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| How
to Make a Trophy Plate with SubToner
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| Calculate the size
you’d like the finished plate and design the plate in a graphics
program such as Adobe PhotoShop or Corel Draw. Flip the image (mirror
image) and print.
Use an HP LaserJet with a SubToner cartridge. Print on regular copy
paper. If you want, you can let the printed paper sit for months
before you press it. It won’t deteriorate if kept in normal
room conditions.
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Press
Cut a piece of engraving stock to the size you want the finished
plate.
Engraving stock comes with a protective plastic film on its surface.
With laser sublimation you can press directly through this plastic
or you can remove it before pressing.
Pressing through the plastic eliminates the need for any cleanup
after pressing, but requires a more precise pressing time. Removing
the plastic yields a sharper image but the plate may require cleaning
with a citrus cleaner after pressing. This is particularly true
of color laser sublimation from the HP 4500. For black text only,
cleaning may not be needed.
Position this piece of metal into the printed paper and tape it
into position with heat-resistant tape. Positioning will be easier
if guide marks are included when designing the plate.
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For black SubToner, press at 350F, medium pressure, for 20 to 30
seconds. For full-color SubToner for the HP 4500 press at 350F,
medium pressure for 45 to 60 seconds.
Times will vary somewhat according to the heat press you’re
using. “Underexposure” results in purple tones and splotches
of bubbly light areas. “Overexposure” will result in
filled-in and bloated-looking characters. Usually there is a window
of ten or fifteen seconds which produces an excellent result.
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Peel
 The sublimation
process doesn’t stop immediately when the heat press is opened.
The subtoner on the paper will continue to give off gaseous dyes
for a second or two after heat is removed, while it cools down.
So, any motion between the paper and the metal during that period
will cause a shadowy blur. Wait just a few seconds before removing
the plate from the heat press. If you’ve pressed through the
plastic, you’ll find that the plastic has melted into the
paper and it all peels off together – most of the time. If
you have removed the plastic before pressing you will want to peel
off the paper just a few seconds after the heat press is opened.
The longer you wait to peel off the paper, the more likely it is
that the paper will want to stick to the metal and necessitate a
cleaning.
Secure the plate to the trophy with double-faced tape, and sell.
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Hilton
Images, Inc.
Finest Quality Laser Sublimation Products
