The question we get asked is which decoration method is best. There is no answer to that, in the same way there is no best tool in a toolbox. Sublimation, embroidery and vinyl do different jobs, fail in different ways and cost different amounts depending on how many garments you need. The useful question is which one suits this garment, this design and this order size.
Sublimation vs embroidery is the comparison that comes up most, because they are the two people judge on quality, but vinyl quietly does more of the work in most club orders than either. Start with the table, then read the detail on whichever one you think you want.
The three methods side by side
| Sublimation | Embroidery | Vinyl / heat transfer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Dye becomes a gas and bonds into the fibre | Thread stitched into the fabric | A thin film heat-pressed onto the surface |
| Works on | Polyester only | Most fabrics, best on stable ones | Most fabrics |
| Durability | Cannot crack, peel or fade — it is part of the fabric | The most durable of the three | Good if washed properly, poor if not |
| Fine detail and gradients | Excellent, photographic if needed | Struggles below a certain size; no gradients | Good for solid shapes, weaker on fine detail |
| True white on a coloured garment | Not possible | Yes | Yes |
| Cost at low volume | Poor — needs a production run | Moderate, driven by stitch count | Cheapest by a distance |
| Best for | Full playing kit, all-over designs, many colours | Club crests on training tops, coats, polos | Names, numbers, one-offs, late additions |
Sublimation: printed into the fabric, not onto it
Sublimation turns solid dye into a gas under heat, and that gas bonds with polyester fibres. There is no layer sitting on the surface, so there is nothing to crack, peel or wash off. A sublimated shirt fades when the fabric itself gives up, which is a long way down the line.
Two hard limits go with that. First, it only works on polyester or polyester-coated surfaces. A cotton training hoodie cannot be sublimated. Second, and this catches clubs out: sublimation cannot print white. White in a sublimated design is simply where no ink has been laid, so it shows as the base fabric. On white polyester that is fine. On a coloured or dark garment, a true white logo is not achievable by sublimation alone.
Full sublimation is usually done before the garment is sewn, with the panels printed flat and then cut and made up. That is why sublimated kit can carry designs running across seams with no break, and it is also why it takes longer and generally needs a minimum quantity: you are commissioning garment manufacture, not decorating something that already exists.
Embroidery: the most durable and the most premium
Stitching lasts. A well-embroidered crest on a coach's jacket will still look right when the jacket itself is worn out, and it carries a weight and quality that no print matches. For club crests on training tops, staff coats, polos and bags, it is generally the right answer.
The constraints are physical. A needle and thread cannot render fine detail below a certain size, so small text, hairlines and intricate crests get simplified — a good embroiderer will tell you what they will have to change before they digitise it. Gradients and photographic effects are out entirely. Cost is driven mainly by stitch count rather than colours, so a dense, large design costs more than a small, open one. There is also a one-off digitising charge to turn artwork into a stitch file, which is why embroidery looks expensive on a run of ten and reasonable on a run of a hundred.
On very lightweight technical fabrics, embroidery can pucker or restrict stretch, which is why playing shirts tend to be printed and outerwear tends to be stitched.
Vinyl and heat transfer: cheap, fast, and it needs looking after
Vinyl is cut or printed film pressed onto the garment with heat. There is no minimum quantity worth worrying about, which makes it the obvious method for squad names and numbers, for a single replacement shirt, and for the player who joins in November after everyone else has been sorted.
It is also the least durable, because it sits on top of the fabric rather than in it. Vinyl that is washed hot, tumble dried or ironed directly will lift at the corners and then crack. Vinyl that is washed cool, inside out and hung to dry lasts a long time. Large solid areas of vinyl also sit warm on a playing shirt, which is why numbers are usually vinyl and full designs usually are not.
What about screen printing?
Worth knowing it exists. Screen printing is the workhorse for high volumes on cotton, which is why leisurewear, supporters' shirts and cotton hoodies often use it. Each colour needs its own screen, so it is expensive for a handful of garments and very economical for hundreds. If your job is two hundred cotton tees in one or two colours, ask about it.
Which method for which item
- Playing shirts and shorts in club colours: sublimation, if the quantity and lead time allow it.
- Names and numbers on those shirts: vinyl, unless the whole garment is being sublimated with the numbers built in.
- Club crest on a training top, coat, polo or bag: embroidery.
- Cotton leisurewear in volume: screen print.
- One replacement or one late joiner: vinyl, every time.
Whichever method you end up with, the care instructions are the same and they matter: wash inside out, wash cool, no tumble dryer, and never put an iron directly on a print. Tell the parents, not just the captain.
Most club orders end up using two or three of these methods across a range, which is normal and sensible. Send us the garments, the artwork and the numbers and we will tell you what we would decorate each item with and why: request a custom kit quote. The same choices apply to school leavers hoodies, and if you just need stock training gear rather than branded kit, that sits in our clothing range.