Are the mugs dishwasher safe?
Yes!! We recommend the top rack of the dishwasher. The travel mugs are technically not dishwasher safe--not because of the image however, but because of the construction of the actual mug itself. Now, I'm just too darn lazy to handwash my travel mugs--and I use them alot, so I made up 2 of the mugs and have been using them for 5 months now, several times a week. What I have found is that the plastic bottoms have a small hole for expansion/contraction that allows water to collect in the base when you run them through the dishwasher. By covering that hole with a piece of Glad Press and Seal (or any other plastic wrap with a rubber band to keep it snug), I've been washing them without any collection of water or other problems. Prior to that, it took quite a bit of shaking and filling the inside of the mug with hot water to force the water out. So that's the solution that I've come with. I don't know of any travel mugs that will last forever, but so far, mine are standing up to the wear and tear of the dishwasher.Are the t-shirts, sweatshirts etc. washing machine/dryer safe?
Yes!! I would wash them in warm or cold, but they technically should stand up to even hot water. The chemical bond that occurs between the ink and the fabric should hold up to 400 degrees. At that temperature the inks will again become gaseous and the bond will be broken. I have even used some bleach on the fabric napkins without any difficulty. I had some extras from Mom's birthday party and I used some bleach directly on the image and there was no distortion. Of course, I didn't let it sit on there for hours--I treated it with a bleach pen and threw it in the washer right away, but the image was unscathed! I wouldn't recommend it on a routine basis but if the option is the image is going to be ruined anyway, it's worth a try!What Is Sublimation?
The definition of sublimation is the transition of a substance from a solid phase to a vapor phase without passing through an intermediate liquid phase. Sublimation inks are heat activated into a gas that can bond with an acrylic or polyester surface when placed under pressure. The images produced are extremely washable, scratch and peel resistant, and dishwasher safe because they are actually protected by being embedded underneath the surface. Sublimation products are limited to those items that are light or white in color and made of an acrylic or polyester substance. The inks can’t bond to cotton and because the inks are transparent, they are not visible on black or dark surfaces. Over long periods of time, the inks have limited color-fastness with significant exposure to UV light, but improvements continue to be made daily, so outdoor use of sublimation is limited. The length of time that a sublimated product will survive outdoors will depend on the climate and the product and where it is placed.
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