Sublimation or Flocking: Custom Motocross Jersey

Logo, team colours, name and number: customizing a motocross jersey almost always comes down to one of two techniques, sublimation or flocking. They don't produce the same finish, the same durability, or suit the same use. Before you build yours, here's what really sets them apart.

What is sublimation?

Sublimation prints the design directly into the fibres of the fabric: a special ink turns from solid to gas under heat and pressure. The colour doesn't sit on top of the jersey, it becomes part of the fabric itself. It's the technique used for nearly every official team's motocross jersey, since it allows full designs, gradients and patterns, with no limit on the number of colours.

What is flocking?

Flocking cuts a shape, most often a name, number or small logo, out of a textile or vinyl film, then heat-presses it onto an already-made jersey. The design sits slightly raised, with a texture you can feel. It's a fast, affordable technique, but limited in coverage and colour count: every extra colour means an extra cut piece.

The real differences to know

Durability: this is what matters most on a piece of sportswear. Sublimation doesn't wear out, the colour is part of the fabric, so it can't crack, peel or fade, even after dozens of washes and hard sessions. Flocking is an added layer: sweat, friction and repeated washing will eventually crack or lift the edges, a real risk on a sport as demanding as motocross.

Breathability: sublimation adds no thickness at all, so the technical fabric keeps all its properties. Flocking adds a layer of material on top of the textile, negligible on a small number, but noticeable as soon as it covers a larger area, right where you need the jersey to breathe the most.

Look and design freedom: with sublimation, anything goes, gradients, photos, complex patterns, as many colours as your design needs, across the whole jersey. Flocking stays suited to simple, isolated elements, a name, a number, a small sponsor, with a raised finish that has its own character, but can't recreate a full design.

Price and turnaround: for a single piece where you just need to add a name, flocking can be cheaper and quicker to produce. But as soon as it's a fully customized jersey, team colours, sponsors, a complete design, sublimation becomes the only option that really fits, without the cost climbing as you add colours.

Our choice at Impulse

We make all our jerseys with sublimation, in France. It's the only process that holds up to a sport as demanding as motocross, without ever compromising the fabric's breathability or limiting your design. You choose your colours, your sponsors, your number — everything is printed into the fibre, for a jersey that keeps its finish intact race after race.

Check out our complete guide to custom motocross gear to build your full kit, or build your sublimated jersey directly.