BELLA+CANVAS tees are one of the most popular brands for crafters. But can you sublimate BELLA+CANVAS tees? You can, and I’ve found the best BELLA+CANVAS shirts for sublimation!
If you’re looking to sublimate BELLA+CANVAS tees, this post is for you! If you’ve been around here for any length of time, you’ll know that BELLA+CANVAS is my go-to brand for blank t-shirts and other apparel. I love how soft their garments are and they have a bunch of eco-friendly manufacturing processes (including recycling their scraps) that make me feel good about using their brand.
But most BELLA+CANVAS tees are all cotton or primarily cotton. This means that they don’t work well for sublimation crafting, which requires a significant amount of polyester content for the sublimation process to work. This can be really disappointing to sublimation crafters who have wanted to take advantage of BELLA+CANVAS garments. They were simply not an option until recently.
But back in November, I shared about their line of EcoMax tees. These tees are made from a combination of cotton scraps from their other garments as well as recycled water bottles. Those water bottles actually give the garments a higher polyester content than any other BELLA+CANVAS tees—65% to be exact! This means that they can be used for sublimation.
Watch the Video
Want to see sublimation on BELLA+CANVAS tees in action? Just click play below! Or read on for a full written tutorial.
What is Sublimation?
If you’re new to sublimation, let me give you a quick rundown. You can also read my full post The Ultimate Guide to Sublimation Printing & Crafting for more information.
Sublimation is a printer craft. You print a design (usually a PNG or JPG) using a special sublimation ink. Then you’ll use a heat press to press that design to a blank. The big caveat is that the blank must be polyester or poly-coated for the sublimation process to work. This is why 100% cotton shirts aren’t good for sublimation—there’s nothing for the ink to bond to!
Your need to use white shirts or other light colors because sublimation ink is transparent and there is no white. So your blank color will show through whatever you’re sublimating.
BELLA+CANVAS EcoMax Tees
Now let’s talk a little more about these BELLA+CANVAS EcoMax tees. Like I said they are 100% recycled from t-shirt scraps and water bottles. Even the tag is made from recycled materials!
This means the final t-shirt is 35% cotton and 65% polyester. This is probably the lowest polyester count you’d want for sublimation, but it does work! You may find your sublimation designs look a bit vintage because the image is only sublimating on 65% of the material, but it still looks pretty darn good, as you’ll see!
Did you know you can buy BELLA+CANVAS garments at wholesale pricing without a reseller license? Get a BELLA+CANVAS Maker’s Account! This account allows you access to the wholesale side of their business without the need for any permits or licenses. Even better? It’s free! Learn more in my post Buying Wholesale Blanks without a Resale License!
Supplies Needed to Sublimate BELLA+CANVAS Tees
Get everything you need to make these sublimation tee shirts on my Amazon shopping list!
Create a BELLA+CANVAS Maker’s Account to get your tees at wholesale price!
- Sublimation printer
- Sublimation paper
- BELLA+CANVAS EcoMax Tee
- Lint Roller
- Heat-resistant tape
- Butcher paper
- Heat press or EasyPress
- Sublimation PNGs (see below)
Download the Free MAMA Sublimation File under Sublimation S26
This file can be found in my Free Craft Resource Library. The file number is: S26.
Want access to this free file? Join my FREE resource library! All you need is the password to get in, which you can get by filling out the form below!
How to Sublimate BELLA+CANVAS Tees
Let’s make a project!
For this project, I’m using my Cricut EasyPress. You can use any heat press you may own. Keep in mind, if you also use a Cricut EasyPress, you’ll want to use firm even pressure and will need to increase the heat a bit.
I set my EasyPress to 400°. You can use 385° if using a regular heat press. However, the EasyPress’s temperature drops when it first hits the pressing mat.
Lint roll your recycled shirt to remove any fibers or lint.
I like to fold my shirt in half and give it a quick press to find the true center of the shirt. This helps when aligning the transfer up on the shirt (learn more about using t-shirt rulers). I also always rip the edges of my design instead of cutting. This will help avoid press lines when transferring the sublimation design to the blank shirt.
Place your sublimation design on your shirt ink-side down. Once you are happy with placement, use heat resistant tape to adhere the design.
Next, place your shirt on/under your heat press. Insert a piece of cardboard or butcher paper between the material so the sublimation ink doesn’t bleed through from the front to the back of the shirt.
Place a piece of butcher paper on top of the sublimation design. This will protect your heat press from any ink passing through, as well.
Press the shirt for 60 seconds. Be sure to keep the press as still as possible if using an EasyPress. Any shift in movement could cause the image to blur.
After 60 seconds, remove from the press and peel back your decal quickly.
Wash Tests
I was curious how my BELLA+CANVAS EcoMax tee would hold up in the washing machine.
For this test, I transferred my design onto another EcoMax tee. I placed one in the washing machine on cold, followed by the dryer on low.
Here you can see the side-by-side comparison.
You can see the washed shirt (on the right) is slightly less vibrant and a bit faded when compared to the newly pressed, unwashed shirt (on the left). While it looks a bit duller, I prefer the cotton-like feel of this shirt to a typical 100% polyester sublimation shirt.
EcoMax vs. 100% Polyester Tee
How does the BELLA+CANVAS EcoMax tee compare to a 100% polyester short sleeve tee? Well, I decided to put it to the test!
Here are the results.
As you can see, 100% polyester tee (on the left) has a much more vibrant look to it. The EcoMax tee (on the right) has a slightly more vintage look. This is because it is only 65% polyester. You are still sublimating on a 35% cotton shirt. I’d recommend using the EcoMax tees with watercolor or more vintage-inspired designs.
However, as I mentioned earlier, I much prefer the feel of the EcoMax tee to a 100% polyester shirt. Even though the result of the sublimation is a bit less vibrant with the BELLA+CANVAS tee, I love the fit and feel of the shirts so much more.
In the end, it will likely come down to personal preference when choosing a polyester shirt. Some people even prefer to use the BELLA+CANVAS tri-blend tee, which is a polyester blend shirt made of 50% polyester, 25% ring-spun cotton, and 25% rayon. These shirts are extra soft, but appear even more vintage. It’s truly up to you!
EcoMax vs. Cotton Tees
As I mentioned previously, you do not want to sublimate on 100% cotton (or ideally anything less than 65% polyester). Have you ever wondered why? Well, I’ll show you!
I used a 100% cotton tee and added the same sublimation design using the same time/temperature/pressure. Right off the bat, I could see the design was much more faded than the EcoMax tee.
I placed the cotton shirt in the washing machine alongside my 65% polyester tee. You can see the results below.
The cotton shirt on the left faded drastically and lost nearly all of its color. This is only after the first wash. I bet with more washes, the ink would be nearly non-existent. For the best results, always use a shirt with a high polyester count.
You can see the difference between all three shirts I tested below. From top to bottom—BELLA+CANVAS EcoMax tee, 100% polyester tee, and finally, 100% cotton tee.
I hope you found this sublimation tutorial and shirt comparison helpful. As you can see, there is a lot to consider when choosing the right tee for sublimation printing. After putting the BELLA+CANVAS EcoMax tee to the test, I can confidently say these are the best shirts for sublimation! These recycled tees will now be my go-to when it comes to sublimation.
Leave A Reply!