How to Sublimate on Wood

Sublimation printing is one of the most popular and durable methods for adding quality prints to surfaces. However, only a few DIY enthusiasts know that sublimation can be used on wood, producing vibrant, beautiful prints. Here is everything you need to know about sublimation for your next wood-centric DIY project.

These coatings have molecular structures that create a conducive environment for the gas to sublimate onto.

Although you can still do sublimation printing on any type of wood, the results could be very disappointing.

Avoid using sublimation printing on painted and plain wood. Paint molecules often cannot bond with sublimation ink, and plain wood is so porous that the gaseous ink will not distribute evenly on the surface. 

For sublimation printing on wood, you need the following items:

If you do not find coated wood, just get any DIY wood cut-out that you’d like as long as it is smooth, light-colored, and plain (no paint either).

Once you have all these tools, follow these 5, easy steps:

The design you want to print first has to be in digital form. You can create it using design software like Canva, scan it from a hand-drawn image, or simply download it online. Save this design in a file.

Measure the surface of the piece of wood you want to decorate, then resize the design so that it fits correctly while remembering to leave a margin. For example, if your wood round has a diameter of 8 cm, crop and resize the image to 7.5cm. This step avoids the design spilling over the edges.

• Resolution DPI between 300 and 600: 300 DPI (dots per inch) is the best setting for high-quality prints. Consider 600 DPI when the print has a lot of intricate or fine details.
• Paper Type Setting: use photo paper or matte paper settings as these settings are better for controlled ink distribution to avoid smudging.
• Mirror the Image: since the image is going to be flipped during application, you need to mirror it before printing so that it comes out correctly once it is applied to the wood.
• Slow Print Speed: a slower print speed means the ink has more time to saturate the sublimation paper, allowing for better color quality.
• Turn-Off Scaling Features: The size of your print must remain constant. Features such as ‘scale to fit’ may change the size without you noticing.

After successfully getting your print, use a paper trimmer or scissors to remove any excess paper. 

Find the coated side of the wood and place it facing up towards you, then position the print facing down so that the side with the design is directly against the wood.

Once you have positioned the sublimation paper correctly, use heat-resistant tape to hold it in place.

Set the heat press to 400°F for 60 seconds  then place the wood with the sublimation paper taped on it. Put the wood at the bottom and the side with the paper on top.

Note: Cover the sublimation paper with parchment, butcher paper, or a Teflon sheet to distribute the heat evenly and prevent any ink from bleeding onto the heat press.

After 60 seconds, you are all done! Remember to let it cool down for up to 10 minutes to avoid scalding your fingers.

You may notice some paper stuck onto the wood. Use a wet wipe and your finger to gently remove them.

Immortalize your memories on wood with sublimation printing like this family did with their vacation pictures:

Create beautiful Christmas decorations such as these with sublimation printing on wood:

Sublimation on wood is an easy process with lasting results. All you need are the correct tools and knowledge on how to get the best results, which we have outlined in this article. Try putting sublimation printing for your next wood project.