The 5 Best Sublimation Design Websites [Free Sublimation Designs]

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Dye sublimation projects can be loads of fun! And luckily, there are tons of online resources where you can find sublimation designs for your next DIY project.

But the wide selection of websites can be somewhat overwhelming, so let’s explore the 5 best sublimation design websites to figure out the one that’s most suitable for you.

Our Top Picks

  • Vexels – Best Overall
  • Design Bundle Sublimation Designs – Runner Up
  • Designious – Best for Lifetime Licenses
  • So Fontsy Sublimation Files – Best for Font-based Designs
  • ShutterStock – Best for Customized Designs

The 5 Best Sublimation Design Websites in 2023

Now, let’s take an in-depth look at what each of these websites has to offer. All five of these are great websites, but they’ll work best for different needs, so keep reading to find the best one for you.

1. Vexels – Best Overall

Vexels is one of the best resources for sublimation vector graphics on the web.

Its free version gives you access to a wide range of ready-made and editable designs, and it integrates a t-shirt maker that enables you to create your own custom designs.

Also, if you decide to upgrade to a paid account, you’ll be able to access 7x the content of the free version.

The only downside is that once you cancel your subscription, you’ll lose the licenses of all the designs you got from the website.

Pros

  • Has free and paid versions
  • Includes a t-shirt maker
  • Features ready-made and editable designs

Cons

  • Licenses are dependant on your account subscription

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for an extensive resource of free and paid sublimation designs, Vexels would be an excellent choice. It even has a t-shirt maker, so you can create your custom designs.

2. Design Bundle Sublimation Designs – Runner Up

Design Bundle Sublimation Designs is a massive resource that showcases the best work of both design firms and independent designers.

The designs are available at pretty affordable prices, and there are free designs if you want to try out the website first.

As you navigate the website, you’ll find that there are seasonal and occasional designs, as well as templates for sublimation mock-ups. Oh, and once you buy a design, you automatically get a commercial license for it.

However, one downside is that we’d have preferred it if there were a wider selection of free designs.

Pros

  • Free and low-priced designs
  • Offers commercial licenses
  • Occasional and seasonal designs

Cons

  • Limited free sources

Bottom Line

Design Bundle Sublimations Designs is a great website offering lots of high-quality sources that include seasonal and occasional designs to mix up your product offerings. It also offers commercial licenses, making it a great choice for businesses.

3. Designious – Best for Lifetime Licenses

Designious is a website dedicated to providing vectors for graphic designers and sublimation-printing hobbyists. Once you sign up, you get access to over 3000 designs with a lifetime commercial license.

You can also browse the website’s library, where you’ll find more than 27,000 designs just for t-shirts. In addition, there are various designs for mugs, phone cases, and pillows.

The only thing we dislike about this site is that the pricing can be a bit too high for amateurs or startup businesses.

Pros

  • 3000 designs upon sign-up
  • 27,000+ t-shirt designs
  • Has designs for phone cases, mugs, and other products
  • Lifetime licenses

Cons

  • Relatively pricey 

Bottom Line

Designious is an outstanding resource for high-quality sublimation graphics. The best thing about it is that you get a lifetime license, so you never have to worry about the expiration of your license.

4. So Fontsy Sublimation Files – Best for Font-Based Designs

Fontsy specializes in commercial-design fonts that can make your sublimation jobs stand out.

In addition, the platform has teamed up with lots of professional designers in the crafting and die-cutting industry, and they offer designs that are suitable for vinyl, HTV, embroidery, and 3D crafts.

The designs have commercial licenses that you can use for your business. In addition, there are lots of free resources that also come with commercial licenses if you’d like to use them for your business.

However, the website’s focus on fonts has made its selection of image-based graphics very limited.

Pros

  • Has commercial-design fonts
  • Offers commercial licenses
  • Includes free designs

Cons

  • Somewhat limited to font-based graphics

Bottom Line

If your sublimation projects heavily rely on font-based designs, Fontsy would be your best bet. It offers a great variety of font-based designs, and you can use the free sources for your DIY projects.

5. ShutterStock – Best for Customized Designs

ShutterStock is one of the most popular resources for stock images on the web. And while it’s not exclusive to graphics and sublimation designs, you can still find thousands of these here.

The website’s content includes royalty-free stock images, illustrations, and vectors. Each image is available at a set price, but you can sign up for Shutterstock Premium and get customized designs for your business delivered to you.

Moreover, the website comes with a wide range of add-ons and plugins, including a mobile app and the Shutterstock editor.

However, ShutterStock does come at a hefty subscription price, which can definitely be a deal-breaker for small businesses.

Pros

  • Massive content library
  • Shutterstock Premium offers customized designs
  • Offers various plugins
  • Offers free trials 

Cons

  • Somewhat costly

Bottom Line

Shutterstock is an excellent resource for businesses that need customized designs delivered regularly. Its premium business account allows for custom-made design deliveries on a consistent basis. So, if you’re planning on growing your business, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Factors to Consider When Looking for the Best Sublimation Design Websites

Here are some of the things that you need to keep in mind when picking a website to download your sublimation designs from:

Free or Paid

Some websites offer free designs, others offer paid ones, and sometimes they offer both.

If you’re serious about your sublimation business, paid content will almost always be of higher quality, but you can still find a good number of free resources to get started.

License

When you sign up for a website, make sure that it offers a commercial license for the downloaded designs so you can actually use them for commercial purposes. Of course, if your sublimation projects are for personal use, then this isn’t necessary.

Specialized Content

Not all websites that offer images and graphics have suitable content for sublimation jobs, but general-purpose websites will likely have the lowest number of sublimation designs available. 

On the other hand, the more specialized a website is, the more content you’ll find for your sublimation projects, so it’s always better to look for those.

Final Words

Alright, that was a quick look at some of the best resources for sublimation designs. Vexels seems like a good all-around pick for most people because of its massive library, free content, and affordable pricing.

Alternatively, you can opt for Designious if you want a more-specialized website for sublimation designs.

And finally, consider opting for So Fontsy if you’re into font-based designs.

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