Sublimation vs. Screen Printing for Team Jerseys, Which Should You Order?
How dye sublimation and screen printing differ on team jerseys, durability, color freedom, cost at different quantities, and which one fits your program.
Two decoration methods cover most custom team jerseys sold in the USA: dye sublimation and screen printing. They are not slightly different versions of the same thing, they behave differently on the field and over a season of washing.
How each one works
Dye sublimation turns solid dye into gas under heat and pressure so it bonds into the polyester fibers themselves. There is no layer sitting on top of the fabric. The design becomes part of the garment.
Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh screen onto the surface of the fabric, one screen per color. The ink cures as a thin layer on top of the cloth.
Durability
Sublimation cannot crack, peel or fade off, because there is nothing on the surface to crack. A sublimated jersey fails when the fabric wears out, not when the graphic does.
Screen print is durable when it is done well, but it is still a surface layer. Heavy plastisol on a stretchy performance fabric will eventually crack at the stretch points, usually across the numbers on the chest.
Color and design freedom
Sublimation charges nothing extra for complexity. Gradients, camo, photographic patterns, full-bleed shoulder designs, unlimited colors, all the same price.
Screen printing charges per color and per screen. A three color design across the front and back means six screens. Gradients require halftones and rarely look as clean.
Feel and breathability
Sublimated fabric stays exactly as breathable as it was before printing. Nothing blocks the weave.
A large screen printed chest graphic adds a plastic panel that does not breathe. On a hot August afternoon, players notice.
Cost
At low quantities, screen printing on a blank jersey is cheaper, the blank is cheap and setup is simple. At team quantities with a real design, sublimation usually wins, because complexity is free and you are not paying per color.
Fabric limits
Sublimation only works on white or light polyester. It cannot print on cotton, and it cannot print white ink onto a dark garment, the base fabric must start light and the color comes from the print.
Screen printing works on cotton, blends and dark garments, which is why it is still the right call for cotton fan tees and booster-club merchandise.
Which should you order?
Choose sublimation for game jerseys. Full-coverage designs, unlimited colors, numbers that will not peel, and a lighter garment.
Choose screen printing for cotton support gear, parent tees, booster hoodies, camp shirts, where the design is simple and the fabric is not polyester.
Most of our programs run both: sublimated game kits and screen printed cotton merchandise for the stands.
Ask for the sample seam
Whichever route you take, ask your supplier what happens at the seams. On a properly sublimated jersey, the design continues across the shoulder and side seams because the panels are printed before they are cut and sewn. If the design stops dead at the seam, the garment was printed after assembly, a shortcut that shows.
Ready to spec yours? Browse custom team uniforms or start a team order.