Sublimation is a process where ink is heat transferred into a substrate (fabric, ceramic, metal, etc). Unlike vinyl prints, sublimated designs will not crack or peel. This is because sublimation ink is infused into the material, allowing designs to last the lifetime of the product. 

Sublimation does have it's limitations. While any design can be sublimated, there is no white sublimation ink, and ink transfers best into polyester or polymer coatings. Also the color of the material will influence the visibility and color of the design. For these reasons, sublimation works best on light colored garments that are at least 50% polyester. A white high polyester (95+%) material will produce the most vivid true-to-design appearance. A lower content polyester blend will create more of a faded look, which we refer to as "vintage." Here is a useful chart to visualize how polyester content and colors impact the sublimated design, and a side-by-side example of a vibrant and a vintage garment.