Yes. Sublimation transfers disperse dye into the synthetic fibre, so it only works on polyester or on surfaces with a polymer coating. It does not bond to cotton. Because the dye is transparent it adds colour over the base rather than covering it: on white it gives vivid colours, on black or dark shades the print essentially disappears.
For good results use white or very light polyester with at least 95–100% polyester content. On 65/35 blends the result is pale and uneven, with a washed-out look. For sportswear and all-over designs sublimation is the core method.
sublimationpolyestercolour
