Sublimation Paper Versus Copy Paper: Which is Best?

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Let&#;s put sublimation paper versus copy paper to the test today. This may be one of my most requested posts of all time. Does copy paper work for sublimation? Copy paper would be a cheaper alternative as far as paper pricing but does it work as well? Are there any other issues? Let&#;s find out!

Want more information on what sublimation paper works best? I tested a few brands here!

Sublimation Paper Versus Copy Paper

Do you want to watch my tests and get a closer look at the results? You can click play on the video below to see the entire process of my experiments on sublimation paper versus copy paper.

Can&#;t watch the video or miss some of the information? You can also follow along below!

Supplies Used

I&#;m going to use regular copy paper from Sam&#;s Club that I buy in bulk. It does say on the back of the package that it can be used in laser printers. That means it can withstand the heat that I&#;m about to apply to it in order to press the sublimation. You do want something that can withstand the heat, and not burn or singe. I wouldn&#;t get something that doesn&#;t say it&#;s not rated for laser printers or laser copiers.

Sublimation Prints

I&#;m comparing regular copy paper to both Hiipoo sublimation paper, as well as ASub sublimation paper in my Epson EcoTank printer that I&#;ve converted for sublimation. I have Hiipoo sublimation ink installed, and printed the same print on all three papers. The top is copy paper, the middle is Hiipoo sublimation paper, and the bottom is ASub sublimation paper.

Adding to a Shirt

I have a 95% polyester shirt. I pre-pressed it in my heat press and used a lint roller over the entire surface. Then I put my designs in place with the top being copy paper, the middle Hiipoo sublimation paper, and the bottom ASub sublimation paper. Remember that sublimation is best on polyester shirts. You can see more about choosing sublimation shirts here.

I used heat tape to tape everything into place. I&#;m going to add protective paper on the inside as well as the top. Then I&#;ll heat press these all at the same time and at the same temperature to my shirt.

Bleeding of Ink

After I removed the protective paper, I saw that the copy paper bled way more than the other two. That means if I did not put the paper on top, I would have had ink on the top of my heat press. I always use protective paper on top, but a lot of times I reuse my sheets if no ink gets on them. In this case, I would not have been able to if I had used just the copy paper.

Ink Transfer from Papers

Let&#;s take a look first at the amount of ink that was transferred. You can tell that there is more ink left on my copy paper, than on the other two papers. That means that more of the ink transferred out of the Hiipoo and the ASub paper and onto my surface, which is a good thing. The more ink on my shirt, the brighter the image is going to be and the longer-lasting it will be because more ink got into those fibers and bonded. 

Color Comparison

Let&#;s take a closer look at the colors on each of the designs. The copy paper is lighter, especially on some of the colors. I can see a little bit of a difference in person. To me, the orange in the &#;E&#; on the copy paper version is lighter than the &#;E&#; on the Hiipoo, as well as the ASub. For Hiipoo and ASub, I really can&#;t tell the difference.

The main differences in color that I can see are in the oranges, pinks, and darker purples. I would say that with the darker colors, the copy paper gets lighter. If you&#;re having trouble with your colors and you don&#;t feel like they&#;re popping off of your surface, it may be because you&#;re using copy paper instead of sublimation paper.

Sublimation paper versus copy paper: Which would I use?

Now that you&#;ve seen the evidence and the experiment, you can make your own decision. First of all, the copy paper bled more during the heating process, which means you&#;re going to have to use more paper to protect your surface, which can cost more. It might make it just as expensive as sublimation paper at that point.

The other thing I don&#;t like about using copy paper is that not as much ink transferred out. If I&#;m going to print the ink onto the paper, I want as much of that ink as possible to go onto my shirt. I don&#;t want it left on the paper as that is just like throwing it in the trash. I want all of that ink or as much as possible to transfer over into the shirt and become part of the fabric and the fibers.

This shirt was pressed at the same time, and each print was printed using the same settings on my sublimation printer. Everything else was equal and the same, except for the paper I used in each case. Now you can see for yourself what happens when you compare sublimation paper versus copy paper, and which one might be right for your projects! 

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Stop! Don't buy that heat transfer paper just yet!

This may sound like the most ludicrous thing for a company that sells transfer paper to say. But as much as we would love to sell you any and every paper, it is more important to us that you find the right heat transfer paper for the job.

