Issue link: https://nbm.uberflip.com/i/1353283
4 6 S U B L I M A T I O N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M SubliSLATE using heat tape. Step Six: Place the SubliSLATE piece face-up (attached transfer face-down) on top of the protective paper. Step Seven: Cover with another sheet of protective paper. Step Eight: Cover all with a 1/8" heat- conductive green rubber pad. Step Nine: Press for 8 minutes at 400 F with medium pressure. Step Ten : Ca ref u lly remove t he SubliSLATE from the press, remove the transfer, and let the slate cool. Application notes • Before pressing, remove any dust, debris, or smudges from the SubliS- LATE's surface. • If you do not use a green pad, the transfer paper may stick to the Sub- liSLATE and be difficult to remove. • Too much pressure may cause the green pad to leave an unsightly tex- ture in the SubliSLATE's coating. • Dwell time should be increased for darker, more saturated images. • After imaging, if you see areas of smudginess, clean the slate with de- natured alcohol and a lint-free cloth. • There will be random areas of white coating on the fractured edges that may or may not achieve sublima- tion; this is normal. FINAL THOUGHTS When all is said and done, a product is judged on how good the transferred im- age looks. The vividness of colors and accurateness of flesh tones can make or break a product's visual impact, so every effort should be taken to make sure you avoid light/faded transfers caused by not enough time, temperature, and/or pres- sure; or dark transfers caused by too much time, temperature, and/or pres- sure. It is truly frustrating to go through the entire process of making a product (especially one with a long press time) to find out in the end that the image is not adequate. So, how can you dial in the settings on your heat press before wasting product(s)? Since achieving a deep black is probably the best way to know if you have gotten the best transfer possible, I recommend Step six. Step seven. Step eight. S U B L I M AT I O N R E P O R T 2 0 2 1