Learn all about how to sublimate a tumbler with two different materials! Sublimation tumblers are easy for beginners using a Cricut mug press.
I haven’t done a tumbler tutorial in a while and I knew once the Cricut mug press came out, I needed to figure out a way to make sublimation tumblers with it!
And it’s so fun and pretty easy! I actually made two different kinds of sublimation tumblers and so I’m going to show you how to sublimate a tumbler with sublimation printing and also Infusible Ink. The ink actually infuses into the tumbler so that it will never fade or peel off or need to be sealed!
I did make a few of these 20 oz skinny sublimation tumblers as gifts, but I think I’m going to keep a couple too! Tumbler sublimation is just so pretty!
If you are new to sublimation, make sure to check out my full detailed tutorial on sublimation printing and how to convert a printer to use for sublimation.
Ok, this is going to be another long and detailed post since I will be explaining how to use the two different materials, and how I used the Cricut mug press and also a tumbler press to apply the sublimated designs.
I do also have a quick video of the sublimation process that will either play near the top or down under the video heading (it moves around depending on what device you are viewing this on!). Plus I will have the link to my full YouTube video tutorial on how to sublimate a tumbler at the bottom.
What kind of tumblers can you use for sublimation?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links from Awin, Shareasale, and Amazon.com. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my links (purple text). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Unfortunately, you can’t just use any tumblers for sublimation. As with all the other sublimation projects, you need to use compatible sublimation blanks (and sublimation printer) that contain a specialized poly coating that interacts with the sublimation dye when heat is applied.
You can find a wide variety on Amazon(check them out here), or Etsy has plenty! I like the PYDLife and HTVront brands and have a video comparing the results if you’d like to learn more.
I purchased the four 20 oz skinny sublimation tumbler blanks from Etsy here. They were reasonably priced and the company had a few different metallic colors plus the white sublimation tumbler blanks.
There are also different types of sublimation tumblers. I used the straight wall ones so that my Cricut mug press would give an even press on each side. I haven’t tried it with the tapered ones, so take caution if you end up getting those.
The template is a little bit trickier with the tapered tumblers too, so if you are a beginner, you might want to stick to the straight sided sublimation tumblers.
You can also look into finding wholesale sublimation tumblers. Check out dhgate.com for some good prices.
For the 40 oz tumblers, I used PYDLIFE sublimation tumblers.
What can you apply to sublimation tumblers?
This is where the fun part comes in! You do need to use ink or dye that is specific for sublimation, but that doesn’t limit what you can print out and add to a tumbler permanently.
If you have a sublimation printer or converted one as I do, then printing anything out at home is easy peasy. But you can also order specific sublimation prints from Etsy. Check out all the cool sublimation tumbler prints they have here!
For just a few dollars you can instantly download a template or even have a printed sublimation sent to your house. There really are tons of ways to get a sublimation tumbler made!
I find most of my sublimation files over on Creative Fabrica (love the yearly subscription!).
You can also use Cricut Infusible Ink since it is a sublimation ink. I love my Cricut and the majority of my tutorials include my Cricut, including this one! You can learn all about the amazing Infusible Ink on this post.
How do you press a sublimation mug?
When making sublimation projects, you need a high consistent heat source. We are talking 400F!
I have seen a lot of tutorials making sublimation tumblers in convection ovens, but I didn’t want to buy a separate oven to make them (Update: I have a sublimation oven now!). Plus now that I have the Cricut mug press, I knew I could figure out how to press a tumbler with it!
But you can also use heat presses that have mug accessories, or a mug press (which I know have, see all about tumbler heat press here!)
In this sublimation tumblers for beginners tutorial, we will be using the Cricut mug press for the skinny tumblers and a tumbler heat press for the large tumblers.
How to Sublimate a Tumbler
Ok, let’s get to the good stuff. First let’s look at how to make sublimation tumblers with a printed sublimation sheet.
Materials Needed for Sublimation on Tumblers
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links from Awin, Shareasale, and Amazon.com. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my links (purple text). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Cricut mug press
- 20 oz skinny sublimation tumbler blanks
- sublimation paper or Cricut Infusible Ink
- sublimation printer and sublimation ink
- heat resistant tape
- butcher paper
- teflon sheets
- heat resistant gloves – one of my favorite sublimation supplies!
- lint roller
You can always shop my Amazon storefront of my favorite sublimation supplies too!
Applying Sublimation Prints to Tumblers
Design whatever you want to be on your tumbler in your favorite software. I like canva.com, befunky.com, Adobe Illustrator, or Adobe photoshop.
Within canva.com, I opened a project by setting custom dimensions. For the 20 oz skinny straight edged tumbler, the template should be 9.3 inches across by 8.2 inches high. If you have a different size tumbler blank, measure the circumference and the height.
