There are three common ways to put a design on a jersey, and they are not equal. Picking the right one saves you money and gives you a jersey that lasts. Here is a straight comparison of sublimation, screen printing, and heat transfer, and where each one fits.
Sublimation dyes the design into the fabric itself, so nothing sits on top of the material. You get unlimited colours at no extra cost, full coverage from seam to seam, and different names and numbers on every jersey without a price jump. The design will not crack, peel, or fade. The one requirement is polyester, which is already the right fabric for sport. For custom team jerseys, this is the method we use and the one that holds up best.
Screen printing pushes ink through a stencil, one screen per colour. It is cost effective for large runs of the same simple design, like fifty identical tees with a one colour logo. The downsides show up fast with team kit. Every colour adds a screen and cost, gradients are hard, and each different name or number becomes its own setup. The ink also sits on the surface, so over time and repeated washing it can crack or lift.
Heat transfer presses a printed vinyl or film onto the fabric. It is quick for one offs, small numbers, and adding a name to a blank. But it is a layer stuck on top, so it can peel at the edges, feels heavier where it sits, and does not breathe. It is fine for a single add on, not for a full custom design that has to survive a season of practices and games.
For a custom team kit with real colours, crests, and player names, sublimation wins on every measure that matters. Screen printing earns its place on big, simple, single colour orders. Heat transfer is a patch job, useful but not a foundation. At Versus Canada we build every custom jersey with sublimation so your design looks the way you drew it and stays that way. If you want the deeper detail on how the dye bonds into the fabric, read how sublimation printing works.
Send us your idea and we handle the design, production, and delivery from there. No minimums, no design limits, and fast Canadian made turnaround. Request your quote and we will take it from there.
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