Full-Dye Sublimation Specs

Sublimation is a dye-transfer process that turns liquid ink into a gas under heat and pressure, bonding it directly into the fibers of the fabric instead of sitting on top of it as a layer of print or vinyl. The result is a design that's actually part of the shirt, not applied to it - which is why sublimated uniforms don't crack, peel, or fade the way a screen-printed or heat-pressed design can after a season of games, sweat, and washes.

Because the ink saturates the entire fabric rather than being confined to a printed area, sublimation also supports full-bleed, edge-to-edge color and gradients - the all-over look most modern team uniforms use for sleeve patterns, side panels, and number placement. A screen-printed design is limited to the number of ink colors in the screen setup; a sublimated design can use a full-color gradient across the entire garment with no added cost or extra step.

Sublimation only works on polyester and poly-blend fabrics with a high synthetic content - the dye needs synthetic fibers to bond with under heat, which is also why athletic and performance fabrics are typically built on a poly base to begin with. See Fabric & Technical Guides for more on how fabric weight and stretch are chosen by sport.

It's one of a few decoration methods used depending on the project - Sublimation vs DTF vs Screen Print breaks down when each one makes sense. Every full-team uniform package starts with sublimation for exactly the reasons above; see Garments & Packages for what a complete kit includes, or Custom Design Services if you're starting from a logo or concept instead of a finished design.