What are some popular design trends I can apply to my sublimated products?

This particular design trend has been around for a little while but is still popular: chevron patterns. The great part about this pattern is that it is simple. Put a bunch of V’s together and you have it! Mix and match colors to the school you are sublimating for to create some instant hits. It has been around for decades but is just now really taking off. (Go take a look at Charlie Brown’s yellow T-shirt and see what pattern he has on it.)

With the chevron craze in full swing, people have started to get a little more complicated, leaning toward the latest trend – Aztec patterns. These patterns are modeled after ancient Aztec images and feature bright colors, strong shapes, and unique patterns. Just like the chevron patterns, this is not really a new design style as it is actually a rekindling of an old design style. You can find textile pieces dating back as far as the 14th century that feature Aztec patterns. These patterns hit fashion design stages in 2009 and have slowly trickled their way into our personalized design libraries.

A sublimator I spoke with in a sublimation Facebook group told me much of her business comprised of many kitchen-related items with chevron and Aztec prints on them. “I sold tons of kitchen-related items over Christmas – coffee mugs, cutting boards, cake pans, pot holders, and oven mitts,” says Amanda Peek Seidal of Western Kentucky. Other sublimators have told me that Aztec prints on cell phone cases is all they have time to make due to the high demand. 

-Aaron Montgomery, 2 Regular Guys, MontCo Consulting