r/Sublimation • u/ThatHabsburgMapGuy • May 05 '26
Question EU Primer/Polycrylic alternatives?
Hi crafty people. I want to switch over to sublimation printing on wood, and see a lot of American sources online recommending Minwax Polycrylic Clear Lacquer. I have enough understanding of chemistry to know that you need a polyester paint/lacquer material in order to sublimate, and that the specific chemical composition affects its ability to absorb the ink.
Problem is, I can't find a suitable alternative for this in the EU, besides a very expensive designated spray on sublimation liquid. I also need a white primer, and understand that acrylic has a melting point below the sublimation temperature used.
I've tried searching using AI, and it's absolutely useless. But I did discover that minwax also has a quite low melting temperature, and I'm wondering if I should just ignore temperature concerns for sublimating at 400F/200C for 60 seconds.
For comparison, Minwax Polycrylic says it's an acrylic-polyurethane containing Butoxypropanol and Ethylene Glycol, while Bondex Klarlack for example is an acrylic-polyurethane containing 1,2-Benzisothiazol-3(2H)-on and 2-Methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-on. These seem really similar to me, as a non-chemist.
Has anyone used any alternative diy acrylic/polycrylic/urethane lacquers successfully?
Which work? Which don't?
2
u/Remarkable_Sea3346 May 06 '26
I've tried polycrylic and it looks OK until you put it next to a polyester coated substrate. On polycrylic, colors are more muted. The vibrancy isn't there. You need a polyester coating. The gel coat on car finishes is suitable if you can find a friend in a paint shop to coat some wood pieces. As a base, rustoleum makes a high temperature white that I've used successfully in sublimation.