Sublimation printing uses heat to turn dye into gas so it bonds with polyester fibers or a polymer-coated surface. Unlike transfer methods that sit on top of a material, sublimation becomes part of the surface itself.
When it works best
Sublimation is ideal for polyester apparel, mugs, phone cases, mousepads, and coated hard goods. It excels when you need bright full-color prints that stay soft and resist cracking or peeling.
Its main limitation
The process does not work well on dark cotton garments. If the substrate is not light-colored polyester or specially coated, the result will be weak or impossible. That is why sublimation is amazing for some product lines and completely wrong for others.
Use sublimation when color intensity, durability, and all-over coverage matter more than fabric flexibility across many material types.