Now you have a blank template to design whatever you like. Add pictures, logos, downloaded designs, etc. For best results use images with high resolution and at least 300dpi.
Just remember that if there are words or anything directional, you’ll want to flip it (or mirror it) before you print it. That can be done in your photo software or printing software.
Then I save mine as PDF Print (high quality) to print on my sublimation printer.
Once everything was designed, I printed out my sublimation tumbler design on sublimation paper that is 8.5×11 inches (more on paper sizes here).
This is the print for the photo sublimation tumbler I made in my YouTube video (link at the bottom!)
Sorry, my light is so wonky! Everything with words I flipped and I found a glitter PNG file on Etsy also.
Since the sublimated glitter print is not going to be a full wrap design, I cut the sections apart.
I always lint roll my tumblers and mugs before adding sublimation. Any little hair or dust can cause the ink to not sublimate at that spot!
Roll the sublimation paper around the tumbler as tight as possible and then use heat-resistant tape to tape it down well.
Just to be on the safe side to protect my tumbler and press, I cut two pieces of butcher paper and wrapped it around the entire tumbler. I made it so my butcher paper overlapped and the heat tape was on over my logo so I knew exactly which section I needed to press on the top half of the tumbler.
I put on the tape with the gloves on and got some lint under my tape, lol! These are all the same steps we go over in sublimating a mug too!
Tips on using the Cricut Mug Press to Sublimate a Tumbler
Just a warning, the Cricut mug press can overheat if you press the full amount multiple times. Cricut has said that using it multiple times for one mug may void the warranty, so proceed at your own discretion!
The 20 oz skinny stainless steel tumblers are not wide enough to fully fit the Cricut mug press. So I used two Teflon sheets and folded them up and stuck them in the press with the tumbler so the press closes more snuggly. I tried to put my EasyPress mat in, but I was scared it would burn so I switched to the Teflon sheets.
By using the Teflon sheets, only 1/3-1/2 of the tumbler is really getting a good press (the part that is flushed against the teal cushion plate). With a full sublimation wrap, I press each section for 3 minutes and then rotate the tumbler three times for the bottom half of the tumbler, then flip it over and repeat for the top half. So the total time would be about nine minutes for the bottom half and nine minutes for the top, so a total of 18 minutes.
For sublimation designs like the one below that is not a full wrap design on the top – I only have my logo- which only covers about 1/3 of the tumbler, I will only press that one section of the top. (You can find some amazing sublimation images over on Creative Fabrica if you are in need!)
So let’s go over these steps in action. For my first press, I am just pressing the part of the tumbler that has my logo and I know where that is from where I applied my tape. So I put the tumbler in the press upside down with the taped side up against the teal plate and put the Teflon sheets on the backside and pressed for 3 minutes.
You will notice the lights on the mug press do not light up because the mug press is thinking it’s not getting a good press since all the edges are not really snug. So don’t worry if that happens, it happened on all of mine!
Once the logo side was done, I opened the press, then used my heat resistant gloves (it will be hot!! so make sure to have gloves!) to take the tumbler out and flip it over. Then I aligned the tape/butcher paper lines with the front edge of the mug plate. This is so I know what section I have pressed! I pressed again for 3 minutes.
I want the entire bottom of the tumbler pressed. So after three minutes, I lifted up the lever and rotated the mug about 3 inches or so the tape/butcher paper lines are now on the other side near the lights. Press for 3 minutes again.
After three minutes, I rotated about 3 inches again and did my final press. Again always using my heat resistant gloves!
After the final press, I removed the sublimated tumbler and let it cool a bit. It was just really hard for me to remove all the tape with the gloves so I had to wait until it was cool enough to use my fingers.
Now the reveal! Remove all of the paper and tape and see the sublimated design!
Because I used a metallic purple color for this sublimated tumbler, the colors are not quite as vibrant and all of the parts that were white on my image are now the color of the tumbler (since white doesn’t print!). So keep that in mind if you are using colored tumbler blanks!
And here is the photo sublimation tumbler I made with the pictures I printed out. Again you can see how I made this sublimation picture tumbler on my YouTube video(link at the bottom!)
Sublimating Large Tumblers
I wanted to give an update on how to sublimate larger cups and tumblers that don’t fit into the mug press and won’t void your warranty since we will be using a tumbler press!
The PYD life tumbler press I have has different sublimation plates to use and they now have one for 40 oz tumblers, woo hoo! If you are just doing mainly skinny tumblers, the HTVRONT tumbler press works well also.
Make sure to read my full tutorial on using the tumbler heat press since I won’t be going as in-depth here.
