On the surface, sublimation looks a lot like some of the other digital heat transfer processes, but it’s what goes on below the surface that separates it from all other decoration technologies. With sublimation you are actually dyeing the material through molecular bonding rather than printing on the surface. What this means, is that the image is permanently embedded into the surface of the item being sublimated, which in turn means no scratching, peeling or cracking. And in the case of apparel, that means no fading either, despite repeated launderings.
-Jimmy Lamb, Sawgrass