Sublimation vs Embroidery vs Heat Transfer for Team Jerseys: Which to Use Where

Published September 27, 2026 · Last updated September 28, 2026 · Reviewed by the RUIJUN production team

Short answer: for a team jersey, use sublimation when the design has more than two colours, gradients, all-over patterns or individual names and numbers; use embroidery for crests and logos that need a premium, raised look on polos, jackets and caps; use heat transfer for small runs, last-minute number changes or sponsor logos added after production. Most club kits made today combine the first two: a sublimated jersey with an embroidered crest. Below is what each method costs, how long it lasts, what it cannot do, and how to decide for each logo on the garment.

Sublimation

Dye is printed on transfer paper and pressed into polyester fabric at about 200 °C before the garment is sewn. The ink becomes part of the fibre, so there is nothing on the surface to crack, peel or feel heavy.

• Best for: soccer, basketball, baseball, cycling and esports jerseys; any design with gradients, patterns or many colours; names and numbers.
• Limits: polyester (or high-polyester blends) only; white or light base fabric; cannot print metallic or neon inks; colours print slightly differently on mesh than on interlock.
• Cost: no set-up fee, unlimited colours at one price – the most economical option from 10 pieces upward.
• Durability: print lasts as long as the fabric; SGS colour-fastness grade 4–5 on our standard fabrics.
• Artwork needed: vector files for logos; Pantone references for colours. We build the full-panel layout in-house.

Embroidery

Thread is stitched directly into the garment from a digitised file. It gives a raised, textured logo that reads as premium.

• Best for: club crests, sponsor logos on polos, quarter-zips, jackets, caps and bags; anything on cotton or fleece.
• Limits: not suitable for large chest prints or gradients; fine text below about 5 mm loses detail; adds weight and stiffness on thin mesh jerseys, so keep crests on mesh under 8 cm.
• Cost: priced per design by stitch count – a 7–9 cm crest (5,000–8,000 stitches) is typically the equivalent of US$0.5–1.5 per piece at club quantities; large back logos over 20,000 stitches cost US$3–6. Digitising the file is a one-time cost we absorb on orders over 50 pieces.
• Durability: outlasts the garment; can be washed at any temperature.
• Artwork needed: vector logo; we digitise it and send a stitch-out photo for approval.

Heat transfer (vinyl / printed transfers)

A pre-printed film is pressed onto the finished garment. Fast and flexible, but it sits on top of the fabric.

• Best for: numbers and names added after production; sponsor logos that change mid-season; runs under 10 pieces; cotton garments where sublimation is not possible; reflective or metallic effects.
• Limits: can crack or lift after 30–50 washes if applied poorly or washed hot; a large solid transfer blocks breathability; not ideal on heavily textured mesh.
• Cost: low set-up, but per-piece cost rises with size and colour count – a chest logo is about US$0.5–1, a full number set US$1–2 per jersey.
• Durability: good for two to three seasons with cold washing and no tumble-drying.

Screen printing – when it still makes sense

Screen printing pushes ink through a stencil onto the fabric, one screen per colour. It is cost-effective for one- or two-colour logos on cotton T-shirts at 100+ pieces, and puff (3D) screen printing is popular on hoodies. For polyester team jerseys it has largely been replaced by sublimation, which prints unlimited colours with no screens. Set-up is US$15–30 per colour, so it only pays off at volume.

Side-by-side comparison

	Sublimation	Embroidery	Heat transfer	Screen printing
Fabric	Polyester only	Any	Any	Any
Colours	Unlimited	Up to 12 threads	Full colour	1–6, per screen
Feel	None – in the fibre	Raised, textured	Thin film on surface	Ink layer on surface
Set-up cost	None	Digitising (often free)	Low	Per colour
Cost per logo, 50 pcs	Included	US$0.5–1.5	US$0.5–1	US$0.5–1.5
Durability	Life of garment	Life of garment	2–3 seasons	2–4 seasons
Names and numbers	Free, printed in	Not practical	Good for late changes	No
Minimum	10 pcs	10 pcs	1 pc	50–100 pcs

Decision table

Need	Recommended
Full-colour jersey with names and numbers	Sublimation
Club crest on polo or jacket	Embroidery
Sponsor logo on a sublimated jersey	Sublimated in (free) or embroidered for premium look
Numbers added after delivery	Heat transfer
Cotton training tee, 1–2 colours, 100+ pcs	Screen printing
Hoodie with a bold 3D logo	Puff screen print or embroidery
Metallic or reflective sponsor logo	Heat transfer (foil or reflective film)

Questions we get about decoration

Can I embroider a crest on a sublimated mesh jersey? Yes. We add a light backing so the mesh does not pucker, and keep the crest under 8 cm. Many clubs do this for the home kit and sublimate the crest on training wear to save cost.

Will sponsor logos match my Pantone colours? Sublimation reaches most Pantone shades closely; very bright neon and true metallic cannot be reproduced. We print a colour swatch panel with the sample so you can approve on real fabric.

Can names and numbers be changed after the jerseys are made? Sublimated names are permanent. If you expect roster changes, we can leave the back blank and supply heat-transfer numbers you apply locally, or we press them before shipping.

Which method is best for a small brand launch of 30 pieces? Sublimation for jerseys and shorts, embroidery for the logo on polos and caps. Neither has a set-up fee at that quantity.

How we combine them at RUIJUN

All four methods are in-house on our four production lines, so a typical order is a sublimated jersey with an embroidered crest and, if the club wants, heat-transfer numbers held back for late roster changes. Tell us the garment and the logos you have; the mockup will show which method is used where, and the quote lists each decoration separately so nothing is hidden.

See our decoration services · Get a free mockup

See also: how each decoration method ages after 50 washes.

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