Sublimation printing uses heat and pressure to turn a special dye from a solid straight into a gas, which bonds with polyester fibres or the polymer coating on a blank and becomes part of the surface. That is why it works on white or light polyester and on coated hard goods such as mugs, tumblers and ornaments, and why it does not work on plain cotton or dark fabric.
If you sell print on demand beyond t-shirts, sublimation is behind many of the products you are likely to add next. Knowing how it works tells you which designs will print the way they look on screen, why some colours disappear, and what to say in a listing so buyers receive what they expected.
How sublimation works
The name comes from physics: sublimation is a substance changing from solid to gas without passing through a liquid stage. Printify's guide to decoration methods describes the printing version as a method that "uses high heat and pressure to apply dyes onto the product", with the dyes soaking into the material and leaving a smooth finish. It runs in four stages:
The design is printed onto transfer paper with sublimation ink, usually mirrored so it reads the right way once pressed.
The paper is placed on the blank, and a heat press applies heat and pressure.
The heat turns the dye into a gas, which moves into the polyester fibres or into the coating on the product.
As the product cools, the dye is locked in place. Nothing sits on top, so the surface stays smooth, and as Printify puts it for all-over print, "the design becomes a part of the fabric".
That is the appeal: no film, no ink layer and no edge to feel, so the print feels like part of the product.
What sublimation needs: polyester or a coating
The gas has to bond with something, and natural cotton fibres do not hold it. Printify states plainly that sublimation "requires polyester or another synthetic material". Cricut, which sells a sublimation-style system called Infusible Ink, gives a manufacturer's threshold: its help article treats blanks with at least 75% polyester as the minimum that could give the results it prefers, and says designs will not transfer to 100% cotton.
Hard goods get around the fabric question with a coating. Mugs, ornaments and tumblers are decorated by sublimation onto a coated surface, which is why a sublimation mug is a specific kind of blank rather than any ceramic mug. Our guide to mug printing methods compares sublimation with UV printing for mugs.
Why white and dark colours behave differently
Sublimation dye does not cover what is underneath it. The colour of the blank shows through the design, so white areas in your artwork come out as whatever the material is. Printful says it directly for all-over print: "The color white can't be printed on all-over print products."
Three practical consequences follow:
Light blanks only. Cricut recommends white or light-coloured compatible fabrics and points to iron-on (HTV) instead when the base is dark.
Design white is the material. On a white mug, white in your design is simply the mug. On a light grey polyester shirt, it is grey.
Stretch shows the base. For all-over print, Printify notes that the design is printed over white material, so dark backgrounds can show white lines when the fabric stretches.
Sublimation compared with DTF and DTG
Most POD sellers meet sublimation next to the two methods used for shirts. The table sets them side by side, using Printify's DTF vs DTG comparison and its guide to decoration methods.
| Feature | Sublimation | DTF | DTG |
|---|---|---|---|
| How the design is applied | Dye turns to gas and bonds with polyester or a coating | Printed on film, coated with adhesive powder, heat-pressed on | Water-based ink sprayed directly onto the garment |
| Materials | Polyester or other synthetics, coated hard goods | Cotton, polyester, nylon and blends | 100% cotton or high-cotton garments |
| Base colour | White or light | Any colour, thanks to a white ink layer on the film | Any colour, dark garments need pretreatment and a white underbase |
| Prints white | No, white areas show the blank | Yes | Yes, as an underbase on dark garments |
| Feel | Part of the surface, nothing on top | A thin, smooth layer on top of the fabric | Ink absorbs into the fibres |
| Typical POD products | Mugs, tumblers, ornaments, polyester all-over items | Tees, sweatshirts, hoodies | Cotton tees |
The short version: sublimation is for polyester and coated products, while DTF and DTG are the garment methods. Our explainer on what DTF printing is and how it works goes deeper on the shirt side.
Preparing artwork for a sublimated product
A smooth finish cannot rescue a weak file. The usual print-file rules apply, plus one that is specific to sublimation:
Resolution. Printify's file guidelines recommend 300 DPI for JPEG and PNG files, and 120 to 150 DPI for large-format products.
Size to the print area. Printful advises that the file is sized to match the actual print dimensions so DPI is calculated correctly. A mug design is a wrap, so check the template for where the handle falls.
Colour profile. Printful recommends the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 colour profile and warns that converting to CMYK first can reduce the colour information available. Our post on RGB or CMYK for print on demand files explains why.
No design white. Build the artwork knowing white will not print. If a white outline or white lettering matters, place it on a coloured shape inside the design so the colour around it carries the contrast.
Listing sublimated products on Etsy
Buyers do not need to know the print method, but they notice when a product differs from its listing. Etsy's listing guide asks you to describe the details of your item so buyers know what they're getting, so name the material (a polyester shirt, a coated ceramic mug) and keep colour claims honest, especially around white.
Accuracy protects you as well. Etsy Purchase Protection covers a buyer who claims an item does not match when it does, but it does not cover an item that doesn't match the listing description. And if a production partner prints for you, Etsy says you must disclose that production partner in your relevant listings. Our guide to production partners on Etsy shows how to set that up.
Sublimation in the Alomations catalog
In the Alomations catalog, apparel is printed with DTF, and sublimation is used for the products that need it. Besides apparel, the catalog includes ceramic mugs, tumblers and water bottles, round and heart ceramic ornaments, tote bags and canvas prints, with a "from" price listed per product and shipping quoted separately. Production for US orders is in the US. If you are weighing drinkware, see tumblers and water bottles as POD products.
The artwork side is covered too: every design comes back print-ready at 12 inches and 300 DPI (3,600 pixels on the long side), as a transparent PNG with an SVG alongside. When an order arrives, you fulfill it from the orders screen, with item cost and shipping shown separately before you pay from your balance, and tracking is posted back to Etsy where Etsy allows it.
Frequently asked questions
Can you sublimate on cotton?
Not with good results. Cricut says its Infusible Ink designs will not transfer to 100% cotton, and Printify states that sublimation requires polyester or another synthetic. For cotton shirts, DTF or DTG is the usual choice.
Can sublimation print white?
No. The dye does not cover the blank, so white areas show the colour of the material underneath. That is why sublimation is used on white or light blanks.
Why do sublimated all-over shirts show white lines?
For all-over print, the design is printed over white material, so where the fabric stretches, the white base can show through dark backgrounds.
Is sublimation or DTF better for an Etsy t-shirt shop?
For cotton tees, DTF, because DTF can print on cotton, polyester, nylon and blends and its white ink layer on the film lets it work on any garment colour. Sublimation earns its place on polyester and on coated products like mugs and ornaments.
If you want to list mugs, ornaments and shirts from one place, you can start on the Alomations free plan.