How to Sublimate Blankets, Pillows & Plush Blanks
How to Sublimate Blankets, Pillows & Plush Blanks
Soft blanks are some of the most giftable products a Canadian craft business can offer — a personalized minky blanket, a photo pillow, a birth-stat elephant for a new baby. They're also the category where crafters make one specific mistake over and over: trying to press a lofty, dimensional item the way they'd press a t-shirt. This guide covers the verified settings for blankets and pillow covers, the pressing-pillow technique that fixes patchy transfers, and the honest answer to how plush stuffed animals actually get sublimated. These are the same references we give the 2,000+ Canadian crafters who buy their soft sublimation blanks from our Langley, BC warehouse.
Quick answer: minky/plush polyester blankets press at 385°F (196°C) for 45 seconds with medium pressure, transfer face down, peeled hot. Linen-textured pillow covers press at 385°F (196°C) for 45 seconds with light pressure, and sequin pillows at 380–400°F (193–204°C) for 45–55 seconds at 40 psi with a pressing pillow inside. Plush stuffed animals are sublimated via their removable polyester shirt or panel — pressed flat with apparel settings — not by pressing the toy itself. Exact numbers vary by blank and press; test first.
Blanket, Pillow & Plush Settings Table
| Blank | Temperature | Time | Pressure | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minky / velvet polyester blanket | 385°F (196°C) | 45 sec | Medium | Transfer face down; peel hot |
| Linen-textured pillow cover (18×18") | 385°F (196°C) | 45 sec | Light | Insert removed; press cover flat |
| Sequin pillow cover | 380–400°F (193–204°C) | 45–55 sec | 40 psi | Pressing pillow inside + non-stick sheet on top |
| Plush toy shirt/panel (teddy, owl, grad bear) | Use polyester apparel settings | — | — | Remove the shirt and press it FLAT — see the apparel guide |
| Direct pressing on a stuffed toy | Follow the blank manufacturer's instructions | — | — | Not verified as a general method — see below |
Published ranges differ between blank manufacturers — treat this table as your starting point, press one test blank, and record what works for your press, paper and ink combination. Settings for our specific blanks are printed on each product page's spec table.
The Honest Truth About Sublimating Stuffed Animals
Here's what most listings gloss over: you don't press the bear. Sublimation-ready plush toys — like our teddy bear with sublimation shirt, graduation teddy, LED teddy and plush owl — come with a removable white polyester shirt or panel. You take the shirt off the toy, press it flat exactly like a small polyester garment (apparel settings apply — see our apparel sublimation guide), let it cool, and dress the toy again.
If a plush blank is designed for any direct-on-toy pressing, that's a blank-specific process — follow the manufacturer's instructions for that exact toy. We haven't found verified general settings for pressing directly on stuffed plush, and we won't invent them.
Birth-stat elephant note: our popular birth-stat elephant is personalized via its printed insert/tag component — follow the manufacturer's instructions included with the blank for that piece, and treat any shirt/panel it carries like any other plush shirt.
What You Need
- A polyester soft blank: velvet/minky blankets, 18×18" pillow covers, sequin pillows, or a plush toy with a sublimation shirt — teddy with shirt, LED teddy, owl, birth-stat elephant, graduation teddy, security blanket — all in our soft blanks line
- Sublimation printer with sublimation ink, and sublimation paper
- Flat heat press large enough for your blank (blankets are pressed in sections or on a large-format press)
- Pressing pillow (the fix for zippers, seams and loft), non-stick sheet, heat-resistant tape, protective/butcher paper, lint roller
Step by Step: Blankets & Pillow Covers
- Print your design mirrored, sized to the blank's pressable area.
- Lint-roll the fabric — a stray fibre presses into a permanent white line.
- Pre-press the blank for a few seconds to flatten the nap and drive out moisture (polyester holds humidity, and moisture causes splotches).
- Pillow covers: slide a pressing pillow inside the cover so seams and zippers sink below the print surface and the press hits the fabric evenly. Remove any insert first.
- Position the transfer face down, tape it, and lay protective paper over everything (and inside the cover, so ink can't blow through to the back).
- Press: minky blankets 385°F (196°C), 45 seconds, medium; linen pillow covers 385°F (196°C), 45 seconds, light; sequin pillows 380–400°F (193–204°C), 45–55 seconds at 40 psi with a non-stick sheet on top.
- Peel the blanket transfer hot, immediately. Large blankets get pressed one section at a time — overlap your placements carefully and keep the rest of the blanket draped off the platen.
Step by Step: Plush Toys
- Remove the polyester shirt or panel from the toy.
- Press the shirt flat using polyester apparel technique — pre-press, cardstock or paper inside the shirt so ink can't blow through, transfer taped face down. Settings: see the apparel sublimation guide.
- Let the shirt cool, then dress the toy.
- For any component the manufacturer says to press directly (or a printed insert like the birth-stat elephant's), follow the instructions supplied with that specific blank.
Troubleshooting Soft Blanks
Patchy, uneven transfer on a pillow or plush shirt: loft — the surface wasn't uniformly flat under the press. Use a pressing pillow, and pre-press to flatten the nap. Splotchy or speckled colour: moisture in the fabric or paper. Pre-press the blank and keep paper dry. White line through the design: a fibre or crease was pressed in. Lint-roll first and smooth the fabric before laying the transfer. Ink shadow on the back of the pillow cover: blow-through. Always put protective paper inside the cover. Ghosted/blurry blanket design: the transfer shifted, or you didn't peel hot. Tape firmly and peel immediately on minky. Sequins look melted or dull: too hot or too long for that blank, or no non-stick sheet. Stay inside 380–400°F (193–204°C) / 45–55 seconds and always use the sheet.
FAQ
How do you sublimate a stuffed animal? You don't press the toy itself — sublimation-ready plush toys come with a removable white polyester shirt or panel. Take the shirt off, press it flat using polyester apparel settings, let it cool, and put it back on the toy. Any direct-on-toy pressing is blank-specific: follow the manufacturer's instructions for that exact plush.
What temperature do I use for a minky blanket? 385°F (196°C) for 45 seconds at medium pressure, with the transfer face down against the fabric, and peel the paper hot. Pre-press first to flatten the nap and remove moisture, and press large blankets one section at a time. Test one blank and adjust for your press.
What are the settings for a sequin pillow? 380–400°F (193–204°C) for 45–55 seconds at 40 psi, with a pressing pillow inside the cover and a non-stick sheet over the sequins. Brush all sequins flat in the same direction before pressing.
Why is my blanket or pillow patchy? Loft. Blankets, plush fabric and pillow covers aren't naturally flat — seams, zippers and thick nap hold parts of the surface away from the press, so those areas transfer faint. A pressing pillow inside covers (or under the fabric) plus a firm pre-press evens the surface out.
Can I sublimate a cotton blanket? No — sublimation ink bonds to polyester. High-polyester blanks give vibrant, wash-fast results; cotton and low-poly blends fade badly. Our minky and velvet blankets are polyester and made for sublimation.
Where can I buy blanket, pillow and plush sublimation blanks in Canada? Right here — blankets, pillow covers, sequin pillows and the full plush line (teddies, owl, birth-stat elephant and more) ship from our Langley, BC warehouse, priced in CAD with no minimum order, to every province.
Part of the Complete Sublimation Printing Guide — see also: polyester apparel & fabric for the shirt-pressing settings plush toys use, and the master temperature chart.
Settings compiled from press and blank manufacturers' published guidance and verified against multiple industry sources; always confirm against the instructions supplied with your specific blank and equipment.