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Do you own a sublimation printing business? Or are you looking to start one? No matter what stage you are at, you need blanks — plain shirts that can be decorated with transfers from your sublimation printer.
So, in this article we will be discussing the top 5 most popular polyester shirts for decorating. The ranking of these shirts is based on real numbers from apparel decorators, just like you, who purchase blanks from colmanandcompany.com.
We have pulled each shirt and examined them carefully to share the details with you. Sublimation printers often determine the blank shirts they will use based on multiple factors including the feel, fit, and price range.
In this guide, you will read a brief description of each shirt and then find our rankings for feel, fit, and price range.
Vapor Apparel is a premium brand of sublimation apparel and accessories. Their products are sublimation certified. This means that no matter the color, they will all produce vibrant end results for your sublimation designs.
For our demonstration, we show you the Alpine Spruce color of the Basic Tee. However, this shirt comes in several unique, sublimation-certified colors.
The 100% polyester Basic Tee is moisture-wicking and contains odor fighting technology. It has an incredibly soft, cotton-like hand and gets softer with every wash.
Very Soft, Cotton-like Feel
Oversized
$$
The Port & Company Performance Tee is a value priced polyester shirt. This shirt has a silky, polyester feel but it is very thin.
It comes in a variety of colors, however, only the white is recommended for sublimation. Since sublimation requires a high heat press temperature, you should always test each color before production.
The Performance Tee is great for giveaways, or for sport’s team practice shirts that will get lots of wear and tear.
Soft, Silky Polyester Feel
Slight Oversized Fit
$
The third most popular shirt for sublimation printing is the Jerzees Dri-Power Sport T-Shirt. Like the Vapor Apparel Basic Tee, this shirt has a similar cotton-like feel. However, it is nowhere near as soft as the Basic Tee.
This shirt is slightly lighter in weight than the Basic Tee, but if you are looking for something comparable at a little more of a valued price, this shirt is your best bet.
But Vapor Apparel products are specifically designed for sublimation, while this shirt is not. It is recommended that you only sublimate on the white color.
Rough, Cotton-Like Feel
True To Size
Next on our list of popular shirts for sublimation printing, is the Long Sleeve Vapor Apparel Solar Men’s T-Shirt. This shirt is unique because not only is it sublimation certified, moisture wicking and odor resistant, it is also UPF50+.
UPF50+ is a sun protection rating approved by the Skin Cancer Foundation. The Solar Tee also features cool wicking technology, you won’t have to worry about being uncomfortable and hot when wearing it outdoors. But it can also be worn as an under-base in cooler temperatures!
This shirt is the priciest on our list, but it is a very high-quality option. People in the boating and fishing industry will pay big money for this shirt to be customized for them.
Very Soft, Silky Polyester Feel
Very Oversized, Longer Sleeves & Longer Torso
$$$
The last shirt on our list is the Sport-tek Long Sleeve Posicharge Competitor Tee. If you are looking for a long sleeve shirt for sublimation at a great value, Sport-tek is a great option.
While it is similar in look and feel to the Vapor Apparel Solar shirt, it has its differences. It is lightweight and not as sturdy of a material. It is also slightly see-through. So, with all the advantages of the Vapor Apparel Solar Tee, you could sell the finished product at a higher retail value.
Soft, Silk Polyester Feel
Slightly Oversized
Now before you start shopping there are a couple things to keep in mind about this list.
• The temperature and season (this article is being written at the end of winter in the beginning of Spring, this could be why two long sleeve shirts ranked on our list)
• What brand is trending (Sometimes a specific brand can become popular with your customers. This could determine what is purchased)
• What is in stock! We all know stock issues are apparent and what’s in stock and ready to ship is going to always be more popular than hard-to-find items.
