Sublimation printing is a cutting-edge full-color digital printing process that uses heat and special inks to create vibrant, long-lasting designs. Unlike traditional methods, sublimation dye becomes part of the fabric itself—meaning there’s no ink texture or raised surface. The result is a soft, lightweight garment with brilliant, high-resolution colors.

Sublimation is ideal for custom apparel, personalized gifts, and polymer-coated promotional products. We can also provide printed sublimation transfer sheets for customers with a heat press who’ve run out of ink or paper.

How Sublimation Works

1. A design is printed using special sublimation inks and paper.
2. Using a heat press, the dye is transferred from the paper to the fabric or object.
3. The heat turns the ink into gas, which bonds with the fibers of the polyester material.
4. The result is a permanent, full-color image that won't fade, crack, or peel.

Sublimation Artwork Requirements

For the best print quality, please submit your artwork in the following formats:

Vector Files:

• CorelDRAW (.cdr)
• Adobe Illustrator (.ai)
• Encapsulated PostScript (.eps)
• Format: RGB or CMYK preferred

Raster Files:

• Adobe Photoshop (.psd)
• 300 dpi resolution at actual print size
• 8-bit color depth, RGB or CMYK color mode

Avoid using low-resolution images from the internet (usually 72 dpi), as they may be pixelated and often aren't legally licensed for commercial reproduction.

Need help? We offer in-house design services and can convert raster images to vector art for a fee.

Sublimation Paper Sizes

For small-format sublimation, we print on three standard sublimation paper sizes:

• 8.5” x 11” (Printable area: 8” x 10.5”)
• 11” x 17” (Printable area: 10.5” x 16.5”)
• 13” x 19” (Printable area: 12.5” x 18.5”)

To reduce costs, we recommend setting up your artwork to maximize the printable area of the chosen sheet size.

Sublimation-Compatible Materials

We can sublimate onto:

• 100% polyester apparel
• Polyester-coated metals
• Polymer-coated plastics
• Sublimation blanks like mugs, keychains, coasters, and more

Sublimation must be done on white or light-colored substrates, as the process uses translucent CMYK inks and does not include white ink. Printing on dark fabrics will result in poor visibility or muted colors.

Sublimation Print Locations & Sizes

We can sublimate designs up to 12.5" x 18.5" in size in-house. Design placement varies depending on the product. For apparel, sublimation works best on flat areas of white polyester garments.

We also offer sublimation transfer prints for customers who want to apply the design themselves using their own heat press.

Large Format/Wide Format/Full-Bleed Cut & Sew Sublimation

In addition to our in-house, small format sublimation services, we work with the best wide-format sublimation apparel manufacturers in the industry!  Rolls of white polyester are sublimated with a design.  The patterns are then cut out and sewn together.  We can make uniforms, jerseys, polos, fleece, tees (long and short sleeve), tanks, and more using this process.  

Sublimation Ink & Color Quality

Sublimation uses CMYK dye-based inks, capable of producing thousands of vibrant colors. Because the ink bonds with the fabric, the color is vivid and wash-resistant. However, printing on dark or non-white materials will reduce visibility, as sublimation ink is not opaque.

For best results, always print on white or very light-colored polyester surfaces.

Garment Care for Sublimated Apparel

To extend the life of your sublimated item:

• Wash inside out in cold water
• Hang dry or tumble dry with no heat
• Do not iron over the printed area

Following these care instructions will help ensure your print stays sharp and your garment lasts as long as possible.

Interested in Sublimation?

Browse our catalogs to view most of the items we can provide for you, but keep in mind we have access to more products that are not listed in these catalogs. Since sublimation only works properly with white polyester fabric, there are only certain garments we recommend for small-format sublimation.  You can supply your own apparel for small-format sublimation instead.  Just make sure it is new and correctly tagged. Click the button below to get a quote and we'll help you Keep Your Brand Bloomin'!