Sublimation or Vinyl - Which Should You Use?
In this tutorial, we will explain the key differences between using sublimation vs. adhesive vinyl using mugs.
We created these personalized farmhouse style mugs using the Simply Done Right font from the Farmhouse Font Bundle (save 93% OFF!)
For sublimation you’ll need a sublimation mug because not all mug surfaces can accept a sublimation transfer.
You’ll also need a mug press to transfer the sublimation transfer onto the mug surface.
Why sublimate a mug instead of applying the same design with adhesive vinyl?
When a design is sublimated onto a mug, it’s pretty much there to stay for the life of the mug. The design is now infused, for lack of a better word, into the mug so it’s smooth over the design area when you run your finger over it.
With a vinyl decal, the vinyl is sitting on top of the mug which means it could peel up over time, even if the vinyl is applied and cared for correctly.
This is especially true for designs that have very thin areas to them, like this tall and skinny, farmhouse style font (which you can find HERE) that we used to personalize these mugs.
When using a skinny font, you’ll be cutting the font pretty small. The letters may end up being about an inch tall (or less!) This means weeding the vinyl is going to take more care & time to accomplish.
Reverse weeding can help a lot with small, text based design. Check out this blog post for how to reverse weed.
With sublimation, there's no weeding - just printing! For mug sublimation instructions, check out this blog post.
Another point to consider is how the mug should be cared for after applying the design. Sublimated mugs are generally dishwasher and microwave safe.
The same is usually not true with mugs that have a vinyl decal applied onto them - hand wash only and no microwave.
This is the mug we sublimated...
Here is the mug we created with vinyl:
You can find the Simply Done Right font that we used for our custom mugs in the Farmhouse Font Bundle.
For more instructions on how to create custom mugs, check out the following blog posts:
Check out the full length video below:
PIN it for later:
