You pressed your design, peeled the paper, and the colours look washed out, pale, or completely faded. This is one of the most common sublimation problems, and the good news is that it almost always has a fixable cause. This guide walks through every reason your sublimation print might look faded and exactly how to fix each one.
1. Temperature Too Low
Sublimation ink needs enough heat to fully convert from a solid to a gas and bond into the polyester coating on your blank. If your heat press is not reaching the correct temperature, the ink will only partially transfer, resulting in faded, washed-out colours.
How to fix: Verify your press temperature with an infrared thermometer or heat tape strips — do not rely solely on the digital readout, as many presses are off by 10–25°F. Most sublimation blanks require 375°F to 400°F (190°C to 204°C). If your press reads 380°F but actual platen temperature is only 355°F, your prints will look faded every time. Adjust your dial upward to compensate.
2. Press Time Too Short
Even at the correct temperature, the ink needs enough time to fully sublimate into the coating. Pulling the blank too early is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
How to fix: Follow the recommended press times for your specific blank type. Flat aluminum blanks need 45–60 seconds, ceramic mugs need 180–240 seconds, and tumblers need 45–75 seconds in a tumbler press or 5–6 minutes in a convection oven. If your colours are consistently pale, add 5–10 seconds to your press time. Always use a timer rather than estimating.
3. Insufficient Pressure
The sublimation paper must be in firm, even contact with the blank surface. Gaps between the paper and the blank allow the sublimated ink gas to escape before it bonds into the coating, which causes faded or missing areas in the print.
How to fix: Increase your press pressure. For flat blanks, you should feel firm resistance when closing the press — a piece of paper pulled between the platens should require effort to remove. For mugs and tumblers, make sure the clamp or wrap is snug. Uneven pressure causes prints that are faded on one side but fine on the other.
4. Using Regular Inkjet Ink Instead of Sublimation Ink
This is the most common cause of completely failed sublimation prints. Regular inkjet ink (dye-based or pigment-based) does not sublimate — it simply cannot convert from solid to gas under heat. If you filled a sublimation printer with regular ink, or if your printer was not converted properly, your prints will always look extremely faded or will not transfer at all.
How to fix: Verify that your printer is loaded with genuine sublimation ink. If you converted an Epson EcoTank or similar printer, make sure all ink lines were fully flushed of the original ink before filling with sublimation ink. Even small amounts of regular ink mixed in will significantly reduce colour vibrancy. Run several test prints to flush the lines completely.
5. Wrong Printer Colour Profile (ICC Profile)
Sublimation ink behaves differently than standard inkjet ink. Without the correct ICC colour profile installed, your printer will output colours that look fine on screen but print at incorrect ink densities, resulting in faded or colour-shifted sublimation transfers.
How to fix: Download and install the ICC profile provided by your sublimation ink manufacturer. The profile is specific to your ink brand AND your printer model — using the wrong combination will produce poor results. In your print settings, select the sublimation ICC profile and make sure colour management is set to "let application manage colours" rather than "let printer manage colours."
6. Printing on the Wrong Side of the Paper
Sublimation paper has a coated side (bright white, slightly tacky) and an uncoated side (duller, slightly rougher). Printing on the wrong side means the ink sits on an uncoated surface and will not transfer properly to the blank.
How to fix: Most sublimation paper has a coated side that is brighter and smoother. Some brands mark the coated side or include a coloured indicator stripe on the correct print side. When loading paper into your printer, make sure the coated side faces the print head. If unsure, print a small test image on both sides and compare the transfer results.
7. Blank Is Not Sublimation-Coated
Sublimation ink can only bond to polyester or polyester-coated surfaces. Raw aluminum, uncoated ceramic, plain cotton fabric, or any non-polyester material will not accept sublimation ink regardless of your temperature, time, or pressure settings.
