Our Sublimation Studio: Art with Purpose
In El Arca's sublimation studio, our members create personalized products with professional quality. Every mug, t-shirt, and picture carries the mark of their talents.
El Arca Choluteca's Sublimation Studio is one of our most innovative projects. Here, our members with intellectual disabilities learn and practice sublimation techniques to create unique, high-quality products.
From personalized mugs to t-shirts with original designs and framed paintings by our members, each product tells a story of overcoming and creativity.
A workshop that builds autonomy
The process is both technical and artistic. Our members learn to operate the heat press, prepare designs, and control sublimation times. They do so with dedication and pride, always accompanied by our team of assistants.
Buying at El Arca means investing in social justice. Every product you purchase not only carries the art of our members, but also directly funds our programs and sustains the community.
If you want to customize products for your company or a special event, or simply want a meaningful gift, contact us. We also fulfill corporate and promotional orders.
Measurable results
The studio began operations in 2019 with a single heat press donated by a local company. Today it has two presses, a professional sublimation printer, and a catalog of over 80 designs created by our members. Each month we produce between 150 and 200 items, from corporate event mugs to commemorative t-shirts for educational institutions in the southern region.
"Before, I only knew how to sweep and clean. Here they taught me to use the machine and now I make the most beautiful mugs in Choluteca," says Ana L. proudly, a member of El Arca since 2016. Ana L. is responsible for quality control: she reviews each product before packaging and ensures that colors are vibrant and designs are centered.
Our catalog includes 11-ounce ceramic mugs, cotton and polyester t-shirts in every size, stainless steel thermoses, mouse pads, puzzles, and decorative frames. Designs range from Honduran motifs such as macaws, Copán, and landscapes of the southern region to custom creations featuring logos, photographs, or special messages requested by the customer.
Sublimation at El Arca is more than a productive workshop: it is a space where each person discovers that they can create something beautiful and valuable. This principle connects directly with L'Arche International's vision that every person, regardless of their condition, has gifts to offer the world. When a customer receives a mug sublimated by our members, they receive an object made by someone who found in art a way to tell the world: I can do it too.
The studio's economic impact is significant. In 2025, sublimated product sales represented 22 percent of the Choluteca community's own revenue. We have fulfilled corporate orders for companies such as Diunsa, BAC Credomatic, and the Municipal Government, as well as for schools, churches, and civil-society organizations that choose our products for their events.
To place an order, contact us via WhatsApp at (+504) 9431-4282, visit us at the El Arca Choluteca community, or email storres.arcahn@gmail.com. Delivery times vary by quantity: orders of up to 50 units are delivered within five business days. We also participate in craft fairs and local exhibitions where you can see our products in person and speak with the artists who created them.