Cresde

Manufacturing

Decoration & printing methods

How your design gets onto the garment. We run three methods, and most orders use more than one — a sublimated body with an embroidered crest is the most common combination.

Full sublimation

Dye bonded into the fibre. Unlimited colours, edge-to-edge.

Dye is bonded directly into the fibre rather than printed on top of it, so the artwork will not crack, peel or fade with washing. It supports unlimited colours, panel-to-panel graphics and gradients at no extra cost per colour, which is why a photographic or multi-colour design costs the same to produce as a two-colour one.

Best for: Match and training kit, complex or multi-colour artwork, gradients, all-over patterns, sponsor blocks that cross seams.

Row of large-format sublimation printers in the print room
Sublimation printers

Cut & sew

Colour blocking built from separately cut panels.

Colour blocking built from separately cut panels rather than printed. This is the right choice when a design needs genuine fabric contrast or mixed textures within a single garment — a mesh side panel against a solid body, or a contrast collar in a different construction entirely.

Best for: Contrast panels, mixed fabrics in one garment, ventilation panels, designs where the block must feel different, not just look different.

Printed kit panels with sponsor blocks on the laser bed
Cut panels

Embroidery & appliqué

Crests, sponsor marks and captain bands, applied in-house.

Woven and embroidered crests, sponsor marks and captain bands, applied in-house alongside custom labelling. Because it is done under the same roof as cutting and sewing, an embroidered crest does not add an external step or a second supplier to your lead time.

Best for: Club crests, school badges, sponsor logos, captain armbands, custom neck and care labels.

Embroidery head stitching a crest, close up
Embroidery detail

Logo, crest & sponsor application

Most kits use more than one. A sublimated body, an embroidered or moulded crest and flex numbers on the back is the usual build. Send your artwork and we will recommend the combination that suits it.

See the techniques →

Choosing between them

Choosing between them
MethodBest forColour handlingDurability
Full sublimationMatch and training kit, complex or multi-colour artwork, gradients, all-over patterns, sponsor blocks that cross seams.Unlimited colours and gradients, no extra cost per colourBonded into the fibre — will not crack, peel or fade
Cut & sewContrast panels, mixed fabrics in one garment, ventilation panels, designs where the block must feel different, not just look different.Genuine fabric colours, limited by the fabrics in stockAs durable as the fabric itself — nothing sits on the surface
Embroidery & appliquéClub crests, school badges, sponsor logos, captain armbands, custom neck and care labels.Thread colours, typically up to a dozen per designStitched through the fabric — outlasts the garment

Close up

The same techniques photographed at the seam, where the difference between a printed panel and a cut & sew panel is actually visible.

  • A cut & sew panel join: two separately cut fabrics stitched together, not a printed line.
    A cut & sew panel join: two separately cut fabrics stitched together, not a printed line.
  • Three constructions in one garment — body, contrast panel and trim, each a different fabric.
    Three constructions in one garment — body, contrast panel and trim, each a different fabric.

Combining methods

The most common build is a fully sublimated body with an embroidered crest and a woven neck label. Cut & sew panels are added when a colour block needs a real fabric change — for example a mesh side panel on a solid body.

Browse the fabric library →See how an order is made →See the product range →

Frequently asked questions

Does a multi-colour design cost more to print?
Not with sublimation. Dye is bonded into the fibre in a single pass, so unlimited colours, gradients and panel-to-panel graphics cost the same as a two-colour design.
Will the print crack or peel after washing?
No. Sublimation bonds the dye into the fibre rather than laying ink on the surface, so there is nothing to crack, peel or fade.
Should I choose sublimation or cut & sew for colour blocking?
Sublimation if the block only needs to look different; cut & sew if it needs to be different — a genuine mesh ventilation panel, or a contrast section in another construction entirely.
Can you embroider our crest and add our own neck label?
Yes. Embroidered and woven crests, sponsor marks and captain bands are applied in-house alongside custom neck and care labelling, so they do not add an external supplier to your lead time.

Discuss your artwork

Send your crest and colours and we will come back with a mock-up and the decoration method we recommend.

Chat on WhatsAppinfo@cresde.com

Or request a quote directly