More information about White Square Sublimation Tiles

• We offer maximum quality tiles made in Europe and elsewhere. The only difference is to be found in the dimensions.
• Our White Sublimation Tiles have a high-quality polyester coating, which gives them the highest durability and uniformity in printing.
• With these white sublimation tiles, you can print photographs suitable as personalised gifts, or create decorative elements if you customise them with motivational or funny sentences, proverbs or beautiful images. You can even create an eye-catching collage composed of several tiles.
• If you live in a tourist area, you can also create souvenirs with the most representative images from your city, customising these white sublimation tiles.
• Suitable for sublimation printing due to their polyester coating on one side.
• Back made of natural ceramic.
• Customisable using a flat heat press transfer machine or with a sublimation oven.
• In Related Products, you will find the Nomex Heat Resistant Felt and the Heat Resistant Tape, two very useful items during these tiles sublimation process. You will also find the Heat Shrink Bags in case you want to sublimate them using an oven.

DIMENSIONS / PRINT AREA

Recommended instructions and parameters for sublimation printing

BEFORE INITIATING THE SUBLIMATION PROCESS

If the tile has been stored in a cold place, it may have accumulated moisture, and this could affect sublimation. In these circumstances, it is recommended to:

• Pre-press or pre-heat the tile with its printable side face up and protective paper to 175ºC for 5-10 seconds and at medium-heavy pressure.
  
• Let the tile cool before starting the sublimation process.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• It is possible to sublimate the tiles with a flat heat press transfer machine using either the direct method or the indirect method. Testing is recommended to establish which method gives the best printing quality. The test will also help you adjust the parameters for sublimation.
• Pressing times should increase the larger the tile is. For example, using the indirect method: 300-310 seconds is enough for 10 x 10 cm tiles, 320-350 seconds for 15 x 15 cm ones, and 360-400 seconds for the 20 x 20 cm sized.
• A sign that the transfer process has lasted the appropriate time is that the amount of residual ink on the paper is minimal.
• It is important to follow colour profiles instructions given by each ink manufacturer.
• The tiles might show irregularities on their printable side. If you decide to use the direct sublimation method with a heat press transfer machine, and in order to achieve a more uniform transfer, it is recommended: (1) once the pressing time has elapsed, open the press and without removing the tile, separate the paper a little from a corner (without taking it off completely); (2) if the image hasn't been transferred correctly to the tile's surface, put the paper back into place and rotate the tile by 180º. Press again for 50 more seconds.

REMARKS

• Ref. 000205 tile has a plastic net attached on the back. It is advisable to remove it before sublimating the tile to prevent it from burning in the thermic transfer process.
• On tests conducted on the Ref. 000083 tile, we obtained really good results with the following parameters: 180ºC/medium-heavy pressure/180 s (direct method) and 180ºC/medium-heavy pressure/700 s (indirect method).

WITH A FLAT HEAT PRESS TRANSFER MACHINE - DIRECT METHOD

• Print on the paper in mirror image and trim it.
• Preheat the press to 180ºC 
• Use a Nomex Felt Pad on the press' lower plate to achieve a uniform heat distribution.
• Hold the paper's printed side against the tile and fix it with heat resistant tape. Place the tile, with its printable side face up, and the paper on the heat press' plate.
• Press at a medium-heavy pressure for 200 seconds. Depending on the size of the tile, you may have to adjust the pressing time slightly.
• Using a protective glove, remove the newly printed tile.
• Remove the paper carefully.

WITH A FLAT HEAT PRESS TRANSFER MACHINE - INDIRECT METHOD

• Print on the paper in mirror image and trim it.
• Preheat the press to 175ºC 
• Use a Nomex Felt Pad on the press' lower plate to achieve a uniform heat distribution.
• Hold the paper's printed side against the tile and fix it with heat resistant tape. Place the tile, with its printable side face down, and the paper on the heat press' plate.
• Press at a medium-heavy pressure for 300 seconds. Depending on the size of the tile, you may have to adjust the pressing time slightly. (see the Remarks section).
• With the aid of a protective glove, remove the newly printed tile.
• Remove the paper carefully.

WITH A SUBLIMATION OVEN

• Print in mirror image the design you want to stamp on the tile.
• Preheat the oven to 175ºC
• Hold the printed design face down against the white part of the tile, and fix it with heat resistant tape.
• In the case you are using a 3D vacuum heat press machine, introduce the tile with its printable side face up. Close the membrane and create a vacuum. Make sure that no air bubbles are left on the surface.
• Another option would be using heat shrink bags. Using a heat gun, fix the design to the tile, removing all the air inside.
• Close the oven and let it operate for 13 minutes.
  
• Open the oven and, with the aid of a protective glove, remove the newly printed tile.
• Remove the paper carefully.