| The Print Shop & Sublimation Glossary |
| Every craft has its own language, and the print shop is no different. Whether you are pressing your first shirt or running a full production schedule, these terms will help you quote faster, run cleaner and waste fewer blanks. Built for beginners and seasoned pros alike. |
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| | Sublimation Basics
The foundation everything else is built on |
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| | | A printing process where solid dye turns into a gas under heat and pressure, then bonds directly into polyester fibers or a polymer coating. The design becomes part of the item instead of sitting on top, so it will not crack, peel or fade with washing. |
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| | | The process of dividing a full-color design into individual color layers for printing. Critical for multi-color production and ensuring accurate color reproduction. |
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| | | A coated transfer paper that holds your printed design until heat releases it onto the item. You will also hear it called transfer paper. |
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| | | The manual removal of excess material after cutting or printing. VersiFlex technology eliminates the need for weeding, streamlining the workflow. |
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| | | With true sublimation, the design does not sit on your shirt. It becomes part of the fabric — which is exactly why it will not peel or crack. |
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| | | The time required for ink or adhesive to fully set and become permanent on a substrate. Varies by material, ink type, and application method. |
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| | | The fabric sublimation loves. The higher the polyester content, the brighter and more durable the result. Lower poly counts give a softer, more vintage finish. |
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| | | A special coating applied to hard items like mugs, tiles and metal so the ink has something to bond to. Without it, sublimation will not take on a hard surface. |
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| | | A faint, blurry double image caused by the transfer shifting during pressing. Heat tape and a steady hand prevent it. |
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| | Heat & Pressing
Where the design actually moves onto the item |
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| | | A machine that applies heat and pressure to transfer designs onto substrates. Essential for sublimation, HTV, and direct-to-transfer printing. |
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| | | The heated lower plate of a heat press that makes direct contact with the substrate. Temperature control and even heating are critical for quality results. |
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| | | The length of time a substrate stays in contact with the heat press. Affects color saturation and transfer quality; varies by material and ink type. |
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| | | Pounds Per Square Inch – the measure of pressure applied by a heat press. Proper PSI is critical for effective dye sublimation and design transfer. |
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| | | A press where the upper heating element closes down onto the lower platen like a clamshell. Compact and user-friendly for small to mid-volume production. |
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| | | Specialized paper that holds sublimation ink and transfers designs to substrates under heat and pressure. Quality paper ensures crisp, vibrant results. |
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| | | The extra space beyond the trim line in a design that ensures color extends to the edge after cutting. Prevents white borders on finished products. |
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| | | A cushioned insert that lifts your design above seams, zippers and buttons so pressure stays even across the print. |
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| | Print Shop & Production
The words you will hear on the production floor |
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| | | Producing a small quantity in a single run. Digital decoration shines here because there are no screens or plates to set up, so even a run of one stays cost-effective. |
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| | | Placing several different designs on a single sheet so they print in one pass. A simple way to cut both time and material per piece. |
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| | | Because digital decoration skips screens and plates, a short run of one can be just as cost-effective per piece as a run of hundreds. |
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| | | Arranging designs as tightly as possible on one transfer sheet so you use every inch and waste as little as you can. |
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| | | A test version of a design, on screen or pressed, that you review before the full run to catch errors and confirm color. |
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| | | The process of ensuring accurate color reproduction across design software, printers, and prints. Critical for consistent, professional-quality output. |
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| | Design & File Prep
Getting what you see on screen onto the item |
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| | | A small file that tells your printer exactly how to reproduce color for a specific ink and substrate combination. Think of it as the recipe behind accurate color. |
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| | | Dots per inch, a measure of how much detail an image holds. Higher resolution means sharper, cleaner prints. |
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| | | Raster images are made of pixels and lose quality when enlarged. Vector graphics are built from math and scale to any size without blurring. |
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| | | Extending your design slightly past the trim edge so there are no unprinted slivers after cutting. |
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| | | Small lines that show where a sheet should be trimmed. Your map for clean, accurate cuts. |
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| | Substrates & Blanks
The things you actually decorate |
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| | | The blank item you decorate, whether a shirt, a mug, a coaster or a phone case. |
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| | | Undecorated products waiting for your design. The raw material of every order. |
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| | | Hard substrates are rigid goods like mugs, tiles and keychains. Soft substrates are apparel and textiles. |
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| | The Sawgrass Ecosystem
The gear and software, defined |
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| Sawgrass Print Utility (SPU) |
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| | | The color management and print control software for Sawgrass systems. It is the engine that turns your file into an accurate, repeatable print. |
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| | | Sawgrass’s ultra high definition sublimation ink, engineered for vivid color, smooth gradients and reliable, low-maintenance performance. |
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| | | Sawgrass’s patented system that sublimates on cotton, a fabric sublimation was never able to decorate before. You print, press and peel, and the design lives in the garment with a soft hand and full color. |
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| | | SPU stands for Sawgrass Print Utility — the color brain behind every Sawgrass print. |
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| Keep this glossary handy. Learning the language is the first step. Once the words make sense, the craft opens right up. |
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