FAQs + Hints and Tips!

Project 035: FAQ + Hints and Tips!

We’re taking a look at some of our frequently asked questions along with some useful hints and tips that we have compiled in order to help you out with any queries that you may have!

Useful Information

Why do you have a minimum order of £39?

We are a trade manufacturer and wholesaler in the sublimation printing industry (only producing blank items for you to print – unlike some of our competitors who sell blanks and compete with their customers by printing as well) and generally across our site we have endeavoured to keep our prices as low and competitive as possible, along with allowing our customers to be as flexible as possible when ordering (and so allow most items to be ordered individually not forcing you to have packs of items).

To allow us to provide the excellent service we aspire to (in terms of order fulfilment, checking orders, quality of items, good packaging, instructions, free samples, providing PayPal and PayPal credit, and speed of turnaround of your order) this policy is only viable when customers order at the £39+ level.

What should I do if there is a problem with my order?

We hope that all your orders are correct and arrive to you undamaged, however if this is not the case then we apologise. Every effort goes into ensuring the quality of our products throughout each step in our workshop, but occasionally mistakes do happen (we are only human after all!). To resolve issues you must follow this procedure.

Go to the homepage of our website and look for the ‘Info’ tab along the top. Click this and select ‘Shortage/Damage/Incorrect Notification’ from the drop down menu. This will take you to the link to the form which you can then fill in – try to include as many details as you can, as well as photos where applicable.

Once complete, add the form to the cart and go to the checkout, but be sure to select ‘Local Pickup’ on the delivery options so there is no charge to you (unless advised otherwise). These forms are essential – making tracking issues straightforward, as they collect the info we need to help us to resolve your issue as soon as possible.

Pressing – Hints and Tips

Pressing Information:

We offer information and general guidelines for the pressing of our metal. You can access this by going to our website’s homepage, selecting the ‘Info’ tab along the top, and then selecting ‘Pressing Info’ from the drop down menu. On this page we detail recommended times, temperatures, and pressures for all of our different thicknesses of metal. Please be aware however that each press is different, and you may have to experiment a little bit to narrow down the exact times and temperatures that work best for your particular press.

Tape Hinges and Ink Transfer:

We have found that while pressing, it is useful to use heat proof tape down only one side of the item. This allows you to carefully lift the item after pressing (but be careful not to burn your fingers!) to check if the ink transfer is what you want it to be. If not, it is super easy to simply lay the item back down in the exact same place as before (avoiding any ghosting) and press for a little longer until you are happy.

Dark and Block Colours:

We have noticed that darker colours (especially black) and any solid blocks of colour may need a bit longer under the press to give a solid colour rather than a patchy finish in the final item. Be aware that should you leave your item under the heat for too long you can get a ‘mottled’ effect across your print instead – so you may need to experiment to find the exact times that work for you!

More Frequently Asked Questions…

I would like a sample, is it possible to request one?

Yes, we do offer samples in a few different ways depending on your needs:

If you place an order with us, you are able request a sample of another item by writing it in the Customer Notes. We allow up to 3 items to be requested, within reason of size and price.

Alternatively, if you would like to receive a selection of most of the different metal colours & thicknesses that we offer, we have a Free Sample Swatch item (for UK only). This item is free and we only ask that you pay the carriage for it. Pop the Free Sample Swatch into your cart and then checkout as normal!

Finally, if you are wanting to place a small order/are only looking to buy a couple of items from our range and are unable to meet our £39 minimum order, then you can head over to our sister website: www.craftimetals.co.uk! The items on this website are the exact same as on Subli Metals – they are more expensive across the site (except for the packs), have VAT already included, and there is not a minimum order that you need to reach. This site is aimed at crafters rather than businesses, so we don’t offer as quick a turnaround as on Sublimetals, only despatching twice a week and not always by courier – but it is useful for small top up or sample orders.

Where can I access my downloadable templates?

For most of our shapes (excluding circles, and rectangles), we offer a blank downloadable template in PNG format to hopefully make the designing process easier for you! They become available to you after the purchase of any product that offers them.

If you have a free ‘keep your info’ account with us (so you don’t have to type in your details every time!) make sure you are logged in and then look for the ‘Your Account’ tab along the very top of the screen. Click this and then select ‘Downloads’ from the menu on the left. From here you can see a list of all the templates that you have access to and you can download them as needed.

If you haven’t made an account (if not, why not??), the links to the downloadable templates are also included in an email that is sent to you upon your order reaching the processing and the completion stage. The templates can be easily downloaded and saved from this email, just make sure to keep an eye out for it and if you can’t find it then check your junk folders in case it ends up being sent there by mistake!

Do you have any general tips for testing?

When ordering from us, we would recommend that you aim to have more than the amount of items that you need rather than the exact amount to allow for a margin of error (and some spares), especially if you are newer to sublimation but also this is a handy tip if you are just trying out a new design or product.

Additionally, we offer Xtra Value Packs of Offcuts which are great value packs of smaller pieces of our metal that are ideal for any kind of testing endeavours. These packs come in White or Mixed Colours so you have a choice depending on which colour metal you would like to use for your design.

