Sublimation Printing
for Sportswear
Full-colour, all-over printing embedded directly into performance fabric using water-based sublimation inks. Fade-resistant, vibrant, and precise — run after run.
How It Works
From Print to Panel
in Three Steps
Sublimation is a dyeing process, not a coating. The design is printed onto paper first, then heat moves the ink out of the paper and into the polyester fibres. This is what happens to every panel before it is sewn.
Printing the design on transfer paper
Your artwork is printed onto transfer paper with sublimation inks. It is printed as a mirror image, because it flips over when it meets the fabric. All panels for every size are laid out on the roll, so logos, numbers and patterns land exactly where they should on the finished garment.
On paper the colours look dull and flat. They only show their real depth once they are heated in the next step.
Pressing the print into the fabric
The printed paper and blank white fabric run together through a heated roller press (calender). At roughly 190–210 °C and under steady pressure, the ink skips the liquid stage and turns straight into a gas. The heat opens up the polyester fibres, the gas moves in, and as the fabric cools the fibres close and lock the colour inside.
Blank white fabric and printed paper go in; fully coloured fabric comes out. Because the colour is now part of the fibre, there is no layer on top that can crack or peel, and the fabric stays as soft and breathable as before.
Laser cutting the panels
The printed fabric goes onto the laser cutter, which follows the outline of each panel along the print. That keeps the design exactly in place at the seams, so patterns and logos line up when the panels are joined.
On synthetic fabrics the heat of the laser also seals the cut edge as it goes, so edges stay clean and don't fray. The cut panels then move on to sewing.
Why Sublimation
The Ink Becomes
Part of the Fabric
Sublimation printing uses heat to convert solid dye into gas, which permanently bonds with the polyester fibres at a molecular level. The result is a print that cannot peel, crack, or fade — because it's inside the fabric, not on top of it.
This makes sublimation the ideal printing method for performance sportswear that needs to withstand UV exposure, chlorine, salt water, sweat, and repeated high-temperature washing.
Good to know: sublimation only bonds with polyester and polyester-rich blends, and it works best on white or light fabric. The inks are transparent and there is no white ink, so any white in your design is simply the fabric showing through. Because printing is digital, there are no screens or plates to set up, which is why sublimation suits small runs as well as larger orders.
- Full-colour, all-over print coverage — no white background required
- Water-based sublimation inks
- Unlimited colours in every design
- Fade-resistant through UV, chlorine, salt and washing
- Sharp detail reproduction down to fine lines and gradients
- Compatible with all recycled and standard performance polyester
Applications
Used Across
Every Product We Make
Calibrated colour matching across jersey and shorts. Panel-by-panel sublimation with tight registration — ensuring sponsor logos and team colours reproduce consistently across every size.
Salt water, chlorine, and UV-resistant prints for ocean and pool use. Full-body sublimation on UV-protective recycled polyester fabric — vibrant colours that stay sharp season after season.
Stable, repeatable colour across bulk production runs. Sponsor panels, player numbers, and team branding reproduced exactly the same in every reorder — regardless of batch size.
Lightweight singlets and jerseys with full-cover prints that don’t add weight or restrict stretch. Colour reproduction on mesh, woven, and knit structures.
Complex geometric patterns, dark backgrounds, and high-contrast graphics reproduced with precision on loose-fit performance jersey fabric.
All-over sublimation on polo collar structures — combining branded pattern work with clean collar and placket finishing for padel, tennis, and corporate activewear.
Next Production Run
Talk to us about colours, print specifications, and how sublimation works with your design.