As we have already been commenting on our social networks, there is a wide variety of alternative papers to start working on product customization, that is, if you already have an investment in an inkjet or laser printer, you can continue using it to do other jobs.
First we must clarify that these techniques are not sublimation , but alternative ways to customize materials (such as wood / metals / etc), we can obtain incredible results, but being alternative materials we recommend you to educate yourself well on which one you are going to acquire so that you can get the most out of it. best profit.
Having clarified this point, we will mention some of those that we know that can help you:
For laser printer , we have the Techni Print HS , which allows us to personalize rigid surfaces, with this paper we make our impression in mirror mode, then we place it on the surface and proceed to sublimate, the pressure is recommended medium-low and the time can vary according to the material but the standard is 180 seconds.
For laser/inkjet printer we have decal paper, this paper works similar to the "tattoos" that came in chewing gum, that is, they are water-based decals, what you do is print with your printer (depending on the support of the paper if inkjet or laser), then you spray the paper with a protective spray to prevent the ink from running and place it in water, in the water the paper contracts which "activates the glue" allowing us to place it on any surface with a excellent finish.
This is a much cheaper technique to work with a wide variety of materials if you don't have the necessary printers.
Then we enter those of the forever brand, these are a world, since they have papers for foil on rigid surfaces such as transfer not cut. We will mention some of the main ones: Forever Multitrans , it is a paper that is used for printing on rigid surfaces, among its main use we have colored cups, to use them we need a laser printer , we print our image in mirror mode, we cut out the design and proceed to sublimate our mug at 140°C for 180 seconds, then we have the Forever Multitrans Metallic , this allows us to customize surfaces giving it a metallic finish, for this you print with your laser printer the mirror mode design with 100% black ink, then you place it in the sublimation machine at 160°C for 180 seconds with high pressure, after finishing we place it in a container with water for 2-3 minutes and enjoy the result.
These papers that we mention are the ones that we have used, if you are interested in knowing another process, do not hesitate to suggest it to us in the comments.