Best Sublimation Blanks for Crafts

Do you love to make sublimation crafts? Whether you are new to sublimation, or you are just looking for new sublimation surfaces, I will show you where to buy them! I will share places to buy sublimation shirts, mugs, tumblers, earrings, glass blanks, and more! Keep reading for the Best Sublimation Blanks that you can use for crafts and small businesses.

Best Sublimation Blanks

I have been making sublimation projects for a couple of years, and I am always looking for new blank items to sublimate on. I started with Cricut Infusible Ink (a brand of sublimation transfer materials) and then converted my own Epson Ecotank Printer to make my own sublimation design transfers.

If you’re brand new to sublimation crafts, I’ll warn you – once you try sublimation you will want to try it on EVERYTHING. There are so many cool sublimation blanks to use! Which is why you will find this post helpful – I will share all of my favorite blanks and where to find them.

What You Need to Know About Sublimation Blanks

Sublimation is a chemical process that heats a solid and turns it into a gas, skipping the liquid phase. What does that mean for crafts? With process called dye sublimation, you can use heat to transfer a solid ink into the fibers of a material, creating a permanent bond.

Dye sublimation for crafts has many benefits, but also some limitations. The most important limitation to sublimation crafts is the sublimation blanks. In order for sublimation to work correctly, the blank material you are sublimating on must be produced from polyester material OR be coated in polyester. Sublimation dye binds chemically to the polyester, resulting in the ink embedding into the material.

The benefit to sublimation is that the resulting material bond is permanent. It is crack proof, peel proof, and water proof (and can even go in the dishwasher in most cases!). The ink actually EMBEDS in the material as opposed to being layered on top of the material. Intricate designs that are impossible to make with vinyl can be easily transferred with sublimation!

What Surfaces Can Be Sublimated?

Materials that can be dye sublimated include fabric, glass, acrylic, plastics, stainless steel, and more! Any material that is made from polyester or treated with a polyester material can be sublimated!

For the best sublimation transfer, it is recommended that the polyester content of fabric be 75% or above (100% for perfect transfer). I have had success with 60% polyester shirts for a “vintage” look. In addition, sublimation ink will be most visible on white or very light colored materials.

Other items such as ceramic mugs, ceramic tiles, glass tumblers, stainless steel tumblers, and other home items must be coated with a polyester material. Polyester coated items do not have “blends”, but some blanks have a higher quality coating than others.

New to Sublimation? Get more information on sublimation printing for specific projects by reading these posts:

NOTE: Can you make your own sublimation blanks? I haven’t explored this option (because I haven’t heard great things), but you can make your own sublimation blanks using polyester sprays.

Where to Buy Sublimation Blanks

Now that you know more about sublimation, where can you find blank supplies to craft? The best part about blank items is that you can find them EVERYWHERE. That’s right, anywhere you shop you can find a polyester shirt, hat, or sweatshirt, dish towel, or other polyester based item. You can find definitely find polyester or polyester blend shirts or other fabric items at Michaels, Walmart, Target, or even the Dollar Store which is the cheapest place to buy sublimation blanks!

Sublimation apparel blanks are the easiest products to find from regular stores and other retailers. Polyester fabric materials are quite common, unlike the speciality housewares and drinkware.

It is slightly more difficult to find tumblers, mugs, and home items for sublimation crafts. Because these items are coated in polyester, they tend to be produced by companies that specialize in sublimation blanks.

Here are some of my favorite places online you can find the most popular sublimation products:

Amazon
Heat Transfer Warehouse
Cricut (Use code PINEAPPLE2023 for 10% off orders or $50 or more on materials)
The Stainless Depot
Coastal Business Supplies

If you want to shop in-store or need something last minute, check Michaels! They carry a wide range of Cricut Infusible Ink blanks and blank shirts.

Best Place to Get Sublimation Blanks

If you’re a home crafter I think the best places to find specialty sublimation blanks are Amazon and Heat Transfer Warehouse. You can purchase items in bulk, shipping is usually free/included with an Amazon Prime account, and the price is comparable to other retailers. Also, as sublimation grows in popularity, there are a large range of products available. The quality of the items vary, so definitely read the reviews! Cheap sublimation blanks are not always the best blanks on the market.

Heat Transfer Warehouse specializes in sublimation blanks and craft supplies such as heat transfer vinyl (HTV), heat presses, and more! They have the most complete selection of sublimation products and you can buy them individually if you want to try a variety of blanks. They also have their own in house brand of blanks called WALABlanks. I definitely recommend them! It’s a great place to find unique sublimation blanks.

DON’T MISS THIS: I watch for top selling sublimation products, coupons and deals on Amazon, and I drop them into a Sublimation List on my Amazon Storefront page.

Below I will share some of my favorite products – you can click the links below to take you directly to that section of items.

blank sublimation and infusible ink mugs

Shirts for Sublimation

As I mentioned above, 100% polyester shirts are ideal, but sometimes those are not as comfortable to wear. After you try different shirts, you will learn what you are most comfortable in, and what gives you the transfer result you prefer.

If you want a polyester blend shirt, look for 75% polyester or above. If you try to transfer a sublimation design to a cotton or a mostly cotton blend shirt, the transfer will be dull and it will wash out.

