How to Make Custom Sublimation Phone Cases
A custom phone case is one of the most satisfying sublimation projects you can do. The results look genuinely professional, the process is straightforward, and you end up with something you actually use every day. Whether you want to make cases for yourself, as gifts, or to sell, sublimation gives you full-colour, edge-to-edge prints that won't peel, crack, or fade the way vinyl wraps and UV prints tend to over time.
Here's exactly how to do it, from gathering your materials to peeling back the paper and seeing the finished result.
What You Need
Before you start, make sure you have everything to hand. There's nothing worse than getting halfway through and realising you're missing the tape.
You will need a sublimation printer loaded with sublimation ink, sublimation transfer paper, a phone case blank with a polyester or polymer coating, a heat press (a flat press works, though a mug press with a phone case attachment gives more even pressure), and heat-resistant tape. That coating on the blank is what makes sublimation work. Standard plastic or silicone cases won't accept sublimation ink, so you specifically need blanks designed for sublimation. You can find a full range of compatible blanks in our sublimation phone cases collection.
You'll also need a computer with some form of design software. Canva works perfectly well for this. So does Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, or even free tools like GIMP. The software doesn't matter nearly as much as getting your dimensions right.
Preparing Your Design
Start by finding out the printable area of your phone case blank. Most blanks come with a template or at least dimensions listed on the product page. Create your design to match those dimensions exactly.
A few tips that will save you from wasting paper and ink: keep any text or important elements away from the very edges, as slight shifts during pressing can cut them off. Use high-resolution images (300 dpi is ideal) so your print looks sharp rather than pixelated. And if you're working with photographs, boost the saturation slightly. Sublimation colours can look a touch lighter on the finished product than they do on screen, so a small bump in vibrancy helps.
Printing the Transfer
When you're ready to print, there's one step people forget more than any other: mirror the image. Sublimation transfers are printed face-down onto the blank, so if you skip the mirror step, any text or logos will come out backwards. Every sublimation printer driver has a mirror or flip option in the print settings.
Print onto the coated (brighter white) side of your sublimation paper. Set your printer to high quality for the best ink coverage. Once printed, trim the paper down so it fits neatly over the printable area of the case. Leaving large overhangs of excess paper can cause ink to bleed onto areas you don't want it.
Pressing the Case
Preheat your heat press to 190 degrees Celsius. While it's warming up, position your trimmed print face-down onto the case blank and secure it with heat-resistant tape. This is where care really matters. Once the paper is taped in place, don't shift it. If the paper moves even slightly during pressing, you'll get ghosting, which shows up as a blurred shadow around your design. Tape it firmly on at least two sides so it can't slide.
Place the case into the press and apply medium pressure for 60 seconds. If you're using a flat press, you may want to place a silicone pad or folded sheet of Teflon behind the case to distribute the pressure more evenly across the curved surface.
Removing the Paper and Cooling
After 60 seconds, open the press and carefully remove the case using heat-resistant gloves or a cloth. It will be hot. Peel the paper away while the case is still warm. You should see your design transferred in full colour onto the blank.
Let the case cool completely before handling it too much. The surface is still setting during those first few minutes, and fingerprints or pressure marks on a hot case can affect the finish.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If your colours look washed out, check two things: that you're using sublimation ink (not standard inkjet ink) and that your print quality is set to the highest option. Low-quality print modes lay down less ink, which means lighter results.
If you're getting ghosting (that doubled or blurred look), the paper moved during pressing. Use more tape next time, and be deliberate about placing the case into the press without nudging the paper.
If parts of the design are missing or patchy, the pressure may be uneven. This is common with flat presses on curved blanks. A silicone pad helps, or consider a press attachment designed specifically for phone cases.
What Makes a Good Phone Case Design
Bold colours and high-contrast images tend to look the best on phone cases. Photographic prints work well, as do geometric patterns, illustrations, and text-based designs. Subtle watercolour effects can look beautiful too, though very light pastel tones sometimes come out softer than expected.
If you're making cases to sell, consistent sizing and colour accuracy across batches will set your work apart. Keep notes on your exact settings for each blank type so you can reproduce results reliably.
Phone cases are a brilliant entry point into sublimation products. They're quick to press, the materials are affordable, and the finished product looks impressive. Once you've done a few, you'll have the process down in minutes.