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The unit price of a bulk sublimated jersey follows its specification and the way the order is split: fabric, pattern and trims decide the material and sewing work, while the number of designs, sizes and numbered pieces decides how much set-up each piece has to carry. The number of colours in the design matters much less than in screen printing, because sublimation prints every colour in one pass.
Voyager Sportswear quotes each order on its specification, from 100 pieces per style. The points below follow a jersey from the order split to the packed carton, so that each choice can be weighed before quotations are requested.
How the quantity is split
Three designs of 100 jerseys and one design of 300 jerseys are the same total but not the same work. Each design has its own print files for every size, its own colour check and its own run on the printer and the sewing line, so a split order spreads the same set-up over fewer pieces. The same applies to the size range: a line spread thinly over many sizes needs as many panel files and cutting lays as a deep one.
If the budget is tight, fewer designs with deeper quantities usually do more for the unit price than removing details from the garment.
Fabric and pattern
The body fabric is the largest material cost. Structure and weight set the price per metre, and the pattern sets how many metres a jersey uses: longer bodies, raglan sleeves, wide cuts and large sizes all use more fabric.
The pattern also sets the sewing work. Every extra panel, contrast insert or shaped seam adds cutting and sewing operations. A collar cut from the printed body fabric is one more panel, while a knitted rib collar in a custom colour is a separate component with its own sourcing.
Some jersey types carry their cost in the construction itself. A reversible basketball jersey has two printed layers joined together, so fabric and printing are needed twice. A cycling jersey with a front zip and rear pockets adds the zip, the pocket panels and the operations to set them.
Print coverage and decoration
With sublimation, the paper and dye follow the printed area, not the number of colours. A design that covers every panel uses more paper than a chest print, but a ten-colour gradient costs no more to print than a two-colour logo of the same size.
Artwork preparation is part of the cost when the files are not ready for production: the design has to be placed on the panel shapes of every size, with bleed at the seams. Decoration applied on top, such as an embroidered crest or a heat transfer logo, is a separate operation on every garment.
Numbers, labels and packing
Numbers are applied on request. A sublimated number means a print file per numbered panel; a pressed-on number means a pressing operation per garment. Both are counted per numbered piece, as described in size breakdowns and numbering.
Labels and packing are quoted from the specification: a printed neck label or a woven label, care and size labels, the buyer's own labels under a private-label order, individual bags, size stickers and carton marking. Packing, barcodes and cartons lists what to specify.
Samples and changes
A new pattern or a new design is checked on a sample before bulk production, and the scope of sampling is part of the quotation. Changes after approval, such as a new sponsor file or a different fabric, can mean new print files or new samples and are priced when they arise.
Comparing quotations
Two jersey prices can be compared only when they rest on the same fabric, pattern, trims, print coverage, numbering, labels, packing and delivery basis. Send every supplier the same specification and size breakdown, and compare the total cost to your door as set out in price and landed cost.
Questions and answers
Does a design with more colours cost more to sublimate?
The number of colours has little effect on the cost of sublimation, because the printer lays down every colour in one pass on the transfer paper. What does matter is the printed area, the preparation of the artwork for every panel and size, and the number of different designs in the order. This is the opposite of screen printing, where each colour needs its own screen.
Why can three designs of 100 jerseys cost more per piece than one design of 300?
Each design brings its own print files for every size, its own colour approval and its own production run, so three designs carry three sets of set-up over the same 300 pieces. One design of 300 spreads a single set-up over the whole quantity. Keeping the number of designs low and the quantity per design deep is one of the most effective ways to bring the unit price down.
Do larger sizes cost more in a bulk jersey order?
Larger sizes use more fabric and more printed area. Quotations handle this in different ways: one price across a standard size range, or a separate price from a stated size upwards. Ask how the quotation treats sizes and send the full size breakdown, so that the price reflects the real mix.