How is Decathlon Club Custom Teamwear made, what’s the quality like and will it last?

Here at Decathlon Club, we’re proud to say that all of the custom teamwear we produce is coloured & detailed using full sublimation printing’… but, what does that actually mean?

Sublimation is a scientific term that describes the process of a solid material being converted directly into a gas state, skipping the ‘liquid’ phase entirely. This is the exact process that makes sublimation printing different to traditional vinyl heat transfer. You can get an idea of the end result by having a look at our personalised kit gallery!

Traditional heat-transfer textile printing involves choosing a base clothing item in the desired colour, then applying logos or other design details to a layer of vinyl or other material, which is then transferred onto the clothing using heat and pressure.

HEAT-TRANSFER VS SUBLIMATION

Standard heat-transfer printing can be applied to any clothing or material, and can often be a little cheaper than sublimating because there are more suppliers available. However, the logos and designs applied using this method are far less durable, making it undesirable for personalised kit and custom teamwear which needs to survive more rigorous use than normal clothing.

Full sublimation printing works using heat & pressure in a similar way, but rather than transfer the design to a layer sitting on top of the material, the dyes are vaporised and propelled into the actual fabric of the clothing so that the colours become a part of the material itself, on a molecular level.

PRINTING ON FABRIC

Sublimated designs will never crack or peel and can be applied to the entire garment, allowing for more extravagant all-over patterns. It only works on polyester-based materials, but that’s what makes sublimation so ideal for personalised kit and customised football kit, where all-over designs are standard and polyester is the material of choice due to its robust durability & natural moisture-wicking capability.So, in case you weren’t already, now you’re an expert on sports kit printing! So head to our Kit Designer and make a start!