If you're new to printing with heat transfer paper, that's exciting! Heat transfer paper is one of the most effective methods for creating high-quality custom T-shirts and garments. It's also incredibly easy to use - decorators of all backgrounds and experience levels can jump in and start creating products with heat transfer paper. The process first involves printing a design or photo onto a sheet of transfer paper with an inkjet or laser printer, then placing the paper on top of the shirt and applying heat and pressure using a heat press*. That's it!

*A conventional hand iron will work in some cases, but for the best, most consistent results, we recommend using a quality heat press.

While printing and pressing with heat transfer paper is very straightforward, there are several important things that you should know before you buy your first pack of HTP. Knowing these factors and understanding their impact will ensure you get the right paper - and save you potential headaches and money. Before you dive head first into the wide world of heat transfer paper, begin by asking yourself a few questions.

1. Do you have an inkjet or laser printer?

Heat transfer papers are designed to work with either inkjet or laser printers and are not cross-compatible. So, if you have an inkjet printer, you will need inkjet transfer paper. If you have a laser printer, you will need laser transfer paper.

Not sure what you've got? Don't worry! There are several ways to find out what kind of printer you have. Most printers display their model name on a label found somewhere on the printer's surface. Some printers even have "laser" or "inkjet" referenced in their name. Scan the exterior of your printer to find the model name, and if it does not specifically say "laser" or "inkjet", a quick Google search of the model should tell you what you are working with.

Another way to determine whether you have an inkjet or laser printer is to physically open your printer and see if there are ink or toner cartridges inside. Ink cartridges are typically small, box-shaped and carry liquid ink that you can sometimes observe at the bottom of the cartridge. In contrast, toner cartridges are generally much larger and longer. They're filled with a toner powder instead of ink, though you likely won't be able to see this.

When in doubt, feel free to give the manufacturer or the company you purchased the printer from a call and have them confirm your printer type - they may even have some insight on which HTP works best with your model!

2. What garment color will you print on?

This particular question is critical: are you planning on printing on light shirts? Darks garments? Both? This information is important to know because white and light-colored fabrics require a different transfer paper than black and dark-colored fabrics.

The reason for this is that ink and toner rely on a white background to be visible and produce accurate color reproduction. On dark backgrounds, ink and toner become translucent and are hardly visible. Therefore, transfer papers for darks have a white backing or coating underneath your print, allowing for accurate, vivid colors. On the other hand, transfer papers for lights have only a clear transfer layer that carries the design to the garment.

If you're just starting out, don't let this confuse you - and don't get too caught up in the details! The main thing to know is whether you're printing on lights or darks - and to remember to use the correct corresponding paper.

3. What kind of artwork are you printing?

One final factor to consider before purchasing heat transfer paper is what type of artwork you plan on printing. Are you looking to print photos with a high level of detail, or does your artwork better resemble vector-style graphics? Vector graphics at their simplest form are line or shape-based designs or illustrations that you can create using design programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw. They're the most common style of artwork to print using heat transfer paper.

If vector-style graphics are your game plan, you're in luck! Virtually all heat transfer papers (laser or inkjet, light or dark garments) do a great job printing vectors. However, if you would like to print photos, keep in mind that you're slightly more limited in which heat transfer paper you can use.

With photos, your best bet is inkjet transfer paper for lights. Inkjet printers can print a full range of colors, which is ideal for realistic, high-quality photos. Inkjet transfer paper for darks will work, but they come with a small caveat. Inkjet transfer paper for darks is comprised of an opaque, white coating that is thick, and you will be able to feel that layer once the image is transferred to the shirt.

Laser transfer paper is more difficult for photos because standard laser printers (using cyan, magenta and yellow toner) are manufactured to achieve very bold colors. Only with a more advanced laser printer that also utilizes white toner (the Crio WDT is a great option) can you print the broad range of colors you need for photos with a lot of detail.

Hopefully all of these HTP factors don't scare you off! It can be a lot to remember, but once you begin creating with transfer paper on a routine basis, these things will become second nature. As a rule of thumb, if you're looking to print photos, start with inkjet heat transfer paper for white and light-colored garments. For vector art, you're safe with any heat transfer paper.

Looking for recommendations? Here are some of our top picks for each category!

Alright - you've got the green light to start shopping!

You should now be ready to pick out your heat transfer paper! If you still have questions, don't hesitate to give our Customer Success Team a call at 800 562- or us at [ protected]. We're more than happy to answer all your questions and help you find the right transfer paper for the job!

For more a4 sublimation paper servicesinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.