Embroidery vs screen printing vs sublimation for teamwear

01Start with the fabric, not the logo

Most decoration problems start with a method that does not suit the base fabric. Before you pick a look, confirm what the garment is made of, how much it stretches and whether it has a coating. Our activewear fabric library lists composition and GSM for every cloth we cut.

Sublimation bonds dye into polyester fibers, so it needs a polyester fabric. 100% polyester gives the brightest result. Blends down to about 65% polyester will take sublimation, but colors come out duller because the cotton portion stays unprinted. Cotton fleece, cotton tees and heavy CVC blends suit screen print, embroidery or DTF better.

Stretch matters too. Compression and volleyball fabrics with 10–20% elastane need decoration that moves with the fabric: sublimation, stretch heat-transfer film or a flexible ink. A stiff print on 4-way stretch fabric will crack.

02Dye sublimation: full color with no hand

Sublimation prints the design on transfer paper. Heat and pressure then turn the ink into a gas that dyes the polyester. The result has zero hand, so the print feels like the fabric, and it cannot crack or peel because nothing sits on top.

There is no extra cost per color. Each piece can carry a different name and number without new screens, which is why sublimation is the default for soccer, basketball, volleyball, flag football, esports and fitted training tops. See how we print sublimated jerseys panel by panel.

Know the limits. Sublimation has no white ink, so any white in the design is the fabric showing through. It needs a white or very light base. We print the panels flat before sewing, so the design runs cleanly across seams and around zippers.

03Screen print: best when many pieces share one design

Custom screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil, one screen per color. Setup is charged per color, so a 1–3 color logo on a large run of identical garments is where screen print pays off. A 10-color design on a small order usually costs more by screen print than by sublimation or DTF.

Plastisol ink gives opaque, bright color on dark fabrics and is the usual choice for fanwear and cotton practice shirts. Water-based ink gives a softer feel on cotton. Specialty inks cover puff, high-density, metallic and reflective effects. Puff and high-density inks do not hold fine detail, so keep lines and small text bold.

On dyed polyester, dye can migrate into the ink and turn a white print pink or gray over time. Low-bleed inks reduce this.

04Embroidery: durable branding for crests and outerwear

Embroidery stitches thread into the garment from a digitized file. Cost follows stitch count, so a dense 4-inch crest costs more than a small chest logo. It suits polos, jackets, fleece, caps and coach wear.

Keep text at least 0.25 inch tall and avoid hairline strokes, since thread cannot reproduce them. Most logos look cleanest at 12 thread colors or fewer. 3D puff embroidery adds foam under the stitches for a raised look, mostly on caps and heavy fleece.

Embroidery on lightweight mesh or a thin sublimated jersey can pucker and feel stiff against the skin. On those garments embroidered patches sewn or heat-applied to the garment, or a sublimated crest, are usually the better call.

05Embroidery vs screen printing: which to choose

Embroidery and screen printing overlap on polos, hoodies, jackets and cotton tees, so this is the comparison buyers ask about most. The short answer: embroidery for small, high-value marks that must last, screen printing for larger graphics on many identical pieces.

Screen printing vs embroidery on cost: screen print setup is per color, then each extra piece is cheap, so the unit price falls fast as the run grows. Embroidery has a one-time digitizing step, then cost follows stitch count on every piece, so it falls more slowly with quantity. A 3-inch left-chest logo is often close in price either way; a full-back graphic is almost always cheaper as a print.

• Look: embroidery is raised and textured; screen print is flat and can carry fine gradients with halftones.
• Size: embroidery suits marks up to about 4 inches; screen print handles full-front and full-back art.
• Durability: embroidery outlasts the garment in most cases; plastisol prints hold well but can crack after many hot washes.
• Fabric: embroidery needs a stable base such as fleece, pique or twill; screen print suits cotton and cotton blends best.
• Feel: embroidery adds weight and a backing on the inside; water-based screen print is almost weightless on cotton.

06Sublimation vs screen printing and sublimation vs embroidery

Sublimation vs screen printing is mostly a fabric decision. On a white or light polyester jersey with a full-color or all-over design, sublimation wins on feel and on cost per color, since there are no screens. On cotton, or on a dark garment that needs a bright white logo, screen print is the method that works.

