[quote Sn0tnose]@BonnesVacances I’ve never tried sublimation. I usually work from the app on DH’s phone so I know I need a laptop to use the mug press, but I was watching a Jennifer Maker video earlier today and I’m really tempted. I’m assuming it’s as good as it looks?[/quote]
You only need a laptop to activate the mug press and download any updates. Otherwise you can use a phone as you normally do. It's just a heat press really, and the Cricut/phone is for the cutting as you would usually do it.
I think it's as good as it says. You can get cheaper options, or use an oven. But I made 12 mugs the other day and it made light work of it with consistent results. An oven would have taken ages and I'm not happy to use a heat press from China from a safety pov. It's also compact which suits me.
The infusible ink is great but it's limited, though the patterned sheets are lovely. A lot of my designs are text and I have found I get better results from using a sublimation printer and pay £1.50 for an A4 sheet for someone else to print off my designs for me. If money was no object, I'd buy a Sawgrass printer and do my own. But it doesn't make financial sense when I'm only making gifts. I'm not overly fond of the infusible ink pens.
I haven't used sublimation for T-shirts though I'd love to. I'm put off by needing polyester shirts and them having to be white as DC and DH tend to wear dark t-shirts. So for now I'm still using HTV on cotton T-shirts for that . DC are both into fandoms and I make a lot of T-shirts for them. They design them in Inkscape and then I make them. Next step is to try printable HTV which will be less limiting.
Otherwise, an easy introduction into sublimation is coasters or tote bags. They make nice gifts, and work well with infusible ink or the pens. For the coasters, I prefer to have the background as the infusible ink, so there's more of it, and weed out the words. They're very effective. You do need an easy press for that though as an iron has holes in it and that makes the heat inconsistent.