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Sublimated Jerseys – What They Are and Why They’re Better

A sublimated hockey jersey.

A sublimated hockey jersey.

For kids and adults who play sports, one of the unofficial favourite parts of the season is getting your new uniform.

It doesn’t matter how old you are or at what level you play, pulling on a new jersey with your team’s logo can’t help but give a little boost to the pride.

Recreational and competitive sports uniforms have always changed, depending on evolving trends in design and fashion, but there’s been a sea-change lately thanks to the growing popularity of sublimated jerseys. Our friends and FS Local Sports and Recreation Experts Gitch Sportswear (G-SW) use the technique to create some of the most incredible uniforms we’ve ever seen. So what exactly is it?

What is Sublimation?

It used to be that you had to sew or iron on patches and letters to customize a jersey. But sublimation changes everything. Using an advanced inkjet printer, sublimation turns the ink to gas, which is then absorbed by the fabric – so instead of a couple of colours and a patch, your jersey’s custom design is limited only by your imagination.

Gone are the days of single colour fabrics with a glued on logo – sublimation has turned every inch of the uniform into usable space. The result is a culture of uniforms that have become bolder, funnier, more original, more intimidating, and in many cases, just plain more crazy.

Here are a few examples of fully sublimated hockey jerseys from G-SW:

image of custom sublimated hockey uniforms by G-SW

Some of the sublimated hockey uniform designs by G-SW

The versatility of sublimated uniforms extends beyond the jersey. The sublimation printing technique can be applied to shorts and socks, too, offering the benefit of completely custom uniforms.

image of a sublimated hockey uniform

Sublimated hockey uniform.

And while sublimated hockey uniforms are the specialty at G-SW, the designers on the team can apply their skills to create custom uniforms for other sports, like lacrosse, baseball, basketball, soccer and more.

image of sublimated uniforms and apparel from g-sw

(l to r) sublimated soccer uniform, tracksuit, basketball jersey.

Sublimation allows for an unlimited number of customization options, but it also allows for another unique possibility: reversible jerseys. Playing sports can be expensive, so the option of having home and away jerseys in one piece is extremely useful.