Can You Sublimate Both Sides of a Slipmat?

No. You can sublimate one side of a slipmat, never both. I get asked this a lot, so here’s why.

It sounds simple. Print one side, flip it, print the other. I’d have loved the answer to be yes.

Glazed slipmats

One side is natural felt. The other has a glazed coating, and the glazed underside feels smooth. Under a heat press, that coating goes tacky. It bonds to the sublimation paper and stays bonded as it cools. Getting the paper off is almost impossible. So the glazed side can’t be printed.

Unglazed slipmats

Both sides look like felt, so you’d think you’re in luck. You’re not. The felt on the rear is held together with glue, and that rear surface feels rough. Heat it and the glue goes tacky, just like the glaze, and bonds to the paper the same way. One side prints clean. The other is a write-off.

How to tell which side is which

Run your hand across it. Smooth means glazed. Rough means the glued rear of an unglazed mat. Either way, the print goes on the natural felt side.

I’ve tried to get round it

I haven’t taken this on trust. I’ve tried different heats. Different papers. Different protective sheets. Over a lot of mats and a lot of evenings. No luck. I’d have shouted about it if I’d cracked it and when I do.. Ill shout so very loud. Its my main goal.

What that means for your mat

The artwork goes on the natural felt side. That’s how every ModMat is made. The other side stays plain, sits against the platter and does its job.

FAQ

Can you print on both sides of a slipmat?
No. Whichever side has the glaze or the glue goes tacky under heat and sticks to the sublimation paper.

Which side of a slipmat do you sublimate?
The natural felt side.

How can I tell a glazed slipmat from an unglazed one?
The glazed underside feels smooth. The rear of an unglazed mat feels rough.

Does a protective sheet help?
Not in my experience. I’ve tried diffe