're sublimation ink is not getting to the print head yet.

Sounds like there might have been ink in the printer before you added the sublimation ink? That would be the ink printing on the paper now. There could easily be up to an ounce of the old ink in the tubes leading to the print head.

This is my 3rd time asking you to upload a picture of your printed transfer. I guess we're not getting one?


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## TABOB

NancyFlores said:


> I used a white and black shirt and nothing transferred


You cannot sublimate black shirts, but the white should work.
Hopefully you are not trying to press the transfer facing up... It has to be facing down. The printed side facing the shirt.


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## NancyFlores

So I was working so I wasn’t able to post one


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## NancyFlores

This is the front and back side of the one I just printed


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## NancyFlores

I place this face down and nothing


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## TABOB

Interesting...
It does look like sublimation ink.

I'd test the temperature of the heat press.
I'm suspecting the actual temperature is not 200C, but much lower.


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## NancyFlores

TABOB said:


> Interesting...
> It does look like sublimation ink.
> 
> I'd test the temperature of the heat press.
> I'm suspecting the actual temperature is not 200C, but much lower.



You think I probably maybe just maybe got a bad batch of ink? Bc I apply A LOT of pressure onto the shirt and nothing


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## NancyFlores

TABOB said:


> Interesting...
> It does look like sublimation ink.
> 
> I'd test the temperature of the heat press.
> I'm suspecting the actual temperature is not 200C, but much lower.


Is my sublimation paper supposed to look like that? Like all vibrant instead of being faded?


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## TABOB

NancyFlores said:


> You think I probably maybe just maybe got a bad batch of ink? Bc I apply A LOT of pressure onto the shirt and nothing


All the colors at the same time...and all zero tranfer? That's Extremely unlikely. 



NancyFlores said:


> Is my sublimation paper supposed to look like that? Like all vibrant instead of being faded?


They are nowhere near vibrant, but that's how they are supposed to be. 
I bet it's the temperature, because these colors are not activated.


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## NancyFlores

TABOB said:


> All the colors at the same time...and all zero tranfer? That's Extremely unlikely.
> 
> 
> They are nowhere near vibrant, but that's how they are supposed to be.
> I bet it's the temperature, because these colors are not activated.


It heats up a lot though. I mean it could be but i don’t know. I would have to send it back and get another 🙊


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## NancyFlores

I just turned on my straightener and you burn your finger right away and the heat press doesn’t do the same so I’m thinking you might be right. Even then though, that still plays a role on it not transferring whatsoever?


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## NancyFlores

TABOB said:


> All the colors at the same time...and all zero tranfer? That's Extremely unlikely.
> 
> 
> They are nowhere near vibrant, but that's how they are supposed to be.
> I bet it's the temperature, because these colors are not activated.



omg I feel so dumb. I used my straightener to heat press a little piece and yes it transferred haha! It was the heat this WHOLE time. Thanks to everyone for the help! I was so stressed and I guess my boyfriend placed it at 200F instead of 200C lol.


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## into the T

TABOB said:


> Interesting...
> It does look like sublimation ink.
> 
> I'd test the temperature of the heat press.
> I'm suspecting the actual temperature is not 200C, but much lower.


maybe F and not C?

EDIT:
sorry i posted before i saw op's response

i'm glad you got it figured out

happy trails ahead


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## cbaccus82

One thing you might want to check is your heat press actually on Celsius and not Fahrenheit. If so then it's not getting hot enough.


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## Justchill

Do my heat press have to be on C instead of F???
If so, then what degree of C??


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## splathead

Justchill said:


> Do my heat press have to be on C instead of F???
> If so, then what degree of C??


Use F if you're in the United States. Anything you buy will reference that scale and not C.


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## Justchill

I tried F but to avail??? I’ve been trying to figure it out for about 2weeks now! My temperature was 400F for 60sec but still no transfer


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## TABOB

Justchill said:


> My temperature was 400F for 60sec but still no transfer


1. Is the shirt white?
2. Is the shirt polyester?
3. Is the Ink sublimation ink.
You need all 3 to be true.

Also, If you can upload a printed transfer (before pressing it).
We'll tell you if it's sublimation ink or not.


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## Justchill

I have all the above!!!! Triple check 
I really think it’s the heat that’s preventing me


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## Justchill

this is the front of my A Sub paper


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## webtrekker

Doesn't look like sublimation ink to me. What brand of ink are you using?


