Tag: Tumbler Press

I have been creating with the Craft Pro Mug & Tumbler Press from Heat Press Nation, and I wanted to share how easy it was to use. In this post, I’m walking you through my process from start to finish, including how I set up the sublimation designs in Silhouette Studio, how simple the pressing process was, and the finished mugs and tumblers I created. I’ve also included an unboxing video at the end so you can see exactly what comes with the press and why I think it’s a great tool for beginners or anyone looking to simplify their sublimation workflow.

Affiliate links may be present in the following blog post and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I purchased the Craft Pro Mug & Tumbler Press last year during the Black Friday sales and I have to admit that I didn’t unbox it right away. It sat there… whispering my name every time I walked by. By mid-January, I finally gave in, unboxed it, and set it up—and I have no idea why I waited so long! It was super easy to get started and even easier to use. Total win!

Here is a look at the first tumblers I pressed using the Craft Pro Mug & Tumbler Press.

Supplies I used for these projects:

• Silhouette Studio software
• Craft Pro Mug & Tumbler Heat Press
• Epson F170 SureColor Sublimation printer
• Tex Print R Sublimation paper
• Paper Trimmer
• Parchment Paper
• Heat Tape
• Alcohol Wipes
• Lint Roller
• Sublimation Tumbler White
• Sublimation Tumbler White Glitter
• Sublimation Tumbler Holographic Glitter
• Sublimation 15 oz. Coffee Mug
• Artesprix Protective Mat
• Turtle Tumbler Wrap design
• Sarcastic Birds Funny Tumbler Wrap design
• Iridescent Lilac Flowers Tumbler Wrap design
• Sea Animals Tumbler Wrap design
• Sunset Sea Turtle Sublimation design (pictured below)
• Create with Heart Design by EllyMae

These tumblers and coffee mugs could not be any easier. Literally, print and press the design and you have colorful, beautiful projects! I will say that equipment does make a difference. I also will admit that not all projects turn out 100% of the time, but there is usually a reason for that. In my case, it’s usually due to user error of some sort. I get in a hurry or grabbed the wrong blank that’s not in fact a sublimation blank, etc.

For these projects, I am using a Windows 11 computer and printing through Silhouette software to my Epson F170 with the full printer driver’s installed direct from the Epson website. I am not changing or adjusting anything. I then press the sublimation blanks according to the manufacturer’s instructions. All sublimation blanks can vary in time and temperature.

Creating Sublimation Tumblers

The first step for a successful full tumbler wrap is to measure your sublimation tumbler. They are not all created the same size. Even if you order several at once, it’s always a good idea to grab a tape measure and just check the size really quickly.

Next, open Silhouette Studio and draw a rectangle. Scale the rectangle to the size of the tumbler measurements and center it to the page.

I used a design called Sarcastic Birds Funny Tumbler Wrap. This particular design was created for a 20 oz tumbler and since I’m doing the full wrap, I simply dragged it from the saved location on my computer and held it over top of the rectangle in Silhouette Studio and it filled the entire rectangle.

I would recommend always checking the “Show Print Border” on the Page Setup Panel in Silhouette Studio. This will turn on a gray border around the page that shows you the maximum print border for the current printer and page size set by your computer/printer. This is also the first place where you can spot an issue, such as the wrong printer selected, etc. I switch between my Canon TS9521C and my Epson F170 printer all the time and the print borders are different for each printer.

Next, save your file. This is always a good habit to get into, especially when working with heavy graphic files. I recommend saving your files every so often to preserve your work.

Before you print, you want to make sure the correct printer is selected. Click on File > Print > Select Print on the Preview > Verify Printer selected.

In this photo above, my regular printer is selected. That means the print border shown above will be what is set by the Canon TS9521C printer settings, not the Epson F170 sublimation printer.

If you have to switch printers or change page size, make the changes, click Apply and then cancel out of the windows back to the Design tab in the Silhouette Studio software. This will reset the print borders and settings to the correct printer.

Then proceed with printing by clicking File > Print > Print – verify the information is correct and send to your printer.

I show this process on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel in this video – Using the Print Menu in Silhouette Studio HERE.

Sublimation prints will print mirrored. If you are using a true sublimation printer, the default should be set to mirror it automatically. If you are using a converted printer for sublimation, then you may have to mirror the design yourself before printing.

After printing, make sure to let the ink dry completely before handling.

Applying Sublimation Transfer to Sublimation Tumblers

It’s always a good idea to test the pressure on the Craft Pro Mug & Tumbler Heat Press before you get it heated up. This will guarantee that your press is tight enough around the sublimation blank and it won’t heat up the blank in the process. If you add a sublimation print to a warm/hot surface, it has a chance of starting the ink transfer process.

Adjust the pressure on the press as needed and then turn the heat press on and set the time and temperature according the manufacturer’s instructions instructions for the sublimation blank.

