How To Make Custom Keychains With Sublimation 

All sublimation printers require that you print something every 1-3 days or so. This is to prevent any ink on the print nozzles from drying up and clogging. Sawgrass printers automatically sense when they have been sitting too long unused. They will pass a very tiny amount of ink through the print head to keep the nozzles fresh. (Sawgrass printers must be kept powered on for this automatic maintenance to occur.)

We have templates for nearly all of our sublimation blanks in the description for each individual item. But if you want to create your own template for printing multiple items at once, you can definitely crop your image to the keychain's imprint dimensions. Be sure to add 0.25" to each dimension for bleed. For example, the Unisub 5525 keychain (link below) has an imprint area of 1.25" x 3". You would add 0.25" to each side, making your crop size 1.5" x 3.25". Fit your image into this new dimension and your prints will come out perfectly-sized each time. www.heatpressnation.com/products/unisub-sublimation-blank-keychain-3-x-1-25-rectangle-25-pack

Adobe Photoshop.

@@HeatPressNation quick question.. how do i know the template will be the same size as the key chain?

You technically can. However, due to the thickness of these items, the side touching the heating element will be a little more "cooked" than the other side. This usually means it'll be slightly darker. If you want to try pressing both sides at the same time, we recommend going low and slow - around 360°F for at least 90 seconds.

We don't add a hole in the print when designing for these keychains. We do keep the placement of the hole in mind, to avoid cutting off any important design elements. Also, adding a blank space for the hole in the print makes it a little harder to line up.

Yes, this was printed through Sawgrass Print Manager (SPM). It optimizes print output for your Sawgrass SG500 or SG1000 printer. SPM can only be used for Sawgrass printers and is available for free download at www.sawgrassink.com/software

These specific keychains are made of a plastic that's specifically designed to withstand the high temperatures required for sublimation. We haven't tried heat-pressing acrylic yet. But in general, you could try using less heat and pressure. That might help.

In this video we used TexPrintXPHR sublimation paper: heat.press/xphr

With sublimation the ink is the only thing that transfers onto the substrate. There's no film or background on the paper, so there's no need to cut or trim the border off your graphic.

We wouldn't recommend it. You'll need even and consistent pressure for a proper application, which is difficult to achieve with the EasyPress.

We haven't had success heat pressing acrylic. These keychains are made of FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) plastic, so they work great for sublimation.

@@HeatPressNation thank yoy

Hi there! TexPrint Sublimation paper was used for this project :)

We typically use TexPrint DT Light for our sublimation demos and tutorials. heat.press/dtlight

400°F. All settings are shown at 2:40.

Many sublimation blank items on our site will have a template available for download in the product description. For everything else, you can create a template of your own by adding 0.25" to each dimension of the product. Imprint dimensions are listed in the product description as well. For a more detailed tutorial on how to create your own templates, you can check out this webinar replay: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UZMG6R38A6Q.html

Hi there! Anything custom, you are looking at a starting price of $10-$15.

You may want to lighten up on your pressure a little bit. If you use a light spray adhesive, like Albachem Eco-Mist, you can press them without heat tape. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-A8U6IzwnaRE.html

@@HeatPressNation thank you, I will give this a shot.

I'm sorry, but we haven't tested the acrylic keychains yet. The keychains in this video are FRP (fiberglass reinforced polymer), so they will have different settings.

Place the metal ring inside the white snap piece. There are tube-like ends on the snap piece, with one fitting inside the other. Place the tube ends inside the hole of the keychain, then press one end inside the other until it snaps shut.

You can find all of these products here: www.heatpressnation.com/collections/key-chains Oval - 1.375" x 2.5" Heart - 2.5" x 2.25" Rectangle - 3" x 1.25" Square - 2.25" Circle - 2.25" Rectangle - 1.6" x 2.25"

@@HeatPressNation Thank you so much sir 👍

Hi there! Are you allowing your blank to completely cool down before pressing the second side?

@@HeatPressNation yes waited a full day. I think mayby it's my heat tape that is doing it?

That seems to be the one drawback of the FRP blanks. Unless you have a way of masking off the edges, they'll catch some of the outgassed dye. Most users just go with it and accept that it's part of the process.

@@HeatPressNation Thanks for the reply. Yes despite having little to no complaints from customers we eventually just go with it trying to do as minimal print bleed possible. However really wish Unisub would put something (maybe some type of other non sublimatable material or mask ) around the edges for a cleaner look. Thanks again HPN.

There are a few things that can affect print quality. Here are a few tips to ensure your finished product looks as close to the original photo as possible: - Double check your settings. Pressing your keychains too long and/or too hot will greatly affect the color. - Use quality products. This includes your printer, ink, paper, and substrate. Low-quality materials can lead to poor color reproduction in some cases. - Send the print properly. If you're using a Sawgrass printer, be sure to send your prints through PrintMate. For other printers, make sure you have the right color profile installed.