What is Blowout Paper & Why Do You Need It?

When doing Sublimation Printing Blowout paper is a product used to catch any stray dye that often times passes through the garment. Furthermore it keeps your heat press and substrates protected from the “blowout of ink”. You should use a clean new sheet for every press and while that does sound wasteful, you can repurpose it several ways as we note below.

Quality Blowout Paper Must Be:

  • Clean and Unused - DO NOT reuse!!
  • White - other colors work, but are not recommended
  • Uncoated - no wax or silicone coatings
  • Able to withstand 400+ degrees
  • #40 Pound Paper Weight or higher
  • Able to easily attract moisture

 

What does Blowout Paper do?

In the simplest of terms, it just keeps everything “clean”. It protects your garment from Sublimation Ink passing through the layer of fabric to the other side as well as protecting your heat press foam and heating surfaces. Nothing could be more frustrating then having an image re-transfer to your garment because it stained your heat press. The paper also helps take the moisture out of garments that you are pressing. We strongly suggest that you DO NOT reuse Blowout paper for Sublimation, it may transfer "ghost" images to other garments. By using our butcher paper you will prevent “ghosting” on your substrates. Our Butcher Paper can be purchased from us here.

Other types of Blowout Paper include:

  • Craft Paper – its a step below Butcher paper but isn’t as thick, and thicker is better.
  • Cheap printer paper - Note that it will take more than one sheet depending on the size of your project and may still allow ink to pass through.

 

Things You Can’t Use for Sublimation and Blow Out Paper

Do NOT USE Teflon sheets or Parchment Paper because they are impervious to moister and will trap, not absorb the moister and Blowout from your Sublimation print.

Want to Repurpose your blowout paper?

 

  • Shred it and pack orders with it.
  • Let your kids use it for their art work.
  • Donate to a local School for kids to use to draw on
  • Use it for other craft projects to cover surfaces you want protected.
  • Depending on your size, it could go through a printer for labels