How to Sublimate Shirts, Hoodies & Polyester Fabric: Settings Guide
How to Sublimate Shirts, Hoodies & Polyester Fabric: Settings Guide
Apparel is where most sublimation businesses make their money — and where the polyester percentage of the blank quietly decides whether your design still looks good after ten washes. This guide gives you the press settings the major manufacturers publish for shirts, hoodies and other polyester textiles, the prep steps that prevent ghosting and blow-through, and an honest explanation of what happens when you press a poly/cotton blend. These are the settings we recommend to the Canadian crafters who buy sublimation t-shirt blanks and the rest of our textile line from our Langley, BC warehouse.
Quick answer: 100% polyester shirts sublimate at 385–400°F (196–204°C) for 40–75 seconds with light–medium pressure (35–50 psi). Hoodies and crewnecks: 385°F (196°C) for about 60 seconds, medium pressure. Poly/cotton blends press cooler and shorter — 310–330°F (150–166°C) for 15–30 seconds — but expect the design to fade with washing. Full table below, and always press a test blank first.
Apparel & Fabric Sublimation Settings Table
| Item | Temperature | Time | Pressure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-shirts (100% polyester) | 385–400°F (196–204°C) | 40–75 sec | Light–medium (35–50 psi) | One major supplier runs ~385°F for as little as ~30 sec — test yours |
| Hoodies & crewnecks (100% poly) | 385°F (196°C) | 60 sec | Medium | Press one layer at a time; keep zippers/seams off the platen |
| Polyester fabric, general | 375–400°F (190–204°C) | 40–75 sec | Light–medium | Covers most flat poly textiles as a starting point |
| Poly/cotton blends | 310–330°F (150–166°C) | 15–30 sec | Light–medium | Lower and shorter to protect the cotton — see the fade caveat below |
Published ranges differ between sources — that's normal, not a fault in your setup. Treat the table as a starting point, press one test blank, and record what works for your press, paper and ink. Settings for our specific blanks are on each product page's spec table.
The blend fade caveat, honestly: sublimation ink only bonds to polyester. On a 65/35 poly/cotton blend, roughly a third of the fibres never take the ink — the design looks fine out of the press, then fades noticeably after washing as the unprinted cotton surfaces. That soft "vintage" look is fine if it's the look you're selling; it's a refund request if the customer expected vibrant. The rule is simple: the higher the polyester percentage, the more vibrant and durable the result. For product you sell, use 100% polyester.
What You Need
- A polyester sublimation blank — our t-shirt blanks, 100% polyester zipper hoodies, crewnecks, and the rest of the apparel & textile collection (pillow cases, blankets, totes, aprons, book sleeves, doormats, socks)
- Sublimation printer with sublimation ink, and sublimation paper
- Flat heat press (a household iron won't hold even temperature or pressure)
- Lint roller, heat-resistant tape, protective paper, and a sheet of cardstock
A note on protective paper — sources genuinely differ here. Some manufacturers say to use only white uncoated butcher paper and never wax paper, freezer paper, parchment or a Teflon sheet (Teflon can trap moisture and dull colours; coated papers can transfer their coating). Other reputable suppliers explicitly recommend parchment paper. We can't tell you both are wrong — so: butcher paper is the choice nobody argues with; if you use parchment, test it with your paper and ink first, and never reuse a sheet that has ink on it.
Step by Step: Pressing a Shirt
- Print your design mirrored. Text will be backwards on the paper — that's correct; it flips when transferred.
- Lint-roll the press area. A single stray fibre presses into a permanent blue fleck.
- Pre-press the garment for 3–5 seconds to drive out moisture and flatten wrinkles — damp fabric is a top cause of splotchy transfers.
- Slide cardstock inside the garment between the front and back layers, so ink can't blow through the fabric onto the other side.
- Place the print face-down, tape the corners so it can't shift, and lay your protective sheet on top (see the note above).
- Press at 385–400°F (196–204°C) for 40–75 seconds, light–medium pressure. Hoodies and crewnecks: 385°F for 60 seconds, medium.
- Lift the platen straight up and remove the paper in one smooth motion. Dragging or re-lowering a hot platen onto shifted paper causes ghosting.
- Let the garment cool flat before folding.
Blow-out sheet vs ghosting — two different protections: the sheet under/inside the garment (cardstock or a blow-out sheet) stops ink blowing through to the other layer; taping the transfer and lifting cleanly stops ghosting, the faint double image from paper shifting on hot fabric. You need both habits.
Pillow cases, blankets, totes and other flat textiles: the general fabric row above is a reasonable starting family, but these blanks vary in fabric and coating — check each product page's spec table or the blank manufacturer's instructions, and test one first. Same pre-press, lint-roll and blow-out precautions apply.
Troubleshooting Apparel
Design faded after the first wash: the blank wasn't high-polyester. On blends this is expected behaviour, not a pressing error — switch to 100% poly for saleable goods. Ghosting (faint double image): the paper shifted on the hot garment. Tape the transfer, lift the platen straight up, remove the paper immediately and smoothly. Ink visible on the back of the shirt: blow-through. Always put cardstock or a blow-out sheet inside the garment. Splotchy or speckled transfer: moisture or lint. Pre-press 3–5 seconds and lint-roll every time. Faint press rectangle around the design: platen edges marking the fabric — use a slightly larger protective sheet than the platen, or a pressing pillow, and ease off pressure. Colours dull overall: check your protective sheet (Teflon is a known culprit per some sources), and verify actual platen temperature — many presses read hotter than they run.
FAQ
Can you sublimate on cotton? Not directly — sublimation ink bonds only to polyester, so on 100% cotton the design washes out almost completely. Blends take partially: a 65/35 poly/cotton shirt shows the design but fades significantly after washing. For vibrant, durable results use 100% polyester, or use a polyester-coating spray/HTV workaround understanding it changes the hand-feel.
What polyester percentage do I need for sublimation? The higher, the better: 100% polyester gives the most vibrant, wash-durable result. 65% poly works but fades noticeably with washing — acceptable only if you want a faded "vintage" look. Below that, results aren't worth selling.
Why did my shirt fade after washing? Almost always the fabric, not your press: the cotton portion of a blend never held ink, and once washed, the unprinted cotton fibres surface and mute the design. If a 100% polyester shirt faded, check that it's genuinely 100% poly and that you pressed within the recommended time and temperature range.
Do I need to mirror my design for shirts? Yes — always. The paper is pressed face-down against the fabric, so the design flips on transfer. Print mirrored, and text reads correctly on the finished shirt.
What temperature do I press hoodies at? 385°F (196°C) for about 60 seconds at medium pressure is the published starting point for 100% polyester hoodies and crewnecks. Press one layer at a time with cardstock inside, keep zippers and thick seams off the platen, and test your first blank.
Where can I buy sublimation shirt blanks in Canada without minimums? Right here — sublimation t-shirt blanks, 100% polyester zipper hoodies, crewnecks and 50+ other textile blanks ship from our Langley, BC warehouse, priced in CAD with no minimum order, to every province.
Part of the Complete Sublimation Printing Guide — see also: ceramic mugs, aluminum sign blanks, and the master temperature chart.
Settings compiled from press and blank manufacturers' published guidance and verified against multiple industry sources; always confirm against the instructions supplied with your specific blank and equipment.