Sublimation blanks: picking polyester that takes the dye

Dye sublimation only works on a blank that is high in polyester and light in color, so the shirt decides the result before the press does. Below are sublimation-ready tees, long sleeves and polos, plus how much polyester you need and why the base color matters.

The shortlist

• Gildan 42000 Unisex Performance T-Shirt: 5 oz, 100% polyester, modern classic fit, side-seamed. Gildan calls it an ideal choice for sublimating. Best for an all-purpose sublimation tee with a little more weight.
• Team 365 TT11 Men's Zone Performance T-Shirt: 3.5 oz, 100% polyester interlock, UPF 40+, sizes XS to 6XL. Best for light team and event tees.
• Team 365 TT11W Women's Zone Performance T-Shirt: the same 3.5 oz polyester interlock in a women's cut. Best for matching a women's roster to the TT11.
• Team 365 TT11Y Youth Zone Performance T-Shirt: 3.5 oz, 100% polyester interlock in youth XS to XL. Best for youth leagues and camps.
• Team 365 TT11L Men's Zone Performance Long Sleeve T-Shirt: 3.5 oz polyester interlock with long sleeves, UPF 40+. Best for sleeve prints and sun coverage.
• CORE365 CE10 Unisex Capital Performance T-Shirt: 4.13 oz, 100% polyester interlock, UPF 50+, sizes XS to 6XL. Best for big runs that need a wide size range.
• C2 Sport 5100 Unisex Performance T-Shirt: 3.5 oz, 100% polyester. Best for practice tees and fun-run shirts.
• AllPro 48000 Men's Pro-Lock Performance T-Shirt: 4 oz, 100% cationic polyester, UPF 50+. AllPro builds it as a fade-resistant printing surface. Best for outdoor crews.
• Paragon 220 Unisex Bahama Performance Hooded Long Sleeve T-Shirt: 3.5 oz microfiber polyester with a hood, side-seamed. Paragon lists it as sublimation friendly, with UPF 50+ on every color except Heather Grey. Best for fishing, lake and sun-shirt designs.
• CORE365 88181 Men's Origin Performance Piqué Polo: 4.1 oz, 100% polyester pique, flat-knit collar. Best for sublimated staff and club polos.
• CORE365 78181 Women's Origin Performance Piqué Polo: the same 4.1 oz polyester pique in a women's cut. Best for pairing with the 88181 on one order.

Why does sublimation need polyester?

Sublimation ink doesn't sit on top of the fabric. Under heat and pressure, the dye on the transfer paper turns into a gas, and that gas bonds into the polyester fibers. When the shirt cools, the color is part of the fiber. There is no ink layer, so there is nothing to crack, peel or feel.

Cotton can't hold that dye. It picks up a little color on the press and lets most of it go in the wash. That's why every blank on this list is 100% polyester and comes in White.

How much polyester is enough?

Aim for 90% polyester or more. On a blend, the dye bonds only to the polyester share of the yarn, and the cotton stays close to the shirt's own color. A 65/35 poly-cotton tee gives you a faded, heathered print, even on white.

If a client wants a poly-rich blend for its look, use a method that sits on top of the fabric instead. DTF and vinyl both bond to blends, and the guide to decorating on polyester covers how to set each one up.

Why does the shirt have to be light?

Sublimation dye is see-through. It adds color to whatever the fabric already is, the way a marker does on paper, and it can't lay down white. Red on navy prints as a dark, muddy red.

So white is the base that shows your colors true. A pale color tints the whole design toward itself. The TT11 comes in Sport Silver and Sport Light Blue, and the Paragon 220 in Pale Yellow and Blue Mist. Press one test shirt in the exact color before you run the order.

Need the art on a dark shirt? Sublimation isn't the method for that. The guide to printing on dark garments covers the methods that carry their own white.

All-over or a placed print?

On a finished blank, plan on placed prints or an all-over style print. True edge-to-edge coverage is cut-and-sew work, where you print the fabric panels first and sew them after.

• Placed prints are a chest logo, a full back or a sleeve hit. Any style above handles them. The polos suit a left-chest mark or a sleeve print, and bold art works best there, since the pique texture shows through fine lines and small type.
• All-over style prints cover as much of a finished shirt as the press reaches. Pre-press the blank flat first. Side seams, shoulder seams, underarms, collars and plackets keep the paper off the fabric, so expect pale lines at those spots. Keep the polos and the hooded Paragon 220 to placed prints.

The TT11L and the Paragon 220 add sleeve space, and the Paragon's hood is one more print area.

Will these shirts shrink?

Press heat and the first wash can change any blank. Wash and dry one sample and measure it before you lock sizes.

Which blank should you start with?

Start with the Gildan 42000. It's 100% polyester, Gildan calls it an ideal choice for sublimating, and at 5 oz it's the heaviest tee here. It comes in a unisex cut in S to 3XL. For XS or 4XL and up, use the CE10.

For other jobs:

• Team or league order with women's and youth sizes: the Team 365 TT11, TT11W and TT11Y, all in the same 3.5 oz polyester interlock
• Big run with a wide size range: CORE365 CE10, in XS to 6XL
• Outdoor crews: AllPro 48000, with UPF 50+
• Sun shirts and lake gear: Paragon 220
• Staff polos: CORE365 88181, with the 78181 for a women's cut. More options sit in polos.

The decoration method compatibility guide maps every fabric to its methods.