While the press is heating, trim the sublimation prints down using a paper trimmer or straight edge.

Clean the tumbler with an alcohol swab and a lint roller. This will remove any dust or debris on the tumbler. Dust and debris particles will absorb the ink and leave blue spots on the sublimation blank that are permanent.

Once the tumbler is dry after cleaning, wrap the sublimation print around the tumbler tight and tape securely. Make sure to place the print the right side up so you don’t press the design upside down on the tumbler.

I have tried many different ways to tape tumblers and I have to say this is one of those things that you have to practice with and you will get better and find what method works for you, your designs, and your tumblers.

For these, I wrapped the sublimation print tight, matching up the paper edges and spinning it to tighten the paper around the tumbler. Then I taped completely around the tumbler in the middle, at the top, and at the bottom. You do not want any crinkles, wrinkles, bubbles, or uneven areas when wrapped. Any air that can get in between the paper and the tumbler when pressing can cause “ghosting”, which is blurred images and not a clean transfer.

Once the Craft Pro Mug & Tumbler Heat Press is up to temperature, I wrapped a sheet of parchment paper around the tumbler and slide it into the press. Then closed the press and pressed for the recommended time. Since it is a full wrap and the tumbler press does not completely surround the tumbler, it is rotated and pressed again so the entire surface is heat pressed.

Sublimation is science. It is the process of turning the sublimation ink printed on the paper into a gas with the high heat and pressure. This gas transfers to the sublimation blank and binds to the polyester coating. Any empty space, debris, air, etc. between the print and the blank can interfere with the transfer process.

The more you do it, the better you will get. And you might as well get a box out and label it “DUDS”, because you will have them! It’s all part of the process.

Sublimation blanks are typically white and the images will show up the best on white sublimation blanks because sublimation ink is transparent. The tumbler on the left side is a Holographic Glitter Sublimation Tumbler and you can see how the colors are a bit different than the other 3 white sublimation tumblers.

I love how they all turned out! The hardest part is getting good photos of a round object. Since it is a tumbler wrap, you cannot see the entire image in a photo. Make sure to check out the unboxing video below for some full 360° views of the finished tumblers.

Additional Resources:

• Drawing Tools in Silhouette
• Scale Tools in Silhouette
• Pattern Fill Resources
• Design with Pattern Fill: Silhouette Studio Tips for Stunning Results
• How to Print in Silhouette Studio: Using the Print Menu in Silhouette Studio

Creating Sublimation Coffee Mugs

Since I do not sell products, I don’t print as often as some who do daily sublimation projects. I was going several weeks without printing and was having a few issues. Sublimation ink is a different composition than regular inks, however, even with a regular inkjet printer, if it goes unused for some time, it can have issues and need maintenance.

After doing some maintenance to get my Epson F170 printing well again, I decided to try to make weekly prints, whether I have a project ready to press or not. A page printed weekly is less cost in maintenance than having to do multiple maintenance cycles.

Here is a look at one of the weekly test sheets I printed out a few weeks back.

I had no real plan for the projects, just opened up my Creative Fabrica folder in my saved designs and started looking for designs that I might like to add to a future projects, such as a coffee mug. On the left side in the photo above, you can see the template shapes I drew out to size some of them. While I didn’t have a specific plan, I was thinking 3″ coasters, 11 oz., and 15 oz. coffee mugs might be a possibility.

Sublimation prints can be printed and sit for some time as long as they are in a temperature controlled environment and not subjected to moisture that would affect the paper or ink.

I love my new Sunset Turtle Coffee Mug! So bright and colorful!

And the whole reason I swapped out the tumbler attachment for the mug attachment was to press a design I created for an upcoming event. The swap between attachments was so easy! 8 screws out, switch the tumbler attachment for the mug attachment, and 8 screws in. Don’t forget to plug the new attachment into the power box on the Craft Pro Mug & Tumbler Press or it won’t heat up. Seriously, these things happen to us all!

Here is a look at the entire reason for kicking my butt into gear to get this blog post and unboxing video done. Check out the Upcoming Events page HERE or sign up to be notified by email when a new event opens for registration HERE.

Since these designs are not full wraps, they do not need taped completely around the surface. I cleaned the sublimation coffee mugs, let them dry, then placed the sublimation print where I wanted it and secured the design with heat tape around the edges. You do want to get it tight against the mug so no air gets between the paper and mug.

Coffee mugs can be tricky near the handles. Again this just takes practice and depends on the blank itself. Make sure to secure the print as best you can for the best results.

And HAVE FUN creating!

A few of these tumblers have already found their way to friends and family as gifts and I have a couple tumblers and mugs for myself too!

Check out the unboxing video and a 360° view of the finished tumblers on the Silhouette Secrets+ YouTube channel HERE.

Save this for future reference by pinning the image below.

Enjoy !

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