By Maureen Wilson —
66% of U.S. households own a pet, but how many of those owners pay attention to their four-legged friend’s main form of identification? In this recent TEC Lab event, participants had the opportunity to design and sublimate a tag themselves, completely customizable to their pets.
The workshop started with attendees choosing a blank metal base and measuring the dimensions of the tag. From there, they started to develop their design (front and back) on Microsoft Word. The software was relatively easy to use, dropping in images and warping selected text around the width. The design would then be printed and cut out to be sublimated.
The process of sublimation printing is quite interesting. It begins when a heat press is applied to a sheet of transfer paper that has been printed with special solidified inks. The ink is then vaporized into gas. The produced gas is embedded into the material, the metal base in this case, which embellishes onto the final product. Sublimation printing is widely considered more durable than vinyl or acrylic printing and is UV protected.
It’s no surprise that the event had quite a turnout, as many people can appreciate the individuality and practicality of creating something for their furry friends. The evening event highlighted a common theme: We put value into how we decide to label or present ourselves and our pets. Plenty of people chose to decorate their tags with things that their pets loved, colors they thought represented them, and some additional pertinent information. The TEC SPACE (Student Project Area & Campus Events), an extension of the TEC Makerspace, has plenty of other machines available for use besides the sublimation printer, such as a heat press or a vinyl cutter and laser cutter/engraver.
Make sure to catch the next event, “Enjoy Our Open House and Make a Gift,” on December 4th from 2 to 4 p.m.