Bottom line: It works OK, if you’re willing to work around the bleeding/smearing issues. It’s pricey ($6 per page including the print cost). It’s probably not as good as DTF but it is something you could do completely at DMS. It’s easy to weed and it’s thin and flexible on the garment. Because the vinyl is white you can use it on dark garments. In theory it will also wash well but I can’t assess that yet.
Siser makes a heat transfer vinyl called EasySubli. You dye sublimate onto the vinyl, cut on the Silhouette, then apply the vinyl to your project using the heat press.
I recently completed a double-sided shirt using that process, mostly “standing on the shoulders” of @AmeliaG and also @mreynolds (thanks much, guys!)
Cost details
- $6 per printed sheet of EasySubli.
- EasySubli: I purchased at Michaels. $25 for five A-sized sheets of vinyl and five sheets of associated transfer film. This was the lowest quantity package I could find and they do not accept coupons for it.
- DyeSub: $1 per sheet for printing.
1. Artwork process details
- I used Adobe Illustrator to create the complex vectors that surrounded my items.
- I was mostly able to import my .ai file into our Silhouette Studio software but I had to use a hybrid Illustrator/.png image in Silhouette due to limitations in the Silhouette software. (You can’t import ai on the free version if you’re preparing your artwork from home).
- In Silhouette, add registration marks and save to a .pdf for printing on the Sawgrass (dye sub) printer.
Registration marks details
- You can change the size and location of your registration marks to eke out a little more printable area.
*These settings worked for me:
** Left inset: 0.4"
** Right inset: 0.4"
** Top inset: 0.4"
** Bottom inset: 0.625"
** Reg marks 0.45" long
** 0.030" thick - Plan your image and your registration marks so that the Silhouette rollers do not have to roll over any of the artwork because it will smear.
2. Printing details
Printing is, IMO, the challenge.
Print Settings
- Use the Sawgrass setting for “metal substrate”.
- Do not mirror.
- Print the .pdf file you created in the artwork process.
- You are printing on the textured side of the EasySubli, so that side goes face down in the paper feed drawer.
- Print from Adobe Acrobat at Actual Size/No Scaling, or your transfer won’t match your blanks.
Print Quality and Cautions
- Do not allow anything to touch the printed page - not even another sheet of paper. It smears something fierce. @Amelia recommended 24 hours; I allowed mine to sit for eight days before cutting it, and even at that point it was still smearing just from setting another sheet of paper atop it.
- Siser recommends waiting 2 hours; but it’s possible that they use a different type of dye.
- The gradient is kind of “grainy”. I wonder if this is an issue with the dye being wet and coagulating on the surface?
- Bleeding. If you look closely you will see that the black lines in the flags have expanded and bled a little bit into the surrounding area. This is not a smearing issue.
3. Cutting details
- Silhouette settings: Start with “Heat Transfer/Smooth” then modify as follows:
** Blade AUTOMATIC / Depth: 3
** Passes: 2
** Force: 14
** Speed: 7 - Smearing is a big risk during cutting.
- After the dye is “dry”, you can easily cut the outlines using the registration marks you created in the artwork stage.
- The registration marks did not perfectly align the cut vectors with the artwork. I had allowed about 1/32" outer artwork bleed area so it worked out fine. If you allow bleed area then you need a separate file without the bleed area in order to use Silhouette’s automatic perimeter cut recognition. That isn’t an issue if you’re using .ai vectors.
- Put the EasySubli on the Silhouette sticky carrier board about 1/2" to the right of the normal alignment position.
- Make sure that none of the metal rollers will roll over any of your artwork. It will smear! You can move the two center rollers.
- Very easy to weed - but make sure you don’t touch any of the artwork.
4. Heat Transfer details
- Wash and dry the fabric/garment before doing the heat transfer.
- Cover the weeded vinyl with a sheet of the transfer film that was included with the EasySubli. Follow the instructions on the package - make a U-shape with the sticky film when applying it. The transfer film is clear; the backer is white.
- Heat press settings - 335F, 15 seconds, Medium pressure.
** EasySubli suggests a lower temp; but the dye sub dye requires a higher temp to set properly.
** I was successful at 335F; it set the dye fully but did not damage the vinyl.
- With the shirt right side up in the press, put a piece of brown paper under the shirt and between the front and back of the shirt to prevent bleed through.
- Preheat the shirt 2-3 seconds in the heat press.
- Peel and apply the vinyl “sandwich”
- Put a piece of brown paper on top of the shirt.
- Press the vinyl for 15 seconds.
- Peel the carrier vinyl hot.
- If you have a second side, complete the first side fully (steps 1 - 6), then repeat for the second side.
Instructions say to not launder for the first 24 hours.