Gildan Men’s Moisture Wicking Performance T-Shirt
Gildan Women’s Performance T-Shirt
Men’s Dry Fit Polo Shirts
Women’s V Neck Cricut Infusible Ink Brand T Shirt
Hanes Women’s Cool Dri Performance Shirt
Hanes Long Sleeve Polyester Shirt
Amazon Essentials Long Sleeve Performance Shirt
Blank White Hoodie Sweatshirt
Unisex Cricut Infusible Ink T-Shirt
Toddler Infusible Ink T-Shirt
Cricut Unisex Raglan T Shirt (Baseball Tee)
Women’s Workout Polyester Tank Top
Amazon Essentials Tech Tank Top
Amazon Essentials Muscle Tank
100% Polyester Shirts at Heat Transfer Warehouse
100% Polyester Hoodies at Jiffy Shirts
Blank Apparel from Coastal Business Supplies

blank shirts for sublimation and infusible ink

Mugs for Sublimation

Sublimation Tumbler Blanks

I love to make sublimation tumblers – they are perfect for gifts and promotional items. With a tumbler press, you can get professional results for your business as well!

Search for Sublimation Tumblers at Heat Transfer Warehouse

Stainless Steel Tumbler Blanks

Silver Stainless Tumblers
Stainless Mason Jar Tumblers
Rainbow Glitter Tumblers
UV Color Changing Tumblers
Glow in the Dark Tumblers
Travel Tumblers that fit Car Cup Holders
Tapered Coffee Tumbler
Water Bottle Tumblers

Wine Tumbler Blanks

Wine Tumbler with Lid
Cylinder Wine Tumbler with Lid

Glass Tumbler Blanks

Skinny Tumblers with Bamboo Lids
Glass Cans with Bamboo Lids
Clear Glass Skinny Tumblers

blank glass can tumblers for sublimation

Keychain Blanks

Sublimation Keychains on Amazon
Square Keychain from Heat Transfer Warehouse
Keychains from Coastal Business Supplies

Earring Blanks for Sublimation

There are TONS of Earring Blanks for Sublimation on Amazon
Fan Shaped Earrings (made from actual seashells!)

Glass Blanks for Sublimation

18oz Frosted Glass Can
Glass Cutting Board
PYD Life Glass Mugs & Tumblers
Blank Wine Glasses
Glass Round Ornaments
Sublimation Shot Glasses

Other Fabric Blanks for Sublimation

Baby Bodysuits – Cricut Infusible Ink brand
Cricut Trucker Hat
Cricut Cosmetic Bags
Cricut Tote Bag
Cricut Wine Bag
Cricut Pillow Cover Blank
Flip Sequin Pillow Covers
Fleece Blanket for Sublimation
Blank Popsicle Holders
Blank Hand/Face Towels
Bathroom 12 inch Towel Blanks
Sublimation Sock Variety Pack with Heat Press Insert
Socks from Heat Transfer Warehouse
White Bike Shorts for Sublimation

Miscellaneous Blanks for Sublimation

blank cricut ceramic coasters for sublimation

Coaster Blanks for Sublimation

Coaster Blanks from Heat Transfer Warehouse
Cricut Infusible Ink Ceramic Coaster Blanks
Sublimation Coasters on Amazon

Blank Pens for Sublimation

Blank Sublimation Pens

Phone Case Blanks

iPhone 12 Phone Case Blanks
Mobile Device Cases from Coastal Business Supplies

License Plate Blanks

Aluminum License Plates for Sublimation – 12 Pack

Ornament Blanks

Ceramic Round Ornaments
Ceramic Oval Ornaments
Glass Round Ornaments

Sublimation Journal Blanks

Personalized Journals and Notebooks made with Sublimation are perfect for back to school.

Sublimation Hard Bound Journal
Sublimation Notebook with Spiral Ring Binding

Koozie Blanks for Sublimation

Slim Can Koozies
Stainless Steel Can Coolers
Stainless Steel Skinny Can Coolers

Where to Find Sublimation Blanks Wholesale

You can purchase larger quantities of sublimation blanks at online retailers such as The Stainless Depot or Coastal Business Supplies. Some retailers offer discounts if you purchase a whole case of mugs, for example. Heat Transfer Nation, Johnson Plastics Plus, and even Cricut offers sublimation supplies by the case as well. If you are starting your own business, you may even qualify for wholesale distributor discounts with a valid reseller ID or be eligible to shop at other wholesale-only retailers.

Can You Make Your Own Sublimation Blanks?

Technically, yes, you can make your own sublimation blanks with polyester spray coating. In my experience I have found these coatings to inconsistent and do not always last when wearing or washing. My opinion is that you are better off to order commercially produced polyester sublimation blanks.

Do you have any favorite sublimation blanks? Share them in the comments!

ABOUT CHARYNN

Hi, y’all! I’m Charynn, the owner and designer of Pineapple Paper Co. I’m a mom of four kids (two girls and two boys) living in Pittsburgh. I love hand lettering, anything southern, cocktails, and of course, pineapples! I am excited to share my SVG files, printables, and craft projects with you! The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality, and I welcome y’all to my little corner of the internet. Read more…