{"id":7983,"date":"2026-01-31T10:36:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T16:36:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bluecotton.com\/blog\/?p=7983"},"modified":"2026-03-18T22:38:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:38:30","slug":"screen-printing-vs-sublimation-printing-for-custom-printed-apparel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bluecotton.com\/blog\/productivity\/screen-printing-vs-sublimation-printing-for-custom-printed-apparel\/","title":{"rendered":"Screen Printing vs Sublimation Printing for Custom Printed Apparel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Custom printed apparel can take several different forms. For example, shirts are commonly screen printed, but you\u2019ll also see direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, direct-to-film (DTF) printing, and sublimation printing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sublimation printing is an interesting method because it allows for full-garment coverage and specialty use cases. However, it has its limitations compared to traditional screen printing, and there\u2019s a reason why we go with the latter.<\/span><\/p>\n

With that in mind, let\u2019s go over their differences and use cases.<\/span><\/p>\n

At a Glance<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nScreen Printing<\/b><\/td>\nSublimation<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Soft-fabric feel<\/b><\/td>\nGood<\/span><\/td>\nExcellent<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Durability<\/b><\/td>\n50+ washes<\/span><\/td>\nForever<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cotton or cotton blends<\/b><\/td>\nExcellent<\/span><\/td>\nImpossible<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Size of the image<\/b><\/td>\nLimited to 12×16 inches<\/span><\/td>\nUnlimited<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Number of colors<\/b><\/td>\nLimited to 16 or fewer<\/span><\/td>\nUnlimited<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Large production runs<\/b><\/td>\nUnlimited<\/span><\/td>\nNo<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

What Is Screen Printing?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Screen printing is the process of pushing ink through a mesh stencil onto a garment, and then using heat to cure the ink to the garment. With screen printing, the ink actually sits on top of the material rather than absorbing into it. The result is a durable garment that retains its high-quality look for a very long time.<\/span><\/p>\n

It should come as no surprise, then, that screen printing is the most popular method for custom apparel printing. It\u2019s been used for decades, and it\u2019s where the term \u201csilkscreen printing\u201d comes from (the screen mesh was originally made from silk).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We don\u2019t use silk mesh any longer and instead rely on more durable, polyester materials, but the gist of screen printing has largely been unchanged \u2014 and for good reason.\u00a0It\u2019s very versatile, and it can be used on practically any garment, including T-shirts, tote bags, sweatshirts, and jackets.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use Cases and Limitations<\/span><\/h3>\n

Screen printing is best suited for custom designs that have a limited number of colors, and it\u2019s typically used when the design is constrained to the front\/back of a garment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of screen printing\u2019s biggest limitations is the printable area \u2014 most screen print presses restrict the size of the image that can be printed to 12 inches wide by 16 inches tall, although there are occasional exceptions. That\u2019s why we typically just print on the front of a garment, the front-left chest, the back, or perhaps a sleeve from time to time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important to note that each ink color in the design requires a separate screen in the press, which means it\u2019s also a limiting factor (depending on how large your screen printing presses are). Many presses will only hold six to eight colors, while a few can handle as many as 16 \u2014 including one of the presses at BlueCotton.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what do you do if you want to print an image all over an entire shirt? That\u2019s where sublimation printing has some advantages.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Is Sublimation Printing?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The process for sublimation is entirely different. It works by using disperse dyes under 400\u00b0 in order to sublimate the dye (convert it to a gas). This allows the dye to permeate into the fibers of the garment, which means there\u2019s no familiar cracking, peeling, or fading. Compared to the distinct feeling of screen printing, you can\u2019t even feel the dye when it\u2019s sublimated; it\u2019s fully diffused into the material so that they\u2019re one and the same. With this comes the added benefit of extreme durability \u2014 sublimation is permanent, never washes out, and will almost never fade.<\/span><\/p>\n

With sublimation printing, there\u2019s really no limitation to the size of the image or the number of colors that you want to print. That\u2019s why you\u2019ll often see teams and clubs choose this method so they can print across the entire garment with lots of loud colors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use Cases and Limitations<\/span><\/h3>\n

As good as this may sound, there are several limitations to sublimation printing. Most notably, <\/span>it can only be applied to white, 100% polyester garments<\/b>. Cotton will not accept sublimation, and neither will blends of cotton, poly, lycra, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, sublimation is not practical for large runs, and it\u2019s really only used for smaller orders of maybe 10 or 20 units. However, it\u2019s particularly useful for detailed, complex, or very large designs \u2014 factors that would worry a screen printer to death but are a cinch with sublimation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, sublimated colors tend to be a little more transparent than traditional screen print inks, though this is offset by the benefit of a never-fading design.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why We Use Traditional Screen Printing<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sublimation is great if you have a very specific use case, but it\u2019s seen as more of a specialty printing technique, and very few print shops in America offer it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Traditional screen printing, on the other hand, is the go-to choice for the majority of custom designs. At BlueCotton<\/a>, we have 18 screen printing presses that range from 6 colors, 8 colors, 10 colors \u2014 all the way up to a press that will hold 16 colors (most designs, however, are 4 or 5 colors or less). These automatic presses can print about 600\u2013700 shirts per hour, which is why for orders in the hundreds to thousands, screen printing is second to none.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Custom printed apparel can take several different forms. For example, shirts are commonly screen printed, but you\u2019ll also see direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, direct-to-film (DTF) printing, and sublimation printing. Sublimation printing is an interesting method because it allows for full-garment coverage and specialty use cases. However, it has its limitations compared to traditional screen printing, and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":7984,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[871],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-productivity"],"yoast_head":"\nScreen Printing vs Sublimation Printing for Custom Printed Apparel |<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Screen Printing vs Sublimation Printing: compare methods, pros, and use cases to choose the best option for custom printed apparel.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bluecotton.com\/blog\/productivity\/screen-printing-vs-sublimation-printing-for-custom-printed-apparel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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