Sublimated vs Printed Football Kits: Which Lasts?

Sublimated vs printed football kits: which lasts?

Most team kit is made one of three ways: heat-pressed vinyl, screen printing or sublimation. Here is how each works, how it wears after a season of washing, and why we only make sublimated kit.

✔ No minimum order✔ Free 24-hour mockup✔ Prices include VAT✔ Every kit fully sublimated

Short answer: sublimation dyes the design into the fabric, so it cannot crack or peel and any number of colours costs the same. Vinyl and screen print sit on top of the fabric: fine for a few numbers, but they stiffen the shirt and can crack or lift over time. For a full team kit, sublimation lasts longer and allows any design.

How each method works

Method	How the design gets on	Where it sits
Sublimation	Ink printed on paper turns to gas under heat and bonds with the polyester	Inside the fibre
Screen printing	Ink pushed through a mesh screen, one screen per colour	On top of the fabric
Heat-pressed vinyl	Cut vinyl shapes pressed on with heat and glue	On top of the fabric

How they wear

Sublimated designs wash and tumble without cracking because there is no layer to break. Screen print and vinyl are a layer on top: after many washes the edges can lift and the print can crack, especially on stretch fabric, and large printed areas make the shirt heavier and less breathable.

For washing tips that keep any kit looking new, see how to wash sublimated jerseys.

Design freedom

✓Sublimation: any colour, gradient, photo or pattern, edge to edge and across seams, at no extra cost per colour.
✓Screen print: each colour needs its own screen, so complex designs cost more and gradients are hard.
✓Vinyl: best for simple names, numbers and single-colour logos on a plain shirt.

Cost

For a plain shirt with a single number, vinyl can be cheap. For a full design with a crest, sponsors, names and numbers, sublimation is usually better value because everything goes on in one pass. Our sublimated football shirts are £28 in a ready design or £32 fully custom, VAT included, with names and numbers in the price; see the price list.

What about embroidery?

Embroidery stitches a badge in thread: it looks premium on a crest but is too heavy for numbers and large areas. We can add an embroidered or printed badge to a sublimated kit as an add-on on request. Our embroidered vs sublimated guide compares them in detail.

Sublimated vs printed questions

Is sublimation better than screen printing for football kits?+

For full team kits, yes: the design is dyed into the fabric, so it does not crack or peel, and any number of colours costs the same.

Does sublimation fade?+

Sublimated colours are part of the fibre, so they hold up to normal washing. Wash inside out at 30 degrees and avoid high heat to keep them bright.

Can you sublimate onto a cotton shirt?+

No. Sublimation bonds with polyester, which is why sports kit made this way is performance polyester.

Do you offer screen printing or vinyl?+

No. Every kit we make is sublimated. An embroidered or printed badge can be added on top as an add-on on request.

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