Is there anything different with the metal to make it Dry Wipe?

The short answer is no! There is no difference in the metal and all of it can be used with a dry wipe pen to create a multitude of functional products.

Be sure that you don’t use any permanent felt tip pens or Sharpies on the metal if you want to be able to easily remove the writing. If you do happen to want your writing to be more permanent than a dry wipe pen (but not enough to have it directly printed onto the metal), for products such as place cards, menu boards, and signs, then permanent pens / Sharpies are the way to go. In this case, just use a bit of WD40 on a cloth to remove the writing when you want to change it.

For things like planners and to do lists, we do recommend using our white finish metal as this will offer the most visibility for the writing in the final product, but you can technically use whichever of our colours/finishes you prefer.

What Is Our Guarantee?

We have a 100% satisfaction guarantee in which we aim to provide you with top quality items for all your sublimation needs along with service to match, flexibility in ordering, and great turnaround times.

There may be a chance that you are not happy with the items you receive. If this is the case, then we are more than happy to provide a refund upon receipt of all unused and unsuitable items. Please follow the notification form procedure listed above to let us know of your issue and intention.

Our Workshop and Office hours are 9:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Thursday, when we are available via phone, messenger and email should you have any queries at all.

We are proud to display the ‘Made in Britain’ logo on our website as over 80% of our items are sourced through UK suppliers, and we then process everything in house to manufacture our own range of metal sheet products. There are a small minority of accessories and miscellaneous items on our website which do not qualify as ‘Made in Britain’, so the logo is not displayed on these individual products.

Metal Colours and Thicknesses Overview

We offer a range of different metal colours and thicknesses across our products. With so many choices, it can be overwhelming to know what will work best for you, your customer’s needs, and the products you want to create. We have created this guide as an overview of the colours and thicknesses we have to help guide your selection. Remember, sublimation ink is transparent – so the metal colour and finish will effect the colours of the print once pressed onto the item.

Metal Finish Types:

Standard – Our standard single sided metal. The printable side is the colour you select and the reverse is usually a dull or shiny grained silver. Available in Aluminium in almost all of our colours/finishes/thicknesses (plus Magnetic Steel in White and Pearl Silver 0.7 mm).

Outdoor Grade – This is a range of metal that has extra coating so is designed to last outside, holding up against UV fading better than our standard metal does. Great for signs, garden decorations, and memorial products. Available in Aluminium in White single and double sided in all thicknesses, plus Brushed Silver and Gold in 0.5 mm.

Double Sided – As the name would suggest, this metal is printable on both sides and is great for products like keyrings, jewellery, baby on boards, and bookmarks. Available in Aluminium in White across all the different thicknesses and types, plus Bright Silver in 0.5 mm and Pearl Silver and Gold in 0.22 mm.

Thicknesses:

0.22 mm – This economy thin thickness (and by thin we mean very thin, feels a bit like plastic!) is only available in Double Sided White, Pearl Silver, and Pearl Gold.

0.5 mm – This is our standard thickness, available across almost all of our products and in almost all of our colours/finishes.

0.7 mm – A bit sturdier than our 0.5 mm thickness and available across a lot of products, but only in White and Brushed Silver at present.

1 mm / 1.1 mm – Our thickest metals – available across less products and colours overall but great for jewellery items, luxury bookmarks, keyrings, and any item to add a touch of luxury and wow factor! Available in White single and double sided, plus Brushed and Satin Silver and Brushed Gold.

 

Choosing the best colour/finish option really depends on what product you want to create and what design you have in mind. In general, we would recommend experimenting to see all the different effects and decide what works for you.

Our most popular finish is White, and this is often listed as the ‘standard’ printable colour on our products. If you are wanting your finished print to look as close as possible to what you see on your screen while designing, then White is the choice to go with. It is also the easiest colour to photograph.

The other colours will have some effect on your design but the amount will depend on the colour itself, as well as the design you have chosen. For example, Brushed Copper is a darker and more intense colour so will always have more of an effect on a design when compared to Brushed Silver.

When used for a graphic or photograph, Brushed Silver can make colours look slightly different but also makes them pop and appear more vibrant, making it the next best choice to White to show true colours.

Satin Silver Matt instead gives the design and colours a softer finish, with an almost shimmery appearance in some instances and is perfect for a classy look with black and white photos. The Satin Golds (matt or gloss) are great for sepia toned vintage photos and other darker toned photos or graphics.

Our Mirror Silver, Mirror Gold, Satin Rose Gold and Satin Gold Gloss finishes are super reflective and can actually be used as mirrors! They are also very eye catching in real life, so great for displays – but on the downside they are VERY difficult to photograph! (videos of products made with these are far more useful for marketing)

Our brighter colour finishes (copper, gold and rose gold/pinks) definitely work brilliantly for minimalistic designs – such as quotes, text, or simple line art/graphics as these kinds of designs really allow the metal colours to shine. Plus, it negates the need for a full coloured background as the metal does that work for you! (and saves precious ink!)

Remember that we offer a free swatch – add one to your next order – so you can see, feel, and test the metals yourself!