Sublimation vs DTF vs HTV – Which Works Best with PNG Clipart?

A PNG design can go onto a shirt in several ways. The method decides which shirt colours and fabrics work, so choose it before you pick a design.

Sublimation

Sublimation ink turns into gas under heat and bonds with polyester fibres.

Best on: white or very light polyester shirts, polyester-coated mugs, tumblers and mouse pads.
Fabric: high polyester content. On cotton, the print fades quickly in the wash.
Limits: sublimation printers don't print white. Any white in the design shows as the shirt colour, so dark shirts don't work.
Good designs: dark linework on light backgrounds, such as the vintage Halloween ink graphics.

DTF prints the design onto a film with a white underbase, then you heat-press it onto the garment.

Best on: cotton, polyester and blends, in any colour.
Strength: prints white, so cream lettering and pale details show up on black and navy shirts.
Good designs: colourful art with light details, such as the Christmas Pet Parcel Club designs on dark sweaters.
Tip: most DTF suppliers ask for a transparent PNG at 300 DPI at the print size, such as 3600 px wide for a 12-inch print.

You print the design on printable vinyl with an inkjet printer, cut around it with a cutting machine, and press it.

Best on: cotton and blends, light or dark (choose a white-backed vinyl for dark shirts).
Limits: the cut size is restricted by your machine's Print Then Cut area, and large designs feel heavier than DTF.
Good designs: compact graphics with a clear outline, like single camping or holiday motifs.

Printify, Printful and similar services print each order for you, usually with DTG (direct to garment) or DTF.

White or light polyester: sublimation
Dark cotton shirts: DTF or print-on-demand
Small batches at home: printable HTV or DTF transfers ordered from a supplier
No equipment at all: print-on-demand

Check whether the design has white or cream details. If it does, avoid sublimation on coloured shirts.
Check the pixel size against your print width (inches × 300).
Read the clipart license. A commercial-use license that covers finished physical products allows all four methods. See the license page.