Both methods have a place. The right one depends on your design, your fabric and how the garment will be used. Here's how they compare.
How each method works
Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil onto the fabric, one colour at a time. The ink sits on top of the fabric. Sublimation turns the ink into a gas that bonds inside polyester fibres, so the design becomes part of the fabric.
Side by side
- Durability: sublimation can't crack or peel because there's no ink layer. Screen prints are durable too, but can crack over time with heavy washing and stretching.
- Design: sublimation handles unlimited colours, gradients and all-over patterns. Screen printing suits bold designs with a few solid colours.
- Fabric: sublimation needs polyester. Screen printing works on cotton, blends and polyester.
- Feel: a sublimated print can't be felt. A screen print has a slight raised feel, more so with large solid areas.
- Names and numbers: sublimation prints every player's name and number in the same pass. With screen printing they're usually added separately.
When to choose sublimation
Match day jerseys, rash guards, cycling kits, singlets and anything with a full-colour or edge-to-edge design. It's the standard for performance sportswear for good reason.
When to choose screen printing
Cotton tees and hoodies for supporters, merch and casual team wear, especially with a simple one or two colour logo.
You don't have to pick just one
Most clubs end up with both: sublimated playing kits, plus screen printed or embroidered hoodies and tees for training and supporters. We make both under one roof, so it all matches.
Cost: where each method is cheaper
Screen printing needs a separate screen for every colour, so the price climbs with each colour in the design and with every print position. Sublimation prints the whole garment in one pass, so a design with gradients, a sponsor on each sleeve and a different name and number on every shirt costs the same as a plain one. For match kits with several colours, sublimation is usually the better value. For a one-colour logo on cotton supporter tees, screen printing often is.
Comfort and weight on match day
A large screen print sits on the fabric like a thin layer of rubber. Across a whole chest it traps heat and stiffens the shirt. A sublimated print adds no weight and leaves the fabric just as breathable as it was before printing, which is why it's the standard for running, cycling, basketball and combat sports.
Names, numbers and sponsors
With screen printing, each player's name and number is usually added afterwards as a separate print or heat transfer, which adds cost and another layer that can lift. With sublimation every player's name, number and every sponsor logo is part of the same print, so a roster of 30 different shirts is as simple as 30 identical ones. Send one spreadsheet with names, numbers and sizes and we print straight from it.
A quick way to decide
- Full-colour, gradient or all-over design: sublimation.
- Polyester performance fabric: sublimation.
- Cotton or cotton-blend tees and hoodies: screen printing or embroidery.
- One or two solid colours on supporter merch: screen printing.
- Different name and number on every shirt: sublimation.
For a full kit by sport, from basketball to volleyball and hockey, see our custom sublimated team uniforms guide, or go straight to custom sublimated jerseys to request a quote.
Common questions
Which lasts longer, sublimated or screen printed jerseys?
Sublimated jerseys. The ink is inside the polyester fibres, so there is nothing on the surface to crack or peel. A good screen print lasts well too, but heavy washing and stretching can crack it over time.
Is sublimation more expensive than screen printing?
Not for full-colour designs. Sublimation costs the same whether the design has one colour or twenty, and names and numbers are printed in the same pass. Screen printing is priced per colour, so a simple one-colour logo on a cotton tee can work out cheaper that way.
Can you sublimate a dark-coloured jersey?
Yes, by printing the dark colour as part of the design on white polyester. Sublimation can't print light colours onto dark fabric, which is why we start from a white base and print the whole garment.
