Fabric
100% Cotton
Won't work, use another method
Can I sublimate on this?
Materials
29 checked
Why
Cotton has zero polyester. The ink has nothing to bond with and washes out almost completely after a cycle or two.
Instead, try
Use HTV or DTF for cotton, or press onto clear/white EasySubli-style HTV first, or use "sublimation cotton spray" (results vary, test before selling).
Common examples
- Cotton tees
- Comfort Colors
- Denim
- Canvas totes (cotton)
Which method instead?
Sublimation
This tool- Works on
- Feel
- Best for
HTV, heat-transfer vinyl
Any fabric- Works on
- Feel
- Best for
DTF, direct-to-film
Cotton & darks- Works on
- Feel
- Best for
Polyester % → vibrancy estimator
Fabric blends print in proportion to their polyester content, the ink only bonds to the poly fibers. Slide to see what your blend will look like.
100% polyester
Vivid & bright. Full sublimation color, this is what the craft looks like at its best. 100% poly is the gold standard.
Light-colored fabric assumed, sublimation has no white ink, so it can't print on dark fabric at any poly %. The faded look at 50–65% is a real aesthetic (“vintage wash”) that some sellers charge extra for.
How it works
Check first. Press second. Waste nothing.
01
Search the material
Type what you're holding, “cotton”, “glass”, “Stanley cup”, “dollar store mug”. Brand names and nicknames work too.
02
Read the verdict
Works · only with a sublimation coating · depends on the poly % · won't work, plus the science of why, in one sentence.
03
Buy right, or switch method
Each verdict tells you what to buy (the coated version, the poly version) or what to use instead, HTV or DTF handle the materials sublimation can't.
Material FAQ
The compatibility questions that flood every sublimation group.
Not directly, cotton has no polyester for the dye to bond with, so the print washes out. Workarounds exist: press onto clear sublimation-HTV (EasySubli-style) applied to the shirt, use poly-coating sprays (inconsistent, always test), or simply switch to DTF or HTV, which love cotton.
Verdicts follow the polyester-bond rule and community-verified practice. Coated blanks vary by vendor, when in doubt, confirm the listing says “for sublimation” and test one before a batch. Spray-on coatings give mixed results; treat them as an experiment, not a production method.
