Decoration Services

Custom Activewear Printing & Embroidery — Six Methods, All In-House

Sublimation · DTG · Screen Print · Silicone · Embroidery · Heat Transfer — combinable on the same PO, no separate MOQ per method. One facility, one QC lane, one production schedule.

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6 methods · 4 sublimation lines · 24-person decoration team · combinable on same PO

In-house custom print and embroidery production line
DECORATION ROUTING

A decoration decision made too late can change hand feel, wash performance and production timing. This page separates each method by fabric base, logo size, color count and whether the garment needs roster-level personalization.

  • Sublimation artwork is checked against panel layout and seam bleed before cutting.
  • Embroidery, silicone and heat-transfer placements are approved on the sample or placement sheet.
  • Wash and stretch risk is reviewed before combining multiple decoration methods on one PO.
Sublimated activewear team artwork and roster placement guide
Roster, sponsor placement and panel artwork checked before sublimation or heat transfer.
Sublimated team jersey decoration example

Full-bleed graphics

Best for polyester team kits and panels where color must run edge to edge.

Fabric swatches checked before activewear decoration method selection

Fabric compatibility

Base fabric decides whether DTG, screen, silicone, sublimation or heat transfer is the safer method.

Finished decorated activewear checked before shipment

Final inspection

Placement, color, surface defects and garment measurements are checked before packing.

Decoration Methods

Six decoration methods — pick one, stack two, or let us match

Each method below runs on dedicated equipment inside the same facility. Combine sublimation base print with embroidered chest logo on the same PO — no split shipments, no separate MOQ per decoration.

Sublimation decoration

Sublimation

Full-bleed, edge-to-edge print with unlimited colors. Ink bonds into the polyester fiber rather than sitting on top — the panel passes wash tests that surface prints fail. Best for all-over jerseys, leggings and training tops where color coverage runs seam to seam.

  • Fabric: polyester / poly-blend (65%+ poly)
  • Hand feel: none — ink is inside the fiber
  • Colors: unlimited
  • Wash test: tested to 50 wash cycles for fade resistance
DTG (Direct-to-Garment) decoration

DTG (Direct-to-Garment)

Photo-quality inkjet printing directly onto fabric. Handles gradients, halftones, and photographic artwork on cotton and cotton-blend garments. Best for small-run tees, hoodies, sweatpants where artwork detail matters more than coverage area.

  • Fabric: cotton / cotton-blend (50%+ cotton)
  • Hand feel: soft, barely perceptible
  • Colors: unlimited (CMYK process)
  • Wash test: pre-treatment + wash retention; not recommended on dark heavyweight (see streetwear page)
Screen Print decoration

Screen Print

High-volume Pantone-matched spot color printing. Each color gets its own screen — cost-efficient at scale when artwork uses 1-8 flat colors. Best for bulk branded tees, uniform runs, promotional apparel with logo and wordmark.

  • Fabric: all (cotton, poly, blends, nylon)
  • Hand feel: slight film on surface
  • Colors: 1-8 spot colors per design
  • Wash test: 50-cycle crack and peel
Silicone Print decoration

Silicone Print

Raised, textured print with a rubberized, tactile feel. Stretches with the garment without cracking. Best for logos on compression wear, sports bras, leggings where the decoration must move with four-way stretch.

  • Fabric: all stretch (lycra, nylon-spandex, poly-spandex)
  • Hand feel: raised, smooth, rubbery
  • Colors: 1-6 colors
  • Wash test: flex-resistant on stretch fabric (no documented wash-count)
Embroidery (Flat & 3D) decoration

Embroidery (Flat & 3D)

Thread-stitched decoration up to 12 colors and 15,000 stitch count per placement. Flat embroidery for logos, 3D puff for raised lettering. Best for chest logos, sleeve badges, cap fronts, polo collars — wherever thread texture reads as high-perceived-value.

  • Fabric: all (woven & knit, ≥ 150 GSM recommended)
  • Stitch count: up to 15,000 per placement
  • Colors: up to 12 thread colors
  • Wash test: ±1 mm registration with cut-away backing; outlasts the garment
Heat Transfer (Vinyl / Flex) decoration

Heat Transfer (Vinyl / Flex)

Pre-cut vinyl or flex film heat-pressed onto fabric. Per-piece personalization — individual names, numbers, sponsor blocks. Best for team jerseys, event tees, roster-driven orders where every piece carries different text.

  • Fabric: all (cotton, poly, blends)
  • Hand feel: thin film, smooth edge
  • Colors: 1-3 colors per transfer
  • Wash test: cured adhesive (per-piece personalization layer)
Selection Guide

Which method fits your garment?

Match your fabric, artwork type, and order volume to the right decoration. Not sure? Send your artwork files and we will recommend.

