Sublimation vs screen printing: which is right for your team kit?

How each method works

Sublimation prints your design in reverse onto transfer paper. The paper is then pressed against polyester fabric under heat and pressure, and the ink turns into a gas that bonds with the fibres. When it cools, the design is part of the fabric rather than sitting on top of it.

Screen printing pushes ink through a stencilled mesh screen onto the garment, one colour per screen. The ink forms a layer on the surface of the fabric.

What that means for a team kit

When sublimation is the better choice

• Full-colour or patterned kits — hoops, stripes, marble, camo or gradients cost the same as plain.
• Names and numbers for a whole squad — every player's panel is printed in one run.
• Performance wear — no extra layer means the fabric keeps breathing.

When screen printing still makes sense

• Cotton garments such as fan T-shirts or hoodies.
• Simple one- or two-colour logos on dark garments, in large quantities.

Questions to ask your manufacturer

1. Do you print and press in-house, or outsource it? (Outsourcing adds lead time and a quality risk.)
2. What fabric weights do you offer for match shirts and training tops?
3. Will I see a digital mock-up and a physical sample before the bulk run?
4. How are sizes, names and numbers checked before cutting?

We print and heat-press every sublimated kit in our own factory — see the process or design your kit.