Sportswear manufacturing
Fourteen stages, from the first spec sheet to the carton arriving at your door. You approve the sample before bulk production starts, and every order is checked before it is packed.
Overview
Custom sportswear goes wrong when decisions are made late: a crest that is too large for the chest, a fabric that cannot take sublimation, a size chart that does not match the team. Our process is arranged so those decisions happen early — in development and sampling — when changing them costs nothing.
Below is what happens to an order at each stage. Not every product passes through every step; a plain embroidered polo skips sublimation, and a private-label hoodie might skip numbering. The order of operations stays the same.
We start from whatever you have: a tech pack, a sketch, a reference garment, or just a list of products and quantities. Fit, fabric, trims, decoration and your target price are agreed first and written into a spec sheet that the whole order follows.
The fabric is chosen for the sport and for the decoration method. Full sublimation needs white or light polyester. Embroidery on lightweight mesh needs a backing. Cotton blends suit lifestyle ranges but not match kits worn in the rain. We recommend options from our materials library, or source the fabric you specify.
Patterns are made or adapted for the fit you want — athletic, regular, relaxed, women's cut or youth — and then graded across your size range so a 3XL is cut to the same proportions as a medium.
Logos, sponsors, numbers and names are placed on the garment template at their real sizes. We work best from vector files; if your crest is only available as a low-resolution image, we redraw it and send it back for approval. You see a mock-up before anything is printed.
A pre-production sample is made in the actual fabric with the actual decoration. You check fit, colour, print quality and finishing in your hands, not on a screen. Changes are made at this stage — not halfway through bulk production.
Fabric is relaxed, layered and cut to the graded patterns. For sublimated garments, the panels are printed before they are cut, so stripes and graphics line up across the seams and side panels.
Dye sublimation prints the design into polyester fibres, so it will not crack, peel or fade in the wash. Screen printing and heat transfer are used for cotton garments, names and numbers, and simple one- or two-colour logos.
Each seam uses the stitch the garment needs: flatlock where it sits against skin, overlock on stretch seams, coverstitch on hems, and bar-tacks at stress points such as pocket corners and waistband joins.
Crests and logos are embroidered, badges and patches applied, heat-transfer numbers pressed and labels attached. Placement is measured against the approved sample, not judged by eye.
Garments are checked against the approved sample and the spec sheet: measurements, seams, print and embroidery quality, logo placement and colour. Anything outside tolerance is pulled and corrected before it reaches packing.
Loose threads are trimmed, garments are pressed, and size labels, care labels and hang tags are checked or attached.
Garments are folded and packed the way you need them — individually polybagged for retail, or packed per player or per size for teams — with size stickers and your barcodes if you supply them.
Cartons are sealed, marked and listed on a packing list. The commercial invoice and packing list are prepared for customs clearance in your country.
Most team orders travel door-to-door by express courier. Larger shipments go by air or sea freight. Tracking details are added to your order so you can follow the shipment.
Decoration methods
The right method depends on the fabric, the design and the quantity. If you are unsure, tell us what the garment is for and we will recommend one.
| Method | Best for | Fabrics | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dye sublimation | Full-colour designs, gradients, stripes, sponsors | Polyester and poly-blends (white/light base) | No minimum colours. Will not crack or peel. |
| Embroidery | Crests, small logos, premium finish | Most knits and wovens | Priced by stitch count. Adds weight on light mesh. |
| Screen printing | Bold logos on cotton and blends | Cotton, cotton-poly, fleece | Setup per colour; best on larger runs. |
| Heat transfer | Names, numbers, small logos | Polyester, cotton, blends | Ideal for personalisation and short runs. |
| Woven badge / patch | Crests with a raised, traditional look | Heavier knits, jackets, caps | Sewn or heat-applied. |
FAQ
Yes. We make a pre-production sample in your fabric and design so you can check fit, colour and branding. Typical sample time is 7–12 working days. The cost of the sample is listed in your quotation.
Tell us what needs to change — fit, colour, logo size, fabric — and we revise it. Bulk production only starts once you approve the sample.
Typical bulk production is 3–5 weeks after sample approval, plus shipping. Large orders, complex products and busy seasons can take longer. The quotation gives a date for your specific order.
Fabric, colour, measurements, stitching, printing, embroidery, logo placement, the finished garment and packing are all checked against your approved sample. See quality control for details.
Dye sublimation, embroidery, screen printing, heat transfer (including names and numbers), woven badges and patches. The manufacturing page compares them.
Start your project
Send your products, quantities and artwork. We will reply with a quotation, fabric options and a timeline that includes sampling.