Method Fabric Compatibility Best For Hand Feel Color Range Wash Test MOQ Impact Combinable?
Sublimation Polyester / poly-blend (65%+) All-over jerseys, leggings None (in-fiber) Unlimited Tested to 50 wash cycles, fade resistance No extra MOQ Yes — base layer
DTG Cotton / cotton-blend (50%+) Photo artwork, small runs Soft, minimal Unlimited (CMYK) Pre-treatment + wash retention; not recommended on dark heavyweight (see streetwear) No extra MOQ Yes
Screen Print All fabrics Bulk logo runs, 1-8 colors Slight surface film 1-8 spot (Pantone) 50-cycle crack and peel No extra MOQ Yes
Silicone Stretch fabrics Logos on compression wear Raised, rubbery 1-6 colors Flex-resistant on stretch fabric (no documented wash-count) No extra MOQ Yes — overlay
Embroidery Woven & knit ≥ 150 GSM Chest logos, badges Thread texture Up to 12 threads ±1 mm registration with cut-away backing No extra MOQ Yes — accent
Heat Transfer All fabrics Names, numbers, per-piece Thin film 1-3 per transfer Cured adhesive (per-piece personalization layer) No extra MOQ Yes — personalization layer

Combine sublimation base + embroidered chest logo + heat-transfer back name on the same jersey. One PO, one production schedule. Full MOQ-by-SKU policy: see FAQ. For deep-dive on combining methods on a streetwear drop, see the streetwear manufacturing page.

File Preparation

Artwork specs by method — send files production-ready

Match your file format to the method. Artwork that arrives production-ready skips the pre-press redraw queue and pre-press charge; late or non-conforming files re-enter the queue and extend the lead.

In-house print workshop running production decoration

  • Sublimation

    Vector (AI / EPS) or 300 DPI raster (PSD / TIFF). CMYK color mode. Full-bleed artwork must include 3 mm bleed past seam lines. Pantone reference for critical brand colors.

  • DTG (Direct-to-Garment)

    300 DPI raster (PNG preferred, transparent background). RGB color mode — our RIP software handles conversion. File size matches actual print dimensions at 1:1 scale.

  • Screen Print

    Vector (AI / EPS) with spot colors mapped to Pantone codes. Separate layer per color. Maximum 8 colors per placement. Trap lines 0.25pt minimum.

  • Silicone Print

    Vector (AI / EPS) with closed paths. No gradients — silicone prints in solid fills only. Minimum line width 1 mm. Each color on its own layer.

  • Embroidery

    Vector (AI / EPS) for digitizing. We convert to DST / EMB stitch file in-house. Minimum detail size: 1.5 mm line, 3 mm text height. Provide thread color references (Madeira or Pantone).

  • Heat Transfer

    Vector (AI / EPS) for cut paths. Mirror-image export not needed — we handle pre-press flip. Per-piece variable data: supply CSV with columns for name, number, and placement.

Not sure about your file? Send what you have — our pre-press team reviews within 24 hours

6 Methods in-house
0 Extra MOQ per decoration
In-House All methods, same facility
Combinable Stack methods on one PO
STACKING RULES

Combining decoration methods on a single garment

Stacking works because the six methods live under one roof — but only when the sequence respects how each process treats the fabric.

  • Sequence is fixed by physics

    Sublimation happens at panel stage, before assembly — the press needs flat fabric. Embroidery follows once panels are joined and hooping is possible. Heat-applied names and numbers go last, after the garment exists. Reversing any of these ruins the piece, which is why a stacked PO is sequenced at planning, not improvised at the press.

  • One placement sheet rules them all

    When a jersey carries a sublimated base, an embroidered crest and a transferred number, all three positions are approved on a single placement document. Approving them separately is how a crest ends up stitched through a sponsor’s logo.

  • Heat history matters

    Silicone cures and transfer presses both re-heat fabric that may already have been through sublimation. Our 24-person decoration team tracks cumulative heat exposure per style, because a second press at the wrong temperature can shift sublimated color.

  • Inspection between stations

    A defect found after stage one costs one process; found after stage three it costs the garment. Stacked orders get a quick gate check between decoration stages so reprints happen at panel price, not finished-jersey price.

WHAT YOU PAY FOR

What actually moves a decoration quote

  • Placements beat methods

    Decoration is quoted per placement pass. A chest logo, a sleeve badge and a back graphic are three station passes even if they use one method — consolidating artwork into fewer placements typically moves the decoration line of the quote more than switching between methods at equal placement count.

  • Color and stitch counts

    Screen work scales with the number of separations; embroidery scales with stitch density. Simplifying a gradient logo to flat spot colors, or thinning a fill-stitch area, often halves that line of the quote without a visible difference at wearing distance.

  • File readiness

    Files that meet the spec below run direct to production; off-spec artwork enters a redraw queue that adds days and a pre-press charge to the quote.

CLOSE CALLS

When two methods would both work, here is how we break the tie

  • Sublimation vs screen on polyester

    Coverage decides it. Edge-to-edge or multi-color art favors sublimation; a one-color logo repeated across thousands of pieces favors screen, where each additional unit is nearly free.

  • Embroidery vs silicone on stretch

    Thread does not stretch; compression fabric does. On high-elongation zones we steer to silicone even when a buyer loves the embroidered look — or move the embroidery to a stable panel like an upper chest yoke.

  • DTG vs screen by run size

    Under a few hundred pieces with photographic art, DTG wins on setup economics. Past that point, screen overtakes it per unit. We run the crossover math in the quote so the choice is a number, not a preference.

  • Roster work always routes the same way

    Anything carrying individual names or numbers is a data-merge job before it is a printing job — it flows through team customization, where the CSV validation lives, then back here for the press work.