What is better? Sublimation using a press or an oven and shrink film?
"Here’s how to think of it, when you want to sublimate drinking bottles, you have 2 options. You can sublimate them with a heat press or with an oven. Both options are as equally efficient with a result of the most absolutely beautiful printed products! Read this article to find out which is the best choice for you."
Actually… you even have 3 options. You can sublimate bottles using the following:
- Mug Oven
- Bottle Press
- Multipurpose Press
The press is practical for smaller workspaces
The heat press is small, so it takes up little space and is easy to move. This is convenient if you have limited (working) space or, if you would like to switch between different hardware. The oven, on the other hand, is large and unwieldy. You will have to set up a permanent workspace for this.The mug oven is ideal for larger productions
Another big difference is the capacity. With a press you can only sublimate 1 bottle at a time. With the oven you can sublimate several bottles at the same time. If the bottles fit upright in the oven, you can produce even 15 bottles at once(!) This makes the press practical for smaller productions, and an oven for larger productions.
Printing bottles at lightning speed using a press
Still, you shouldn't underestimate the press too quickly. Sublimation is much faster with a press. You can sublimate a bottle in about 70 seconds. If you use a shrink film and the oven, the printing process will take 3 to 6 minutes. The exact printing time depends on the material, for example stainless steel or aluminum.
Furthermore, with a press you will only have to place the printed design on the bottle. If you use an oven, you have to deal with 2 extra steps. After the design, the shrink film still has to be placed onto the bottle. And, after sublimation, the shrink film must be removed while it is still hot.
An extensive step-by-step plan of both methods can be found in the article: DIY: sublimating drinking bottles.
More flexibility with the oven, sublimating various shapes and sizes at the same time
The oven offers more flexibility. Because with the oven you can easily sublimate all kinds of drinking bottles of various sizes at the same time. Thanks to the shrink film, you can also sublimate different shaped products that do not fit in the press. Like the stainless-steel wine glass.
When using the press, you need to take into account the minimum and maximum diameter. For example, some bottles are too narrow. You will also need to adjust the press each time you change to a different sized bottle.
Please note: drinking bottles with plastic are not suitable for sublimation in the oven, like our 500 ml Sublimation Drinking Bottle. However, this can be done using a press.
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