Most teams order their first set of jerseys badly. Not because the design is wrong, but because decisions get made in the wrong order: the design is finalised before anyone checks whether the printing method can reproduce it, or sizes are collected after the order is placed. The result is a kit that looks different from the mockup, arrives late, or fits half the squad.
This guide covers the decisions in the order they actually matter, for academies, clubs, corporate teams, and school sides ordering in India.
Start With Quantity and Deadline, Not Design
Two constraints shape everything else, and both are usually known before anyone opens a design tool.
Quantity determines which printing methods are economical. Screen printing has a per-colour setup cost that only makes sense across larger runs. Sublimation has no setup cost per unit, so a squad of 15 costs proportionally the same as a squad of 150. Below roughly 20 pieces, methods with setup fees rarely work out cheaper.
Deadline determines whether custom manufacturing is possible at all. Fully custom kits are cut and printed to order. If a tournament is two weeks away, the honest answer is often a stock design with names and numbers added, not a bespoke kit.
Fix both before designing anything.
Choose the Printing Method
The printing method constrains what your design can contain. Choose it before finalising artwork.
Sublimation
Dye is turned into gas and bonded into the fabric itself. There is no layer of ink sitting on top, so the print cannot crack, peel, or fade with washing, and the jersey stays breathable where it is printed.
Sublimation allows unlimited colours, photographic gradients, all-over patterns, and designs that run across seams, at no extra cost per colour. This is why most modern team kits are sublimated.
The constraint: it works properly only on polyester and only on light-coloured base fabric. You cannot sublimate a light design onto a black jersey; the base fabric must be dyed dark instead, which is a manufacturing decision, not a printing one.
Screen Printing
Ink is pushed through a stencil, one screen per colour. Durable and cost-effective at volume, and it works on cotton as well as polyester.
The constraint is colour count. Every colour needs its own screen and its own setup charge. A two-colour logo is cheap; a four-colour gradient is not viable. Design accordingly, or choose sublimation.
Heat Transfer Vinyl
Vinyl is cut and heat-pressed onto the garment. This is the standard method for player names and numbers, because each piece is different and no setup is shared.
It is ideal for small areas of solid colour. It is a poor choice for large designs, which become heavy, less breathable, and more prone to peeling.
Embroidery
Thread stitched into the fabric. It carries the most premium look and lasts longest, which is why it suits club crests, sponsor logos on training wear, and staff polos.
It cannot reproduce fine detail or gradients, and it adds weight. Use it for crests and small marks, not for large graphics.
The practical combination for most teams: a sublimated base design, with heat transfer vinyl for player names and numbers, and embroidery reserved for a crest if the budget allows.
Choose the Fabric
Fabric affects how the kit performs in play and how the print looks.
- Polyester interlock is the standard for sublimated match jerseys. Smooth surface, prints cleanly, holds colour.
- Polyester mesh or micromesh adds ventilation and suits hot conditions and high-intensity sports. The open structure can slightly soften fine print detail.
- Cotton blends feel comfortable but hold moisture, which is why they are common for casual and supporter tees rather than match kit.
Weight matters too. Lighter fabric breathes better and suits Indian summer conditions; heavier fabric is more opaque and more durable. If a jersey is very light and the design is dark, check opacity before committing.
Design Rules That Prevent Reprints
A few constraints cause most of the disappointment between mockup and delivery.
Work in the right colour space. Screens display RGB; printing works in CMYK. Bright RGB colours, especially vivid blues and greens, shift when converted. If exact brand colours matter, specify them and ask what the printer can actually achieve.
Supply vector artwork. Logos should be .ai, .eps, .svg, or .pdf. A logo pulled from a website or a WhatsApp forward is low resolution and will print blurred at chest size. This is the single most common cause of a poor result.
Keep critical elements away from seams and edges. Sleeves, collars, and side panels are separate pattern pieces sewn together. A logo positioned near a seam can distort. Leave clearance.
Check number legibility from distance. Numbers are read from the sideline, not at arm's length. High contrast against the base colour matters more than the font. A dark number on a dark panel is unreadable in play regardless of how it looks on screen.
Confirm sponsor placement rules. Many leagues and federations restrict sponsor size and position. Check the competition regulations before printing, not after.
Collect Sizes Before You Order
Collect actual sizes from every player against the manufacturer's size chart, not against generic S/M/L assumptions. Sizing varies between manufacturers, and Indian sizing frequently differs from imported charts.
Order a small buffer, typically one or two extra pieces in the most common sizes. Squads change, jerseys get damaged, and a reorder of two pieces later costs far more per unit than including them now.
For youth teams, remember players grow between the order and the season.
Understand What Drives Cost
Cost is driven by a handful of factors, in roughly this order:
- Quantity — the strongest lever, through both per-unit pricing and setup amortisation
- Fabric choice and weight
- Printing method and, for screen printing, colour count
- Personalisation — names and numbers add per-piece cost because each is unique
- Extras — shorts, socks, matching training wear, custom packaging
- Timeline — rush production carries a premium where it is possible at all
A quote that seems unusually cheap usually reflects lighter fabric or a simpler printing method. Compare fabric specification and printing method, not just headline price.
Order in the Right Sequence
The sequence that avoids rework:
- Confirm squad count and deadline
- Choose printing method and fabric within those constraints
- Design within the chosen method's limits
- Approve a mockup, ideally a visual preview of the actual garment
- Collect sizes against the real size chart
- Approve the name and number list in writing, checking spellings
- Place the order and confirm the production timeline
Steps five and six cause the most delay, because they depend on players responding. Start them early.
Designing Your Kit With KIBI
KIBI Sports runs a custom jersey builder with a live 3D preview, so you can see the kit rotate as you change base style, fabric, sleeve and collar, colours, and personalisation, rather than approving a flat mockup and hoping.
It covers cricket, football, basketball, volleyball, and other sports, with sublimation printing and per-player names and numbers. You can specify quantity per size directly, and request a quote for squad orders.
Design your team's jersey with a live 3D preview on the KIBI store, or request a quote for a squad order.
Ordering for an event or a fest instead of a match squad? See the guide to custom sports t-shirts for events, teams and colleges. Once your kit arrives, the care guide covers keeping the print looking new.
If you are running the wider operation as well as kitting it out, KIBI's admin portal for sports organisations handles registrations, payments, and athlete records alongside it.