sublimation

[CherryLane]

Can you use sublimation png's on Zazzle?  I don't know anything about sublimation and different friends have given me different answers about using it on Zazzle.  I've found the cutest piece of "sublimation" png artwork I want to use for t-shirts, invitations, etc.  I don't want to do these designs only to find out they don't print well. James from Zazzle posted on here about Zazzle using sublimation for a desk mat. He said, "The vibrant, edge-to-edge dye-sublimation print will breathe life into any home office or work area."  So I guess Zazzle uses sublimation for some products. Question is can I buy a sublimation png and use it?  Thoughts?  Thanks!

[PenguinPower]

I don't think there's any such thing as a "sublimation png"... They are just png images that people who have Cricut or similar machines are passing around to each other to use with dye sub transfer paper.. 

[CherryLane]

The artwork I'm interested in says "This is a sublimation file, you will get a ZIP which contains a PNG file when you download." Seems like sublimation might refer to layers of color to be printed?  Not sure, never worked with "sublimation" before. Thanks!

[PenguinPower · Accepted solution]

I think they are just differentiating between those files and the SVG that people who use those home machines to prefer to use to make custom cut stickers...  I'm pretty sure there's not really a PNG file format just for dye subs, they are just regular PNG files with transparent backgrounds. 

[KeegansCreation]

Sublimation isn't a type of png file. It's a method of printing designs onto materials that lets the dye sink into the material instead of just sitting on top of it. I'm not sure why people say "sublimation png" when selling a design. They might just mean that it will look nice when printed on a t shirt or, as James said, a desk mat. Or maybe as PenguinPower says they are drawing attention to it being png and not svg.