Sublimation Vs Embroidery: What Works Best for Your Custom Basketball Jerseys?

When it comes to creating high-performance, visually striking custom basketball jerseys, two primary decoration methods stand out: sublimation printing and embroidery. Each technique offers distinct benefits and limitations, and the right choice depends on the team’s performance needs, fabric selection, and visual goals.

This guide outlines how both methods work, their key advantages and disadvantages, and which fabrics they best suit—helping customers make informed, purposeful decisions when designing their custom basketball apparel.

How Each Method Works

Sublimation Printing

Sublimation is a process where heat and pressure are used to transfer dye from printed paper directly into polyester fabric. At temperatures of around 200°C, the dye turns into gas and permanently bonds with the fibres, becoming part of the fabric itself. The end result is a smooth, vibrant print that sits inside the fabric rather than on the surface, allowing the print to blend perfectly with the fabric and never peel, crack or fade, even after repeated washings.

This method supports complex designs such as detailed patterns, gradients, vibrant color gradients, and full coverage prints. Since there are no added layers of material or ink, the garments remain soft, flexible, and comfortable to wear. It creates a smooth, breathable, lightweight fabric without adding thickness, making it ideal for high-performance basketball uniforms.

The most important thing is the freedom of design at no additional cost. The color complexity or size of the print does not increase the production cost, so even complex designs can be produced cost-effectively.

Sublimation technology is also widely used in reversible basketball jerseys, which have direct contact with the skin on both sides due to the unique structure of double-sided basketball jerseys. This makes sublimation printing the most suitable decoration method because it can embed the pattern into the fabric without adding any additional layers or textures. The end result is a smooth, breathable, non-irritating texture on both sides, ensuring ultimate comfort when playing sports.

Embroidery

Embroidery is a classic customization method that uses high-precision stitching machines to sew custom logos, names, or numbers onto the surface of a finished jersey. Unlike sublimation on fabric, embroidery involves adding thread details after the garment is made, giving the final product an embossed quality. This also makes embroidery an extra step in the production process, so embroidered jerseys are usually more expensive to produce and have longer lead times, especially for jerseys with intricate or multi-colored designs.

Because embroidery is thread-based and manually applied in specific areas, it is less suited for highly intricate or full-coverage designs. Unlike sublimation methods, which can easily replicate detailed graphics, gradients or large logos across the entire surface of a garment, embroidery does not cover large areas of a jersey. Embroidery works best for simple elements such as names, small logos or numbers, and it is often used in specific locations such as team logos on the chest, player names or numbers on the front or back. This makes it ideal for highlighting key design elements with depth and clarity.

One major advantage of embroidery is its durability. The stitched thread holds up exceptionally well to repeated washing, contact sports, and regular wear, maintaining its structure without fading, cracking, or peeling.

Fabric Compatibility

Sublimation-Compatible Fabrics

Sublimation requires high polyester content—ideally 100% polyester—for optimal colour absorption. This makes it ideal for lightweight, breathable mesh fabrics used in competitive basketball jerseys. The ink bonds directly with polyester molecules, resulting in a long-lasting, fade-resistant print.

Fabric characteristics:

• Lightweight and breathable
• Quick-drying and moisture-wicking
• Stretchable and ideal for high-mobility sports

Embroidery-Compatible Fabrics

Embroidery works best on stable, medium-to-heavyweight fabrics such as cotton blends, poly-cotton, and firm knits. It’s not ideal for thin or stretchy fabrics, as the stitched areas may pucker or distort.

Fabric characteristics:

• Structured and non-stretch
• Supports tight stitching without pulling
• Adds visible texture and dimensionality

Final Recommendation: Choose sublimation or embroidery jersey?

Sublimation is the go-to option for most custom basketball jerseys, particularly when teams need breathable, high-performance kits with complex graphics, personalised names, and numbers. It ensures full-range design freedom without compromising comfort or stretch.

So if your design has intricate details, sublimation is usually a better choice. For simple patterns, logos, or text, embroidery is a good choice.

Embroidery, on the other hand, is ideal for adding tactile logos, initials, or club insignias that require a durable, classic look. Though not commonly used for entire jerseys, it adds significant value when used selectively in teamwear or off-court apparel.

Embroidery works well on a variety of fabrics, but is particularly suitable for heavier materials. Sublimation is more versatile and can be used on lightweight fabrics like t-shirts.

Desired Look and Feel:

If you want a premium, textured, and raised look, embroidery is the way to go. If you prefer a smooth, vibrant, and detailed design, sublimation is the better choice.

Budget and Quantity:

For large orders, sublimation is often more cost-effective. For smaller quantities or when durability is a priority, embroidery can be a good choice.

Embroidery work is usually for small areas (chest, sleeves), full designs are more cost effective, complex or large logos cost more.

Ultimately, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each method will help you make the best decision for your project.

By understanding the nature of each method and the fabric compatibility, teams can select a finish that meets their performance needs while delivering the desired aesthetic. For best results, many kit providers—including Kxkshop—offer both options and may recommend a combination of the two to maximise impact.

FAQ：

Can I have a photo printed on my custom basketball jersey?

Of course, we can customize anything as long as the picture is clear.

Is embroidery more expensive than sublimation?

Yes, since embroidery has an extra sewing process compared to sublimation, the cost will be higher.