Supplies Needed for Sublimation Cups
- 40 oz sublimation tumbler
- Heating element that reaches a high temperature: tumbler press with 40 oz attachment or sublimation oven (I don’t have one but I think for the tapered bottom, it would a sublimation oven would work better. You’ll also need wraps and a heat gun)
- 8.5×14 Legal size sublimation paper
- 40 oz sublimation tumbler wrap file (I used the flower wrap found here and Halloween here)
I used the same process as above for making my sublimation cup design the size I wanted. I used 11.5×5.8 inches for the top of the tumbler and 10.25×4.5 for the bottom and saved each as PDF professional printing in CYMK color.
A note about tumbler wrap files when sublimating a tumbler with a handle, you can not go all the way around to make a seamless pattern (unless you can take the handle off)! The image will have to stop about half an inch before the handle on each side.
So be careful when picking a tumbler wrap design to sublimate! It’s not the same as sublimating a straight tumbler where the image will go all the way around and be seamless.
To get the size you need for the top half of the tumbler, you’ll need Legal size sublimation paper (8.5 x 14 inches).
The tricky part of doing a large sublimation tumbler is that the bottom part is tapered. If you have a convection oven or sublimation tumbler, I think those would work better if you want both the top and bottom sublimated.
I didn’t want to buy another thing so I used my tumbler press with the 40 oz (for the top) and 30 oz attachment (for the bottom). Because of the taper, the bottom doesn’t sublimate perfectly, so keep that in mind!
I printed each sublimation image out and trimmed off the sides and topped.
I attached the 40oz press to my press and preheated it to 356F and set time for 60 seconds.
On a cleaned 40 oz tumbler with a handle, I wrapped the top image around the cup and taped it in place.
Then tape some butcher paper over the printed design to protect your heating plate and place in a tumbler press. Press for 60 seconds.
With heat resistant gloves, remove the mug and peel off the taped paper.
Again, the tapered bottom does not press as well so be mindful of that. You will have to practice on a few and see if you like the results. A full-colored wrap does not press well since the bottom part of the ink will not be firmly pressed because of the taper.
This flower design actually did well since there were white pieces in between but the Halloween tumbler I did, did not press well at all.
Turn off the press and with heat-resistant gloves, change the 40 oz attachment to the 30 oz. Change the pressure to match your cup. Turn the heat press back on to pre heat.
The bottom tapered image will be curved. Align it and tape it in place.
Again tape some butcher paper over the cup and place just the bottom part of the 40 oz cup in the press.
The 30 oz does not fully cover the tumbler, so we are going to have to press it twice, turning 180 degrees in between.
After the first 60 second press, open the press and rotate the tumbler 180. I had the handle up first, so then I rotated it so the handle was on the bottom.
Then the sublimated cup was all done! So pretty, I LOVE how it came out! The vibrant colors are beautiful!
Now you have a pretty Stanley tumbler looking cup to keep you well hydrated!
Tumbler Sublimation DIY with Infusible Ink
Ok, so now let’s look at how to sublimate a tumbler with Cricut Infusible Ink. For this scripture tumbler, I used this Infusible Ink and a file I found in Cricut Access. Or I also have some great free faith SVG files to use!
In Cricut Design Space, I added a square, unlocked it, and made it 9.3 inches wide by 8.2 in height. I centered the scripture I wanted and sliced out the words. (If the words don’t slice, make sure to weld them together first and then slice).
Also, if you are new to CDS, make sure to check out my series of Cricut Design Space 101 tutorials to get started.
As with all Infusible Ink projects, make sure to turn on Mirror setting on the Prepare screen.
Cut the Infusible Ink transfer sheet out on a clean Cricut mat with either a Cricut Explore Air 2 or a Cricut Maker.
Once it cut, I weeded out all the letters since I will be using the ink to cover the entire tumbler and my letters will be white.
Once it’s all weeded, I trimmed the plastic backing edge off one of the sides so that they don’t overlap. I want the edges to line up but if there is plastic in the way it will cause problems.
I lint rolled my tumbler and then put a piece of heat resistant tape on the side that had some left over plastic backing so that once I got them together I had tape ready to push down.
It’s a good idea to put the edges together as tightly as possible and then tape down the entire seam.
Then I taped down an infusible ink transfer sheet to the bottom and the top of the tumbler.
Again, just to be on the safe side, I wrapped two pieces of butcher paper around the tumbler and taped it on.
Following the same process as above, I put two folded up Teflon sheets in the the press with the tumbler blank and lined the tape up to the edge of the heat plate. Press it shut and set a timer for 3 minutes.
After the three minutes, I rotated the tumbler about 3 inches with my gloves on and pressed down the lever again. Alexa, set timer for 3 minutes!
I rotated one more time with the bottom facing down and pressed again for 3 minutes. The entire lower half of the tumbler is now pressed.
Now to move on and do the same steps to press the top half of the skinny tumbler.
So I took the tumbler out, flipped it over and again lined the tape up with the edge of the plate.
