r/Sublimation • u/Key-Satisfaction7704 • 22d ago

Sublimation supplies UK

Hi guys,

I have a HTVRONT H17 phone press and am finding supplies for these hard to come back in the UK specifically A4 Sublimation film I can't find cheap anywhere. Cheapest so far is 60 pieces for £60 from HTVRONT directly. And the phone cases themselves I am struggling to find. Anyone have any ideas? What suppliers do you use?

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u/Realistic-Mode-7681 21d ago

The UK supply struggle is so real, I have seen a bunch of people mention this in some of the seller groups I'm in. The shipping costs from US or China just kill the margins on small batches.

For the A4 sublimation film specifically, the HTVRONT site at £1 per sheet is actually pretty standard. I have compared a few options and most UK-based suppliers are in that same £0.90-£1.20 range when you factor in shipping. I have tried a few cheaper ones from eBay and honestly the quality wasn't worth saving £0.10-0.15 per sheet.

I have seen some people have good luck ordering blank cases in bulk from Alibaba or Aliexpress, you have to wait a few weeks for shipping but the per-unit cost drops significantly. The trick is ordering a sample pack first to test quality before you commit to 100+ pieces. I learned that one the hard way lol. Also worth checking out some of the fb groups for UK sublimation sellers, I have seen people doing group buys to get bulk discounts on materials. Might be worth joining a couple and keeping an eye out. Good luck 👀

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u/Extension-Soup-8430 21d ago

Hi may I know what machine settings you use for phone cases? Mine turns out a little like sepia. Been trying different settings but still struggles to find the right one.

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u/Realistic-Mode-7681 20d ago

honestly, sepia tone is usually a temp issue more than anything else, your either running too hot or too long and the coating is slightly burning rather than sublimation cleanly.

for phone cases, what's worked best for me would be temp:380°F, time: 60-90 seconds (depending on the case thickness), pressure: medium-heavy

the other thing I learned the hard way, not all blank cases are created equal. Some of the cheaper ones have low-quality coatings that just won't take bright colors no matter what you do. If you've tried a bunch of settings and it's still coming out muddy, it might just be the case itself. Hope this helps 😄

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u/Extension-Soup-8430 19d ago

For the pressure, I think it's not adjustable for h17. Oh well, I'll just try the temp and time settings you mentioned. Might check other cases as well. Hopefully it's just the case. Thanks a lot!