Textile and hard-good sublimation across Mexico
Sublimation transfers dye-sub ink from a transfer paper to a substrate using heat and pressure — the ink passes from solid to gas without going through liquid and integrates with the polyester fibre or the coating on coated objects. It is the technique that best delivers full coverage: seam-to-seam on white polyester tees, edge-to-edge on mugs and thermos bottles, edge-to-edge on mouse pads. We run Sawgrass and Epson SureColor printers, a flat heat press and dedicated presses for mugs and cylindrical objects.
Where sublimation works
100% white polyester is the ideal ground for textile sublimation — the ink bonds with the fibre and the print becomes integrated, not layered. That is why dry-fit tees for corporate sports teams and running kits work perfectly with this technique. On cotton-polyester blends the colour reads less vivid because the natural fibre does not take the ink; below 65% polyester the result looks washed out. On pastel polyester the print takes the background tone, so it does not achieve the same contrast as on white.
For hard goods, sublimation requires a polyester coating on the substrate — white ceramic mugs, coated stainless thermos bottles, mouse pads with fabric over a rubber base, puzzles, coated MDF plaques, MDF keychains, fans. The mark enters the coating with heat and stays permanent. Substrates without coating cannot be sublimated, which is why all blanks we stock are specified as sublimation-ready from origin.
Where sublimation solves best
Dry-fit tees for sports and running
Seam-to-seam sublimation on a 130 to 160 GSM white polyester tee. Ideal for corporate football teams, company race teams, cycling groups and gym uniforms. Individual names and numbers per piece.
Personalised mugs and thermos bottles
11 oz white ceramic mug with full-wrap sublimation, coated steel thermos, travel thermal mug. Photo, logo or full-colour design with no ink-count limit. Individual white or kraft gift box included.
Mouse pads and desk mats
Rectangular mouse pad with anti-slip rubber base and sublimable polyester fabric. Edge-to-edge full-colour print that covers the entire surface — useful for tech gifts, IT onboarding and brand campaigns on corporate desks.
Keychains, puzzles and small pieces
Sublimated MDF keychains, custom puzzles, fridge magnets, branded fans. Ideal as welcome-kit additions or low-cost presence gifts at trade shows and congresses.
Sublimation versus DTF and screen printing
Sublimation's defining characteristic is the full coverage it delivers — no cap on the number of colours and no extra cost for gradients or photography, and the print covers the entire piece without unprinted zones (where the substrate allows it). Against DTF, sublimation wins on hand because the ink integrates with the fibre — on polyester you do not feel a layer on top. Against screen printing, sublimation wins on artwork versatility because each piece can be different without additional setup.
The limitations are material: sublimation only works on polyester or polyester coating, which rules out cotton and cotton-heavy blends. For those substrates we keep recommending DTF or screen printing. And on uncoated objects sublimation simply does not work. We recommend reviewing the sublimation-ready product catalogue when the final product material is a hard constraint in the brief.
MOQ, pricing and artwork prep
The MOQ for sublimation is one piece — the technique requires no physical setup, so you can order from a single personalised mug to a 1,000-piece run of tees with individual names. Cost is driven by print area (cm²) and substrate type; on apparel the price varies by size because the press platen differs. For larger runs the unit cost drops through transfer-paper nesting optimisation.
Artwork is prepared in PNG or TIFF at a minimum of 200 DPI at the actual print size, in sRGB profile. For full-wrap mug prints the file is laid out with the cylinder's specific proportion; for tees, with seam margins and shoulder registration. If you do not have the file ready, we prepare it with a design charge that is credited back when the main order closes. Quotes are in MXN ex-IVA; the 16% IVA is itemised on a CFDI 4.0 stamped by SAT against your RFC.
FAQ — sublimation in Mexico
Can you sublimate on cotton tees?
Not directly — the ink does not bond with the natural fibre. On blends with at least 65% polyester the result is acceptable; below that it looks washed out. For cotton we recommend DTF or screen printing.
Does the print wear off with washing?
No — because it integrates with the fibre, the print does not peel or crack. On white polyester it survives more than 50 home wash cycles without losing colour. Avoid bleach and direct ironing on the printed area.
Can you make mugs with the recipient's photo?
Yes — full-wrap sublimation on a ceramic mug is one of our most-requested pieces. For runs with individual photos (sales teams, graduating groups, photo gifts) we receive the image set and lay out each mug with its own file.
What is the production lead time?
3 to 5 business days standard for mugs, mouse pads and hard goods. 7 to 10 days for tees and sublimated apparel because of the transfer-paper nesting and press flow.
Do you have a sublimation product catalogue?
Yes — we keep more than 80 sublimation-ready SKUs in stock: mugs, thermos bottles, mouse pads, puzzles, keychains, plaques, fans, cushions, polyester aprons. We share the current catalogue by email or at a workshop visit.
Request a sublimation quote
Send us the product, material, quantity and whether you need individual data per piece. If you have a high-resolution file, attach it; if not, we will talk through the desired result and walk you through the final artwork on a digital mock-up before production.
Corp-Merch.MX is an independent sublimation and corporate merch workshop. We are not a partner, sponsor or official supplier of the product brands, trade shows, venues or events referenced on this page. Trademarks and brand names belong to their respective owners and are mentioned solely for descriptive purposes to identify the production context.