What Is Sublimation Printing? A Complete Guide for Custom Apparel

Sublimation printing is one of those terms that gets thrown around a lot in the custom apparel world, but most people ordering custom shirts for the first time have no idea what it actually means or how it differs from other print methods. I use sublimation printing in my York, PA studio alongside DTF transfers and screen printing, and each method has a specific set of strengths. Sublimation is not the right choice for every project, but when the conditions line up, it produces results that no other method can match.

I want to break down exactly what sublimation is, how the process works, what it can and cannot do, and when you should choose it over other options. No jargon for the sake of jargon. Just an honest explanation from someone who presses garments with this method regularly.

How Sublimation Printing Works

Sublimation is a chemistry term that describes a phase change where a solid converts directly into a gas, skipping the liquid state entirely. Dry ice does this at room temperature. It goes from solid carbon dioxide straight to gas without ever becoming a puddle. Sublimation printing uses this same principle with specially formulated dye inks.

The process starts with your design being printed onto sublimation transfer paper using dye-sublimation inks. These inks look like standard inkjet output on the paper, but they are formulated to undergo a phase change when exposed to specific heat and pressure conditions.

When I place that printed transfer paper onto a polyester garment and close the heat press at 385 degrees Fahrenheit with firm pressure, the solid dye particles on the paper convert directly into a gas. That gas penetrates the surface of the polyester fibers (which open their molecular structure under heat) and the dye molecules embed themselves inside the polymer chain of the fabric. When the press opens and the garment cools, those fibers close back around the dye molecules, trapping them permanently inside.

The result is a print that is literally part of the fabric. There is no ink layer sitting on top. There is no adhesive film bonded to the surface. The dye is inside the fiber itself, at a molecular level.

What Makes Sublimation Different from DTF and Screen Printing

The easiest way to understand sublimation is to compare it with the other two main print methods I use.

Zero Hand Feel

Run your fingers across a sublimated design and you feel only fabric. The texture is identical to the unprinted areas of the garment. This is the single biggest advantage sublimation has over every other decoration method. DTF transfers produce a soft, flexible printed film that you can feel (though it is comfortable and moves with the fabric). Screen printing, especially with plastisol ink, leaves a raised layer on top of the garment. Sublimation has none of that. The print is invisible to the touch.

Colors That Cannot Crack, Peel, or Chip

Because the dye is embedded in the fibers rather than sitting on the surface, there is nothing to crack. Nothing to peel. Nothing to chip away after repeated washing. Sublimation prints are permanent for the life of the garment. The only gradual change you might see is slight fading after years of extended UV exposure, which is true of any dyed fabric.

Compare that to DTF, which is rated for 50-plus washes and holds up well but does involve a surface layer that can eventually show wear at the edges after heavy use. Or screen printing with plastisol, which can crack over time, especially on areas that stretch repeatedly.

Vibrant, Photographic Color

Sublimation on 100 percent polyester produces some of the most vibrant color reproduction available in garment decoration. The dye molecules infuse directly into white or light fibers, producing saturated, luminous color without any opacity layer between the ink and the fabric. Gradients are smooth. Photographic images reproduce with clarity. Fine detail is sharp because there is no transfer film softening the edges.

The Catch: Sublimation Has Real Limitations

I am not going to pretend sublimation is the answer to everything. It has hard limitations that make it a poor choice for the majority of custom apparel projects that come through my studio.

Polyester Only

Sublimation ink bonds with polymer fibers. Cotton, linen, rayon, and other natural fibers do not have the polymer structure to trap sublimation dye. If you try to sublimate onto a 100 percent cotton blank, the ink will wash out almost immediately because it has nothing to bond with.

Poly-cotton blends give a partial result. On a 50/50 blend like a white Bella Canvas 3001, the dye bonds with the polyester fibers but passes through the cotton fibers, creating a heathered, slightly muted effect. Some customers actually prefer this vintage-looking aesthetic, but it is not the vibrant full-saturation result you get on 100 percent poly.

This is the dealbreaker for most of my wholesale customers. The blanks that boutique owners and organizations want (Comfort Colors 1717 tees, Comfort Colors 1566 crewnecks, Gildan 18000 hoodies) are garment-dyed cotton. Sublimation cannot touch them. For those blanks, DTF is the clear winner.

White and Light Colors Only

Sublimation inks are transparent. There is no white ink in sublimation printing. The white areas in your design are simply areas where no ink is applied, allowing the white fabric to show through. On a white polyester tee, this works perfectly. The unprinted areas look white because the shirt is white.

On a dark-colored polyester blank, transparent ink is invisible. A red design sublimated onto a black poly tee would be completely unseen. Even on medium-toned fabrics like heather gray, sublimation colors appear muted and muddy because the fabric color shows through the transparent dye.

