For a white or light polyester tee, sublimation is a common way to add color. It cannot put white ink onto dark polyester, so a black tee with a white logo needs another method, such as embroidery, or a different fabric. Ask to approve the transfer and fabric together on a sample.
If you are planning sports jerseys, gym tees or quick-dry staff shirts, here is how to plan the design so it can actually be made.
How is a polyester tee printed?
For the polyester styles discussed here, we use sublimation on white or light fabric. The design is printed onto transfer paper, the paper is pressed against the fabric with heat, and the dye enters the polyester fibers. Unlike a surface print, it leaves no raised ink layer to crack. You still need to check the color and fabric after washing.
Sublimation is done at a partner factory that specializes in it, not in our own print shop. Our print shop in Zhongshan runs screen print, DTG and DTF. We sew the tees, send the panels or garments out for sublimation, then check and pack them ourselves.
Why can't you print white on dark polyester?
Sublimation ink only adds color; it can't cover it. The ink dyes the fiber, so it works like a marker on paper: dark ink shows on a light background, and light ink disappears on a dark one. There is no white sublimation ink.
That is why sublimation is done on white or light polyester, with the design carrying all the color. A full-color jersey with a dark body is made by printing the dark color as part of the design onto white fabric, not by printing onto dark fabric.
There is a second problem with dark and bright polyester: dye migration. Heat from printing can pull the fabric's own dye up into a light print on top. That is how a white print on a red polyester tee turns pink. We'd rather tell you this before the sample than after bulk.
What are the options for a light logo on a dark polyester tee?
You have three options, and the right one depends on the design:
- Embroidery. Thread sits on top of the fabric, so a white logo on black polyester works. It is done at a partner factory. It suits a small chest logo, not a large back print.
- Sublimate the whole tee on white fabric. Print the dark body color as part of the design and leave the logo white. This is how most team jerseys are made. It suits all-over designs.
- Change the fabric. A cotton or cotton-poly blend tee can take screen print or DTF, including white on dark. The fabric will feel and behave differently from 100% polyester, so compare samples for your intended use. See cotton-poly blend vs 100% cotton for that trade-off.
What makes a sublimation print good or bad?
Transfer paper, ink, fabric and press settings all affect the result. Ask to see the color and wash result on your chosen fabric rather than judging a paper specification alone.
What to check on your sample:
- Colors are close to the approved sample under the same lighting; a Pantone code is a starting reference, not a promise of an exact match on fabric.
- Edges are sharp, with no blurry halo.
- No shiny patches where the heat press sat. Polyester can glaze under too much heat or pressure.
- The print survives a wash and a rub with a damp white cloth.
Our fabrics normally test at color fastness grade 4 or above, on a 1 to 5 scale. We ask the mill for the grade and test again in our own factory; if a color tests low, we change the fabric or add a fixing treatment. Ask for the test on sublimated orders too.
Which polyester should I choose?
For gym and sports tees, choose a polyester with the stretch and weight your fit needs. Some of our tracksuits use a 320 GSM polyester-spandex fabric, but a T-shirt would usually be lighter. Compare the exact swatches for opacity, stretch recovery and hand feel before you settle the weight.
Recycled-polyester fabric may be available. Request the current mill documents for the exact fabric before making a certification claim about the finished tee.
How many pieces, and how long?
Full custom starts at 100 pieces per style and per color, sizes split inside the 100. A sample with one process, such as a print, takes about 10 days, and bulk 7 to 20 working days after you approve it (as of November 2026). Sublimated all-over designs are quoted by hand from your file.
FAQ
Can you print a photo on a polyester tee?
Yes, sublimation handles photos and gradients well, on white or light fabric.
Can I put a cotton-feel print on polyester?
Not with sublimation, which has no feel at all. That is usually what sports brands want.
Can sublimation go on a cotton tee?
No. Sublimation ink only bonds with polyester. On cotton it washes out.
Do you make jerseys with names and numbers?
Yes, sports jerseys are a typical sublimation job. Send the name and number list with the order.
Next step
Send your design, the base color you want and how the tee will be used. We'll tell you if it can be sublimated as drawn or what has to change. See styles on the custom polyester T-shirt page, our print methods on the printing page, or start a T-shirt tech pack.
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