Decoration · Sportswear Encyclopedia
Sublimation vs Screen Print
Two different physics. Sublimation is a dye that lives inside polyester fibre. Screen print is an ink film that sits on top of any fabric. Both are 'right' for the correct job — and picking the wrong one is where kit programmes overspend by 20–40%.
Sublimation
Unlimited colour
No hand-feel
Screen print
1–8 colours
Any fibre
Break-even
~50–150
Units per design
Fabric
Poly vs any
Base rules
How each process actually works
- Sublimation — CMYK digital print onto transfer paper, pressed onto white polyester at 190–210°C for 45–60 seconds. Dye sublimes (solid → gas → solid) inside the fibre polymer. Print is now molecularly bonded to the fabric.
- Screen print — Artwork separated into spot colours, one screen per colour. Plastisol or water-based ink pushed through each screen with a squeegee onto the fabric, then cured at 160°C on a conveyor belt. Ink cures as a thin plastic film on top of the fabric surface.
Decision matrix — pick by requirement
| Requirement | Sublimation | Screen print |
|---|---|---|
| All-over / edge-to-edge print | ✓ Native | ✗ Not practical |
| Photographic / gradients | ✓ Excellent | ✗ Limited (halftone only) |
| Unlimited colours per design | ✓ Yes | ✗ Cost scales per colour |
| Cotton or dark fabric | ✗ Won't bond / colour | ✓ Excellent |
| Vivid opaque solid colour | ✓ Good | ✓ Excellent |
| Metallic, neon, glow ink | ✗ Not available | ✓ Full range |
| Zero hand-feel | ✓ None | ✗ Ink film present |
| Wash-fastness (retail) | ✓ Excellent | ✓ Good |
| Setup cost | Low (per design) | Higher (per colour) |
| Cost per unit at scale | Flat | Falls with volume |
Cost economics — where the break-even sits
- Sublimation cost per garment is roughly flat regardless of quantity, because there is no per-colour tooling. Digital transfer paper is priced by size.
- Screen print has a per-colour, per-design screen setup fee (roughly USD 8–20 per screen). Above ~150 units per design, that fee amortises to near-zero per unit and screen print becomes cheaper than sublimation.
- For a 3-colour front logo on 500 kits, screen print typically comes out 15–30% cheaper than sublimation.
- For a 6-colour all-over sublimated pattern with sponsor logos, sublimation is often the only viable route regardless of quantity.
Hybrid workflows — the reality of modern kits
Most modern match kits use both, applied in sequence:
- Sublimate the base body and sleeves with the team's overall pattern, colour blocking and gradients.
- Screen print or heat-transfer the sponsor logo, national crest or league badge on top for opacity and brand-mandated colour accuracy.
- DTF or heat-transfer add player names and numbers per unit — that's per-item variable data, so it can't be sublimated at fabric stage.
Fighting the technologies against each other is a false choice. Kit designers who know both use them as a toolkit and pick the right one for each element on the jersey.
Common decoration mistakes
- Sublimating cotton — dye does not bond. The garment washes out in the first cycle.
- Sublimating a coloured base — dye is translucent, so print looks muddy. Always use white base fabric.
- Screen printing over stretch panels without stretch additive — the ink cracks on first wear.
- Ordering complex artwork on sublimation and expecting Pantone-perfect solid colour — CMYK cannot hit certain spot colours cleanly. Use a Pantone-simulation profile and approve strike-offs.
- Ignoring the ink-film hand-feel on athletic gear — a heavy screen-printed chest logo on a compression baselayer feels sticky in sweat.
Get a decoration recommendation
Send us your artwork and target quantity — we'll recommend sublimation, screen print, DTF, embroidery or a hybrid workflow and give you costed options for each.