Choosing a decoration method is the single biggest decision you will make about how your kit looks and how long it lasts. Both sublimation and screen printing produce excellent results, but they solve different problems.
How sublimation works
Dye sublimation converts solid ink into gas under heat and pressure, bonding the colour into the polyester fibre itself rather than sitting on top of it. Because the dye becomes part of the fabric, there is nothing to crack, peel, or flake. The garment feels exactly the same in the printed areas as it does in the blank areas.
This makes sublimation the natural choice for full-coverage designs. Gradients, all-over patterns, photographic panels, and side-panel colour blocking cost no more than a single-colour design, because the printer treats the whole panel as one image.
How screen printing works
Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil onto the fabric surface. Each colour needs its own screen and its own pass, which is why quotes go up with every additional colour in your artwork.
The advantage is opacity and versatility. Screen printing lays down a thick, vivid layer of ink that works on cotton, blends, and dark fabrics where sublimation simply cannot go. A white logo on a black cotton hoodie is a screen printing job, not a sublimation one.
The deciding factors
Fabric. Sublimation only works on polyester and polyester-rich blends, and only on light base colours. If your garment is cotton or dark, screen printing is the answer.
Coverage. A small chest crest and back number is efficient to screen print. A kit with all-over camouflage and gradient sleeves is far more economical to sublimate.
Colour count. Under four colours, screen printing is usually cheaper per unit. Above that, sublimation pulls ahead quickly.
Longevity under abrasion. For sports involving sliding, tackling, or matting — baseball, rugby, wrestling — sublimation survives significantly longer because there is no surface layer to abrade away.
Our recommendation
For competitive on-field kit in polyester, sublimate. For cotton training wear, hoodies, and merchandise, screen print. Many teams order both, and there is no reason a single order cannot use each method where it performs best.