Sublimation

Most athletic shirts, performance apparel, and sports jerseys are made with the polyester. This wonder material is strong, durable, flexible, and doesn’t hold onto sweat like other materials, such as cotton, so it’s perfect for sports jerseys. The flip side of not holding onto moisture means that traditional inks don’t work to print designs.

Luckily, there’s another technique that allows polyester to be decorated. Sublimated jerseys use an advanced technology called sublimation.

Read on for everything you need to know about sublimated jerseys!

What Is Sublimation?

Since polyester doesn’t absorb liquid dye due to its moisture wicking abilities, the liquid colors have to be turned into a vapor to be absorbed by the fabric. By using special sublimation ink and high heat, the dye turns from a solid to a gas (sublimates) when heated. At the same time, the heat causes the polyester to open its pores and absorb the colorful gas until the colors are embedded in the fabric. When it cools, the dye turns back into a solid and becomes permanent. The colors and designs are now a part of the fabric so the image will last as long as the jersey. The design will never fade or crack and you won’t be able to feel it at all. And just like our normal Lightspeed printing, you can use full color designs on sublimated jerseys so you’ll never have to compromise on the image you create.