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It’s no secret that sublimation is a booming market. With full-color, vibrant images and equipment that becomes more user friendly by the

minute, the allure of sublimation as an embellishing technology is enticing.

What started as a decorating method mostly for apparel and other soft sub-

strates has since exploded into some-thing that can be applied to almost anything provided the item is made from polyester or has a polymer

coating. For awards shops, this spells money.

Hard substrate options for sublimation are easier than ever

to find and sublimate, so why not take advantage of this sweet-tasting

opportunity and add them to your offer-ings? There are more than a few industry insiders who think awards retailers should be doing so.

A LITTLE HISTORYThese days, sublimation is everywhere.

Be it a hard or soft substrate, subli-mation has become a go-to deco-

rating method for awards and engraving shops everywhere. But to truly appre-ciate this technology, let’s start from the beginning.

“Sublimation originally started decades ago primarily geared towards fab-rics,” says Kyle Hinton, Johnson Plastics. As the 90s rolled around, hard substrates made their way into the sublimation picture, starting with ceramic mugs. As technology advanced, so did the substrate options. Such options currently include acrylic, glass, aluminum and even wood. This is largely tied to advancements in the technology and methodology.

“The coating method has changed in our industry so that now hard surfaces for sublimation last longer,” notes the team at Unisub. There have also been dramatic improvements in fade resistance as well as the scratch and abrasion resistance of the surfaces. Standards have also continued to grow as time has progressed.

Fast-forward to today, and sublimation is still experiencing advancements in both the technology and substrate world. “Without a doubt, printing technology in the subli-

HOW HARD CAN IT BE?

By Cassie Green

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Key chains are a popular hard sublimatable substrate among many different customer groups.

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Mugs were among the first hard substrates available for

sublimation.

The advancement of sublimation technology

is a major factor in the expansion of hard

substrate options.

A Solid Argument for Sublimating Hard Substrates

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mation market has changed significantly,” explains Cathy Garcia, Marco Awards Group. “We are seeing significant increases in ‘polyester’ coated product offerings.” With so much advancement over the years, awards shops would be wise to take advantage.

SOLID SELECTIONAs noted by sources, the

improvement of sublimation equipment has helped increase substrate options. Decorators can now embellish more than T-shirts and socks. As the days move on, the selection only continues to expand.

“The offering of acrylic, glass and ceramic (tile) is recent, and it is not just standard shapes. We see ornaments, crosses and octagons—anything with a flat surface,” Garcia says of the hard sub-strate options currently available. While the T-shirt still remains one of the most popular items to sublimate, many hard options are hot on its heels.

According to Hinton, mugs, name badges, MDF plaques and ceramic tiles are among the most popular hard substrate options. But that’s not all. “Increasing in popularity are items like photo panels, phone cases and Subliplex acrylic,” he adds.

Keep in mind there’s some less-pop-ular items in the hard substrate world that still make for a good sell. The Unisub team points out that hardboard is becoming popular in some shops, and natural wood products are also quickly gaining traction. “MDF with a maple veneer produces great results with spe-cific images that work well with a wood grain background,” the team notes.

All of these options can be over-whelming; how does an awards retailer choose what to carry and offer its cus-tomers? A lot of that decision is based on the customers the shop services. “There are many different realms that sublimation

rating method for awards and engraving shops everywhere. But to truly appre-ciate this technology, let’s start from the beginning.

“Sublimation originally started decades ago primarily geared towards fab-rics,” says Kyle Hinton, Johnson Plastics. As the 90s rolled around, hard substrates made their way into the sublimation picture, starting with ceramic mugs. As technology advanced, so did the substrate options. Such options currently include acrylic, glass, aluminum and even wood. This is largely tied to advancements in the technology and methodology.

“The coating method has changed in our industry so that now hard surfaces for sublimation last longer,” notes the team at Unisub. There have also been dramatic improvements in fade resistance as well as the scratch and abrasion resistance of the surfaces. Standards have also continued to grow as time has progressed.

Fast-forward to today, and sublimation is still experiencing advancements in both the technology and substrate world. “Without a doubt, printing technology in the subli-

HOW HARD CAN IT BE?

covers, so in many cases the customer base may dictate the items (a retailer) should carry,” Hinton points out. He recommends determining a target market for sublima-tion: identification, awards, gifts, etc.

After determining the customer base, selecting hard substrates to stock in-house becomes an easier decision. Metal prod-ucts are a good choice for many different awards customers, but there are also some key items you should never leave off your list. “(We recommend stocking) top-selling items such as coasters, keychains, ID tags, plaques and bag tags,” says the Unisub team. The team goes on to point out that even if your current customer base doesn’t necessarily purchase these items at the moment, showing them something new can inspire a fresh sale.

When all else fails, fall back to the basics. “If the retailer establishes a cus-tomer who re-orders certain products, it’s advisable to always stock those blanks, but I would always stock the basics: badges, coasters and mugs,” Garcia advises.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTSKeep in mind that offering to subli-

mate hard substrates does require your

awards business to have certain equip-ment in the shop. Along with the basics, such as a sublimation printer, software, heat press and paper, it’s always good to purchase a few ancillary items.

Unisub’s recipe for hard surface subli-mation includes tools such as heat gloves, heat tape, tape dispenser, poly fabric, blowout paper, a Nomex pad, and a cloth and all-purpose cleaner.

Hinton adds a few items of his own to that list. “You do not want to use a spray adhesive like you would on fabrics because it can leave a haze or spotting,” he advises. “A green silicone pad will assist in getting the best results on fishing lures, acrylics and porcelain ornaments.”

A NOT-SO-HARD SELLThe variety of hard substrates avail-

able mixed with full-color results make sublimation a fairly easy sell. As a result, it’s beneficial for awards retailers to offer this service, or at the very least consider it.

“I believe the margins in sublimation are a vast improvement over other mar-kets,” states Garcia. “Offering full-color opens doors for the retailer that were not available before the ease and affordability

IMAGE COURTESY MARCO AWARDS GROUP

A Solid Argument for Sublimating Hard Substrates

Offering full-color options to customers opens the door to higher profit margins.

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of sublimation.” She believes that because of this ease and affordability, it’s a must-add for any awards shop.

The big bonus is that it pairs rather nicely with other embellishing technolo-gies that most awards shops already offer. “If you’re an awards shop already doing award plaques for sports teams, why not offer bag tags or photo panels with a team photo?” suggests Hinton. He also lists license plates and key tags as ideal complementary items to the awards sale.

An awards shop can also explore mixing media on hard surfaces. The Unisub team points out that hard sur-face sublimation enables awards retailers to add full-color images to an already-engraved award for that extra personal-ized kick. “Offering hard substrates for sublimation provides more options to sell to customers,” the team adds.

Just don’t forget to tell your customers that you do offer hard substrate sublima-tion options. “The retailer must create a display of sublimated products to gauge customer interest and possible sales,” Garcia emphasizes.

Sublimation has come a long way since its arrival on the substrate deco-rating scene. Now more than ever, awards retailers should be taking advantage of the hard substrate options currently avail-able for sublimation. With a plethora of products to choose, the profit potential can only continue to climb. A&E

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