Sublimation vs embroidery is a question of look. Sublimation is flat and dyed into the fabric, so it adds no weight to a game jersey. Embroidery is raised and premium, and belongs on the crest of a polo, jacket or hoodie. Many teams combine them: a sublimated body with an embroidered crest.

07DTF and heat-transfer stickers: flexible for small runs and names

DTF (direct-to-film) prints the design onto film with a white underbase, then presses it onto the garment. It works on polyester, nylon, cotton and spandex blends, carries unlimited colors including white, and suits small mixed orders where the same logo goes on several fabric types. Our custom heat transfers page covers film types and finishes.

Heat-transfer stickers are cut or printed vinyl and film applied with a heat press. They are the usual route for player names and numbers, and come in stretch, metallic, glitter, reflective and flock finishes.

Both methods sit on top of the fabric. Large solid areas feel heavier and breathe less than sublimation, so keep DTF to logos and marks rather than full chest panels on a game jersey. For a closer look at the trade-offs, read sublimation vs DTF and DTF vs screen printing.

08Tackle twill and chenille: the traditional looks

Tackle twill is polyester twill cut into letters and numbers, layered and stitched down with a zigzag edge. It is the classic look for baseball, hockey and football jerseys and stands up to hard wear. Sublimated twill lets you put gradients or patterns inside the letters.

Chenille is a looped, raised yarn used for varsity letters and patches, usually on a felt backing. Chenille letters belong on letterman and stadium jackets, heavy fleece and satin, not on lightweight game jerseys.

Both add weight and sewing time, so they cost more per piece than printed methods. They need a stable base such as pro double knit, hockey knit, fleece or a woven shell.

09Tackle twill vs embroidery

Both are sewn, both are durable and both sit on the same kinds of jerseys, so buyers often weigh one against the other for numbers and front scripts. The difference is scale and texture.

Tackle twill covers large areas with cut fabric, so a 10-inch back number in twill is light, flexible and quick to sew compared with filling the same area in thread. Embroidery fills shapes with stitches, which is ideal for small detailed marks but heavy and stiff on big areas. That is why baseball, football and hockey jerseys usually carry twill numbers and names, with embroidery kept for sleeve logos, flags and small crests.

Twill can also be finished with an embroidered edge, so a front script can combine both: twill for the letter body and a satin or zigzag stitch for the outline. Fine detail inside a letter is better handled with sublimated twill than with extra layers.

• Large numbers and names: tackle twill.
• Small logos, flags and fine detail: embroidery.
• Front script with a raised look: twill with a stitched edge, or layered twill.
• Lightweight mesh jersey: sublimated numbers, since both twill and dense embroidery add weight.

10A quick match by garment

Use this as a starting point, then confirm it on a sample in the real fabric.

• Soccer, basketball or volleyball jersey: full-dye sublimation with names and numbers printed in, as on our blank soccer jerseys.
• Baseball or softball jersey in double knit: tackle twill or sublimated twill numbers, with an embroidered or twill front script, as on our wholesale baseball uniforms.
• Cotton or CVC fanwear tee, one design, large run: screen print.
• Small mixed order across polyester and cotton items: DTF.
• Hoodies and quarter-zips: embroidery or a patch for the crest, screen print or DTF for larger graphics.
• Varsity or stadium jacket: chenille patches plus embroidery.
• Compression tops and singlets: sublimation or stretch heat-transfer film.

11How decoration is quoted

Our catalog prices cover blank or color-blocked garments only. Every one of our garment decoration methods is quoted per design, because the cost depends on size, color count, stitch count and placement. Send your artwork and target garments, and we price each decoration option side by side.

You can mix methods on one garment, for example a sublimated body with an embroidered crest and heat-transfer numbers. Pattern, cutting, all decoration and sewing run in house under one roof, so a mixed-method garment does not leave the building between steps. Before bulk, you can order one sample at the 12–50 tier price plus decoration, and that cost is credited to your bulk order.

Q&AQuestions buyers ask