Why Sublimation Printing is Ideal for Printing Sportswear

Sublimation printing or dye sublimation is a digital printing method that offers a high quality and high durability printing option. This printing method fuses inks into the fabric rather than the inks sitting over the fabric, as in screen printing or inkjet.

Sublimation printing lends a softer feel to fabrics following the printing. The colour stays solid even after extensive washing and in outdoor lighting. The process yields soft and durable images and bright pictures don’t lose vibrancy or fade with time. These factors make sublimation printing the ideal printing technique for sportswear. The use of sublimated sportswear is on the rise currently.

Overview of Sublimation Printing


Sublimation printing is a technique in which the printing of sublimation dyes is performed on a transfer medium using a specially designed inkjet printer. Then, the dyes from the medium are transferred to a garment or object under pressure and heat generated by a heat press.

It should be noted that sublimation printing works only on clothes of polyester or objects of polyester or objects that have a polyester coating. On application of heat and pressure, the transfer medium’s dye sublimates (becomes gas) and gets absorbed in the polyester.

In this printing process, the print becomes a part of your garment. The print does not have any weight or texture and does not wear or fade easily.

Sublimation printing has several advantages that make it suitable for printing sportswear.

Some of the advantages are

 1. No Fading and Cracking

With sublimation printing, clothes don’t fade and prints don’t crack.

2. Unlimited Design Options

There are lots of design options with sublimated sportswear – simple shapes, colours, blends, photographic pictures, shadows and more.

 3. Comfortable Numbering

With sublimation printing, you don’t need those sweaty, hot plastic numbers on your back.

4. Fully Coloured Prints

You can add sponsors, numbers, names, and logos in full colour in the design of sublimated sportswear.

Sublimation printing does come with a few limitations; however, these limitations are not deal breakers owing to recent developments in this industry. Knowing the limitations will help you understand where this printing technique is suitable and where it’s not.

Limitations of Sublimation Printing

•      Light Coloured or White Clothes Only

Since sublimated colours combine with colours over which the printing is done, so, you can get the best results by printing on light coloured or white garments. Although quite costly, you can go for printing an entire garment. This implies that with sublimation printing, not only a white outfit can be turned into any colour; its surface can also be covered with any picture or design you like.

• Garments Made of Polyester Only

Although this printing technique works on polyester only, today’s polyester clothes are not impermeable and heavy like the ones of the 1970s. Nowadays, large quantities of moisture-wicking fabrics, modern performance fabrics and related garments are made using polyester. Garments that are comfortable and have texture like cotton are even being manufactured with sublimation-friendly polyester.

So, if you are planning to buy printed sportswear or want to get sportswear printed, consider going for sublimation printing. If you want quality, durability, and visual appeal, sublimated sportswear can make a great choice!