When I planned our first family trip to Disney, I couldn’t contain my excitement for outfit planning. However, as I started researching, I realized that buying shirts could quickly become expensive, with prices ranging from $25 to $40 per shirt. Determined to find a more cost-effective solution, I decided to explore creating my own shirts, not just for this trip, but for future adventures as well. With the money I would spend on equipment, I knew I could easily make it back by selling my creations. Today, I want to share my tips, tricks, and equipment recommendations, so you can quickly dive into creating your own custom designs and save money along the way!
Convert an Ecotank Printer to a Sublimation Printer: You don’t need to buy an expensive sublimation printer. Make sure you don’t buy a used printer, because you’ll have issues with the ink. Converting a printer is as easy as simply getting a different type of ink for it and following the normal set up instructions! I use the Hiippo Ink and still use the same ink I bought over a year and a half ago! Depending on the quantity that you print will determine how long it will last, but I’ve printed over 500 images and still on the first set of ink!
Heat Press: A large heat press is an absolute MUST for doing sublimation. You won’t get the heat you need with an iron or easy press, so go ahead and invest! When pressing your design, you’ll want to put a piece of printer paper between the shirt, so your design doesn’t go through the other side! I also add a piece of printer paper on top of the design with a piece of teflon over top of the entire shirt, to help protect it from the heat! You don’t want the ink to get on your heat press or the pad, so just make sure to cover up anywhere the design will touch with the printer paper.
Make sure to get Sublimation Paper: You have to have special paper to print your designs out. I have always used this A-Sub paper, but you can use anything that works for you, as long as it’s sublimation specific paper!
Graphics for your Designs: I tend to search for specific Disney inspired graphics on Etsy. If you search for PNG files or sublimations files, you can usually find designs for anywhere from $1-$5. I also find so many amazing graphics and fonts at Creative Fabrica! Creative Fabrica has thousands and thousands of designs, so I recommend signing up for a subscription. It’s much more cost effective and you’ll be able to create all kinds of gifts. Always remember to mirror your design!
Sublimation Blanks: You need a blank t-shirt or something that will take the ink! 100% cotton shirts will NOT sublimate. You need to have something with at least 65% polyester. The higher the polyester count, the brighter your images will be. I love the Laughing Giraffe shirts, but you’ll want to figure out what you like that best. Your printer is not going to print out white ink, so if you don’t have a white or light colored shirt, the only way to get the designs with white ink to come through is to BLEACH the shirt! I’ll have an upcoming blog on all the tips for bleaching, so make sure to sign up for my newsletter.
Average cost to get started with DIY designs: This is just an average and depending on the savings available, these could change, however this should give you an idea of your investment. For a family of 4, this would be 6 days worth of shirts at $25/shirt.
Printer: $300
Sublimation Ink: $20
Heat Press: $200
Sublimation Paper: $20
Designs: $30
Additional Accessories: $50
Total: $620
Conclusion:
If you think you’ll take multiple trips, want to create gifts and other types of outfits, take the time NOW to invest in your sublimation set up. I promise, once you do this, you won’t go back to weeding out all the vinyl from your Cricut! Want to see a little bit of sublimation in action? Check out my Instagram: craftydisneymomma!
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