How to fix: Always purchase blanks that are specifically labelled as sublimation-coated or sublimation-ready. All blanks from WestCoastCraft are pre-coated and ready to press. If you are sublimating on fabric, it must be at least 65% polyester (100% polyester gives the best results). Cotton and cotton-blend fabrics will produce faded, washed-out prints.
8. Old or Expired Sublimation Ink
Sublimation ink has a shelf life. Over time, the ink particles can settle, separate, or degrade, which reduces colour vibrancy and transfer quality. Ink that has been sitting unused in a printer for months can also dry or clog in the print head.
How to fix: Use sublimation ink within 6–12 months of opening. If your printer has been sitting unused for more than 2 weeks, run a head cleaning cycle before printing. Store unopened ink bottles in a cool, dark place and shake gently before refilling to redistribute settled particles.
9. Moisture in the Blank or Paper
Moisture is a hidden sublimation killer. If your blank or sublimation paper has absorbed humidity, the water turns to steam during pressing, which pushes the sublimation ink gas away from the surface and causes faded, hazy, or blotchy results.
How to fix: Pre-press your blank for 3–5 seconds before applying the sublimation paper to drive off surface moisture. Store sublimation paper in a sealed bag or container with a desiccant packet, especially in humid climates. If you live in a high-humidity area, pre-pressing both the blank and the paper separately before combining them can dramatically improve results.
10. Design File Issues (Low Resolution or Wrong Colour Mode)
A design that looks bright on screen can print faded if the file resolution is too low or if the colours are in the wrong colour mode.
How to fix: Design at 300 DPI minimum for sublimation. Use RGB colour mode (not CMYK) — sublimation printers use an RGB workflow, and CMYK designs will look duller and less saturated. Increase colour saturation by 10–20% in your design software to compensate for the slight vibrancy loss that occurs during the sublimation transfer process.
Quick Troubleshooting Checklist
If your sublimation prints are faded, run through this checklist in order:
- Verify press temperature with an external thermometer
- Check that press time matches the blank type
- Confirm you are using sublimation ink (not regular inkjet)
- Ensure the correct ICC colour profile is installed
- Check that you printed on the coated side of the paper
- Confirm the blank is sublimation-coated
- Pre-press the blank to remove moisture
- Check ink expiry and run a head cleaning if needed
- Verify your design is 300 DPI in RGB colour mode
Shop Sublimation Blanks in Canada
Using high-quality, properly coated blanks is one of the easiest ways to avoid faded sublimation prints. Browse our full sublimation blanks collection — every blank is sublimation-coated and tested for consistent results. Whether you are pressing mugs, tumblers, aluminum blanks, or t-shirts, all of our products ship from Canada with no minimum order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my sublimation look faded after pressing?
The most common causes are temperature too low, press time too short, insufficient pressure, using regular ink instead of sublimation ink, or pressing on a blank that is not sublimation-coated. Verify your press temperature with an external thermometer and check that all materials are sublimation-compatible.
How do I make sublimation colours more vibrant?
Install the correct ICC colour profile for your ink and printer combination, design in RGB mode at 300 DPI, increase saturation by 10–20% in your design software, use fresh sublimation ink, and pre-press blanks to remove moisture before applying the transfer.
Can humidity affect sublimation quality?
Yes. Moisture in the blank or sublimation paper turns to steam during pressing and pushes ink away from the surface, causing faded or hazy results. Pre-press blanks for 3–5 seconds to drive off moisture, and store sublimation paper in sealed containers with desiccant packets.
Does sublimation ink expire?
Sublimation ink has a shelf life of approximately 6–12 months after opening. Ink that has been sitting unused in a printer for extended periods can settle or dry, reducing colour quality. Shake ink bottles gently before refilling and run regular head cleaning cycles to maintain print quality.
Why does sublimation work on polyester but not cotton?
Sublimation ink bonds at the molecular level with polyester fibres and polyester-based coatings. Cotton and other natural fibres do not have the molecular structure to accept sublimation ink, so the ink washes out or appears extremely faded. For fabric sublimation, use 100% polyester or at least 65% polyester blends.
