Let’s chat about how to do sublimation on colored shirts. With sublimation, you need to make sure you’re choosing the right colors and the right fabric and I’ll show you which ones work well and which ones don’t.
If you’re new to sublimation, my sublimation beginner’s guide is a great place to start.
When it comes to sublimation, the best results are going to be on white blanks. You can watch me compare these different shirt colors by pressing play on the video below.
How to Do Sublimation on Colored Shirts
We’re going to test a lot of different blanks today but the supplies will be similar.
Supplies Used
Blanks Used
- Cricut Shirt with Colored Sleeves
- Cricut Shirt (Grey)
- Simpli Blanks (Colored Sleeves)
- Bleached Shirt
- Subli Blanks Tank Top
- 55% Polyester Dress
- 55% Polyester Sweatshirt
The listing for the bleached shirts purchased on Amazon appears to have changed. The link is the one I purchased but it now says 20% polyester. The shirts I received definitely have a higher polyester count. Any Amazon blank should be tested.
Other Supplies Used
- Brother Sublimation Printer
- Sublimation Paper
- Heat Press
- Lint Roller
- Heat Resistant Tape
- Heat Resistant Gloves
- Tape Dispenser
- Protective Paper
Adding Sublimation Prints to Shirts
To make these shirts, we need a sublimation print. This is sublimation ink printed onto sublimation paper from a sublimation printer.
Sublimation ink requires high heat and polyester or a poly coating to bond to. The higher the polyester count the more ink will transfer.
I am going to press all of my shirts the same way.
- Preheat your heat press. I am setting mine at 385 degrees for 55 seconds. If you don’t know the right time and temperature for your sublimation this is a great place to start.
- Prepress shirt. Preheating removes moisture and wrinkles. Moisture is an enemy of sublimation.
- Place protective paper inside the shirt to protect the back from any bleed-through.
- Lint roll to remove any dust, hair, or other debris.
- Locate the design and secure it with heat-resistant tape.
- Cover design with protective paper to protect your heat press.
- Press for the full-time.
- Remove protective paper and sublimation print.
- Enjoy your new shirt!
Sublimation on White Shirts
I’m going to start with a white shirt that is 100% polyester. This will show us the sublimation ideal. We’ll get the most vibrant transfer on a white shirt that is 100% polyester because our design will transfer to 100% of the fibers.
This shirt is Cricut brand. It is white but has black sleeves. This is a fun way to add some color to your sublimation shirt while still getting the brightest results.
There is also no such thing as white sublimation ink. Anything white in your design will show the color of the shirt.
Sublimation on Colored Shirts
Next, I am going to make sublimation shirts that are colored. Some of these shirts have a lower polyester count and I’ll share that for each shirt.
Sublimation ink is translucent which means if your shirt has a color it can impact the way the print color looks on the shirt.
Sublimation on Grey Shirts
This next shirt is from Simpli Blanks. This shirt also has colored sleeves but the body of the shirt is a light grey.
This shirt is also 100% polyester so the print transferred completely and looks really good.
When we compare this shirt to the white shirt, you can see that the design is slightly different. Everywhere in the print that is white will be the color of the shirt, in this case, it’s grey.
The grey also impacts the color of books and flowers. The grey is light so you can still see all the colors but it’s a little different than the white shirt.
Here is another grey sublimation shirt. This one is Cricut brand and it sublimates really well because it’s also 100% polyester.
While the sublimation print transferred completely the image isn’t quite as bright as the white shirt because the grey of the shirt shows through the ink.
Sublimation on Bleached Shirts
Bleached shirts are another great option for sublimation. This allows you to have a colored shirt and a beautifully transferred sublimation print.
You can bleach your own shirts and I have a tutorial for doing that. The two shirts I am using today are ones that I purchased.
I like the blue one better because the bleach placement is really good. The placement on the pink shirt is really low, like right on the belly which is weird.
Both sublimated really well because they are 100% polyester. They do have a silky feel, which isn’t my favorite but they sublimate well and I like having a color option.
As you can see when compared to the white shirt the bleached shirts sublimated really well.
Sublimation on Pink
Every color of sublimation shirt will change the look of your sublimation design. Because the color will show through the sublimation ink, depending on your colors you may not get the look you want.
This is another shirt from Simpli Blanks. This gives you an idea of how different the image looks with the pink background. The design transferred completely but it isn’t as vibrant as the design on the white shirt.
Sublimation on Colored Shirts that are Not 100% Polyester
Next, I have a blue girls’ shirt dress from Jiffy Shirts. This dress is 55% polyester which means that not 100% of the sublimation print will transfer to the shirt.
The sublimation print will bond to the fibers that are polyester. This means the image will be more faded and more of the design may wash out in the first couple washes.
Even though the color of the shirt is not dark the design is a lot more faded which means more of the shirt color shows through the design.
This next shirt looks even more faded. This is a sweatshirt that is 55% polyester with faded accents around the waistband, wrists, and neckline.
Because the sweatshirt already has a vintage look I think it’s a great option for a faded sublimation design.
Which Sublimation Shirts are My Favorite?
I really like the Cricut sublimation shirts. They feel more like cotton and sublimate beautifully. They can run a little small so I would double-check the size before buying a bunch of them.
Cricut sublimation shirts come in white crew neck and v-neck, grey crew neck and v-neck, and white shirts with black sleeves.
The Simpli Blanks shirts are from Etsy and they also feel amazing. These shirts sublimate well, I think you’ll be happy with any shirts from them.
The faux bleach shirts from Amazon worked well but I personally, don’t love the feel of these shirts. Both shirts sublimated great but I didn’t like the placement on the pink shirt. I would double-check reviews on shirts purchased on Amazon to make sure they are working well and with these shirts that the bleach location is where you want it.
Also, the listing for bleached shirts has been changed. I can’t guarantee you’ll get the same results I did with the new information on the listing.
Both of the blanks I purchased from Jiffy Shirts are 55% polyester which means the sublimation print will not transfer 100%.
With a lower polyester count, you’ll get a more vintage look. I think both of these blanks look good with a vintage look because of how the cuffs and seams look.
Be aware that the lower the polyester count, less of the sublimation print will transfer and it may decrease more in the first few washes.
If you are selling your products be sure to tell the customers to be prepared for additional fading.
Can I Sublimate on Dark Colors?
Because sublimation inks are translucent if you add them to dark colors the color of the shirt will show through the print and you may not be able to see the design at all.
If you want to sublimate on dark colors you will need to do a hack. You can learn more about doing that in my sublimation on dark colors video.
For true sublimation, I recommend sticking with white or light-colored blanks.
Should You Try Sublimation on Colored Shirts?
I’ve now shown you a variety of different ways that you can sublimate on colored shirts. You will always get the best results on 100% polyester white fabrics.
I understand that white shirts are not everyone’s favorite, they are not mine. Now you know what it may look like when you use different colors and where you can get some good blanks.
Stick with light colors and at least 55% polyester to get the best results. Remember, the color of the shirt will alter your design. Keep in mind that anywhere in your design that is white will become the color of the shirt.
I hope I’ve answered any questions you have about sublimation on colored shirts. If you have any other questions, leave them in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer them for you.