I pressed it for 3 minutes, rotated it about 3 inches, pressed for 3 minutes, then rotated one more time and pressed again. So three times total! Then I removed the tumbler and let it cool.
Ohh la la, now it’s time to remove the tape and paper! I love this part where the colorful patterns start to emerge, eek!
Look how gorgeous and vibrant the infusible ink is sublimated into a tumbler!
I used this same Infusible Ink pattern to make sublimation ornaments.
Since this Infusible Ink had a pattern and wasn’t seamless, there is a line in the back since the pattern didn’t line up.
But I still love it! For a more uniform appearance, pick a pattern that is seamless or that repeats the same so you can line it up.
And look how gorgeous the Infusible Ink looks on the metallic skinny tumbler blank that I made in my YouTube video. I think it stands out much more!
Sublimation Tumblers Video Tutorial
I also have a full-length YouTube video tutorial of making the Cactus makes perfect tumbler and the sublimation tumbler with pictures.
There you have it! Six different sublimation tumbler designs and two different materials to make them with. Which one is your favorite?
If you love sublimation, make sure to check out my post on how to sublimate on shirts and hat sublimation. And if you are curious about the difference between iron on vinyl and sublimation, you can read my comparison here.
And if you are a fan of personalized tumblers, make sure to check out our glitter tumbler tutorial and etch tumbler post.
If you’d like to save this tutorial on making sublimation tumblers for later or share you can PIN It now! If you are on a desktop hover over the top left of the image below and if you are on a phone simply tap on the image and a PIN It button will pop up to click on!
How to Make Sublimation Tumblers with a Cricut Mug Press
Make a custom sublimation tumbler with either sublimation paper or Infusible Ink and a Cricut mug press.
Materials
- 20 oz skinny sublimation tumbler blanks
- Sublimation Paper or Infusible Ink
- heat resistant tape
- butcher paper
Tools
- Cricut mug press
- sublimation printer or Cricut
Instructions
- Design what you want on your tumbler. Use a photo software to design for sublimation paper or Cricut design space to use Infusible Ink. The size of a full wrap is 9.3 inches wide by 8.2 inches tall.
- Print out your design (flipped or mirror if there are words or directional images) on a sublimation printer with sublimation paper. Or use a Cricut to cut out Infusible Ink transfer sheet.
- Lint roll the sublimation blank tumbler. Turn on the Cricut mug press.
- Roll the sublimation paper (or transfer sheet) tightly around the tumbler and tape it down the seam (making sure they don't overlap). Tape around the top and bottom of the tumbler to ensure even sublimating.
- Tape on two pieces of butcher paper around the tumbler.
- You'll need to press the top and bottom half of the tumbler. I put the bottom side in the cricut mug press first. Add a few teflon sheets or cardboard to make the press snugger and press for 3 minutes.
- With heat resistant gloves on: Rotate the mug about 3 inches and press for another 3 minutes. Then once again, rotate the mug 3 inches and press again for 3 minutes so the entire circumference of the lower half of the tumbler is pressed.
- Repeat again for the top half of the tumbler, pressing three different times if you have a full wrap.
- Remove with heat resistant gloves and let cool on a mat or towel.
- Then remove the tape and papers and enjoy your new sublimated tumbler!
Notes
See post for full detailed tutorial for both methods.
Recommended Products
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Thanks for stopping by and have a creative day!
MARY STULTZ
Wednesday 22nd of June 2022
I love the "Cactus Makes Perfect" design. Can I buy the template from you?
The whole lesson was fantastic!
Leap of Faith Crafting
Wednesday 22nd of June 2022
Thanks so much! I actually used designs from Cricut Access. Here is the link to the project in CDS: https://design.cricut.com/landing/project-detail/607dbc762ce744088c4f819a
B.L. McGhee
Saturday 5th of February 2022
How would you instruct a recipient of these cups to wash them? Dishwasher safe or hand wash only?
Leap of Faith Crafting
Tuesday 8th of February 2022
I always hand wash tumblers because of the mechanism of the tumbler itself. The sublimation will be permanent, but you can mess up the heat/cold mechanism with dish washing
Sharon Burns
Tuesday 24th of August 2021
I love your step-by-step-step explanations and beautiful images! You have inspired me to try to make my own. Thank you!!
Leap of Faith Crafting
Saturday 28th of August 2021
You are so welcome!
V
Monday 10th of May 2021
So glad I found this. I saw a YouTube video saying you cannot do a full wrap on a tumbler that needs multiple presses with an infusible ink sheet, only with sublimation paper. Did you find any issue using infusible ink sheet to wrap the tumbler or some problem with the result?
Leap of Faith Crafting
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
No, I didn't. A lot of times with infusible ink you can get lighter colors if you press more than once. I didn't have any issues. I think because I had the sheets on the backside and it wasn't pressing each time because only about 1/3 of the tumbler was pushed all the way up against the heat plate.