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## splathead

Upload a picture of your ink bottle.


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## TABOB

Nope this ink is not sublimation ink.
You probably have an ecotank printer previously filled with regular ink.
These printers keep a lot of ink in their tubes and simply replacing the ink in the tanks will not do the job.
If this is the case, you have to re-prime the printer or keep printing until there is sublimation ink coming out from all channels.


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## Justchill

webtrekker said:


> Doesn't look like sublimation ink to me. What brand of ink are you using?


I’m using Epson ink and I’ve reorder ink twice because I ran out...


TABOB said:


> Nope this ink is not sublimation ink.
> You probably have an ecotank printer previously filled with regular ink.
> These printers keep a lot of ink in their tubes and simply replacing the ink in the tanks will not do the job.
> If this is the case, you have to re-prime the printer or keep printing until there is sublimation ink coming out from all channels.


I ordered the Epson ink that goes with my Epson 2860 printer! How will I know if it is or not??


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## Justchill

This is the ink I have bought twice already


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## TABOB

Justchill said:


> This is the ink I have bought twice already


This is standard Epson Claria ink.
It is dye based ink, but NOT sublimation dye.


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## splathead

Justchill said:


> How will I know if it is or not??


Umm, it will have the word 'sublimation' printed on it.


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## Justchill

splathead said:


> Umm, it will have the word 'sublimation' printed on it.


Well is this a sublimation machine because it doesn’t say it anywhere??


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## splathead

Justchill said:


> Well is this a sublimation machine because it doesn’t say it anywhere??


No it is not. To make it one you would have to use ink with the word 'sublimation' printed on it.


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## Beezbaby

splathead said:


> Sublimation ink looks dull and faded when on the transfer paper. Colors don't pop until applied to your garment. If what you are printing on the transfer looks like the colors on your computer screen, then you're sublimation ink is not getting to the print head yet.
> 
> Sounds like there might have been ink in the printer before you added the sublimation ink? That would be the ink printing on the paper now. There could easily be up to an ounce of the old ink in the tubes leading to the print head.
> 
> This is my 3rd time asking you to upload a picture of your printed transfer. I guess we're not getting one?





splathead said:


> Sublimation ink looks dull and faded when on the transfer paper. Colors don't pop until applied to your garment. If what you are printing on the transfer looks like the colors on your computer screen, then you're sublimation ink is not getting to the print head yet.
> 
> Sounds like there might have been ink in the printer before you added the sublimation ink? That would be the ink printing on the paper now. There could easily be up to an ounce of the old ink in the tubes leading to the print head.
> 
> This is my 3rd time asking you to upload a picture of your printed transfer. I guess we're not getting one?


So I just took my old ink out and put hippo sub ink in I have stamp colour sublimation transfer paper heat press was 385 nothing on 100% poly


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## splathead

Beezbaby said:


> So I just took my old ink out and put hippo sub ink in I have stamp colour sublimation transfer paper heat press was 385 nothing on 100% poly


The cause more than likely is you did not get all of the old ink out. How did you remove the old ink? Syringe?


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## Sharon in KY

splathead said:


> Sublimation ink looks dull and faded when on the transfer paper. Colors don't pop until applied to your garment. If what you are printing on the transfer looks like the colors on your computer screen, then you're sublimation ink is not getting to the print head yet.
> 
> Sounds like there might have been ink in the printer before you added the sublimation ink? That would be the ink printing on the paper now. There could easily be up to an ounce of the old ink in the tubes leading to the print head.
> 
> This is my 3rd time asking you to upload a picture of your printed transfer. I guess we're not getting one?


Joe if you check she has Thales and sent a picture of her image. With my phone I swipe to the left to get another picture.


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## Sharon in KY

NancyFlores said:


> omg I feel so dumb. I used my straightener to heat press a little piece and yes it transferred haha! It was the heat this WHOLE time. Thanks to everyone for the help! I was so stressed and I guess my boyfriend placed it at 200F instead of 200C lol.


I thought it looked kinda dull, nice design, it’s going to look great.


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## Brent_Mitchell

I strongly recommend an infrared thermometer to dial in your temps. In my experience, you can't trust the press. And then, experiment with pressure.


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