This means sublimation is effectively limited to white and very light-colored polyester garments. If your project calls for dark blanks, sublimation is not an option.

No Cotton, No Dark Colors — So When Do I Use It?

These two limitations eliminate sublimation from consideration for a large portion of custom apparel orders. Most organizations want cotton blanks in a range of colors. But sublimation has a clear lane where nothing else competes.

When Sublimation Is the Right Choice

Performance and activewear. Sports teams, fitness brands, and event organizers frequently need polyester moisture-wicking tees with full-color logos and designs. Sublimation is the only method that delivers vibrant color with zero hand feel on performance fabrics. Athletes do not want to feel a print rubbing against their skin during activity, and sublimation eliminates that entirely.

All-over prints. Sublimation is the only print method capable of true edge-to-edge, seam-to-seam coverage on a garment. The entire shirt becomes the canvas: front, back, sleeves, sides. If your design concept is a repeating pattern, photographic image, or bold graphic that covers the whole garment, sublimation is the only way to achieve it. DTF and screen printing are limited to placement prints (a defined design area on the front, back, or sleeve).

Specialty merchandise items. Sublimation works on any polyester-coated surface, not just apparel. Mugs, mousepads, phone cases, tote bags, coasters, and ornaments can all be sublimated with photographic-quality designs. For organizations that want branded merchandise bundles (a tee plus a mug plus a mousepad, all matching), sublimation covers the hard goods that other print methods cannot.

Maximum durability requirements. For garments that will see heavy, repeated use and washing (staff uniforms, team jerseys, promotional giveaway tees), sublimation's permanent dye-in-fiber bond means the print outlasts the garment itself. The shirt will wear out before the print fades.

Sublimation vs DTF: A Quick Side-by-Side

Because I get asked this constantly, here is the direct comparison.

Fabric compatibility: Sublimation works on polyester and poly-blends only. DTF works on cotton, polyester, blends, nylon, and garment-dyed fabrics.

Color range: Sublimation requires white or light-colored blanks. DTF works on any color, including dark garment-dyed Comfort Colors.

Hand feel: Sublimation has zero hand feel. DTF has a soft, flexible feel you can detect but is comfortable.

Durability: Both are highly durable. Sublimation is technically permanent (dye in fiber). DTF is rated 50-plus washes with proper care.

All-over printing: Sublimation can print edge to edge. DTF is limited to placement prints.

Cost: Comparable for similar order sizes. Neither has significant setup fees like screen printing.

For most custom apparel projects at Floorboard Findings, especially those using Comfort Colors or Bella Canvas cotton blanks, I recommend DTF. But when the project calls for polyester performance wear, all-over prints, or specialty merchandise, sublimation is the better tool for the job.

My Approach to Sublimation at Floorboard Findings

I studied color theory in college at Cal U of PA, and that background matters more than you might think in sublimation work. Sublimation uses a unique color profile that differs from standard CMYK display. Reds tend to shift orange during the gas-phase transfer. Some blues deepen. Greens can shift toward cyan. I compensate for these color shifts during the design preparation stage so the final pressed garment matches the intended design rather than the screen display.

I print onto Beaver TexPrint sublimation paper using Sawgrass SubliJet inks at maximum resolution. The paper quality matters enormously in sublimation. Cheap transfer papers retain ink during pressing instead of releasing it, which produces washed-out, dull results. Good paper releases 99 percent or more of the ink into the fabric.

Press calibration is the other critical variable. My large-format heat press runs at 385 degrees Fahrenheit with firm pressure. Press time varies by fabric weight: 45 seconds for lightweight performance tees, 55 seconds for standard weight, 60 seconds for fleece and sweatshirts. Getting these settings wrong by even a few degrees or a few seconds affects color saturation and dye penetration.

Is Sublimation Right for Your Project?

If you are ordering custom apparel and wondering whether sublimation printing is the right method, ask yourself three questions. Is the garment polyester or a high-poly blend? Is the blank white or a very light color? Do you want zero hand feel, all-over coverage, or specialty merchandise items? If the answer to all three is yes, sublimation is likely your best option.

If you want cotton blanks, dark colors, or garment-dyed Comfort Colors (which is the majority of what my wholesale customers order), DTF transfers are the better path. And that is perfectly fine. Every print method has its lane, and the goal is matching the right method to your specific project rather than forcing one technology to do everything.

If you are not sure which direction makes sense, reach out directly. I will look at your design, your blank preferences, and your quantity, and I will tell you which method I would use if it were my own project. Every order at Floorboard Findings gets that level of personal attention — because the right print method is the foundation of a product your customers will actually want to wear.