What to Send Your Jersey Designer: Logo Files, Fonts and Color Codes

Most jersey revision rounds trace back to three preventable failures: a logo supplied as a small PNG, a colour described in words rather than a code, and a font nobody has the licence to use. Sending the right assets on the first attempt cuts a four-round proofing cycle to one. This guide lists exactly what to send, in what format, and what happens at production if you send the wrong thing.

Logo Files

What to Send

Why Vector Matters on a Jersey

A chest crest prints at roughly 4 inches wide. A sleeve badge prints at 2.5 inches. A full-back graphic prints at 14 inches or more. One vector file covers all three. A 600 px PNG covers none of them cleanly at the largest size, and the failure shows as soft edges and stepped diagonals on the finished garment.

If You Only Have a Small Image

• Check whether the person who designed the logo still holds the source file.
• Look for the logo on printed material, letterhead or signage vendors, who often hold vector originals.
• Ask for a redraw. A simple two-colour mark is usually redrawn quickly, and complex marks take longer.
• Do not upscale a small file in software. Interpolation adds pixels, not detail.

Colour Codes

Send Codes, Not Descriptions

“Navy”, “royal blue” and “our usual green” are not specifications. Colour must arrive as a code.

Why Screen Colour and Fabric Colour Differ

Screens emit light and fabric reflects it, so a colour that looks correct on a monitor lands differently on polyester. Sublimation output on a lighter base fabric runs slightly deeper than the same value on a heavier knit. Two habits prevent surprises: give a Pantone reference where the colour matters commercially, and judge the proof against a printed reference rather than a phone screen. Fabric behaviour by base cloth is described on our fabric types page, and pairing guidance sits in our guide on choosing the perfect colour scheme.

Fonts

Two font rules apply specifically to jerseys. Numerals need heavy weights and open counters, because a thin numeral at 8 inches loses legibility from the stands and closed counters fill in visually. Player names need a condensed face when surnames run long, since a 14-character surname at standard width overruns the shoulder seam.

Roster and Sizing Data

Artwork is only half the submission. The roster file decides whether the set fits.

• One row per player with name as it should print, number, and size.
• Measured chest and body length rather than assumed sizes, checked against our size chart.
• Accents and capitalisation exactly as they should appear, since designers will not assume.
• Duplicate number audit completed before submission.
• Spares listed separately with sizes, not left to be added later.

File Preparation Matrix

Design Constraints Worth Knowing Before You Submit

• Minimum stroke width of roughly 1 mm at final size. Thinner lines close up or break.
• Minimum text height of roughly 5 mm for legibility on knit fabric.
• Seam allowance. Keep critical detail 15 mm clear of side seams, shoulder seams and hems.
• League numbering rules override design. Confirm required heights and contrast before finalising layout.
• Sublimation cannot print onto dark base fabric. Dark designs are printed onto light polyester, which changes how you supply the artwork.

Method-specific constraints are set out on our printing methods page, and placement rules for names, numbers and logos sit in our guide on personalising your team jersey.

How Incomplete Files Cost Money

File problems are cheap to fix before production and expensive afterwards. The pattern below is what actually happens when assets arrive incomplete.

Every row above adds days to a three-week ordering window. Assembling the assets properly takes an hour and removes most of that risk.

Submission Checklist

• Vector logo files, or PNG at 300 DPI and 2000 px minimum.
• Pantone, hex or CMYK values for every colour in the design.
• Font names and weights, or outlined text in the vector file.
• Roster spreadsheet with names, numbers and measured sizes.
• Sponsor artwork supplied by the sponsor, not recreated from their website.
• League rulebook reference for numbering and placement.
• Any reference images clearly labelled as inspiration rather than artwork.

Questions Teams Ask About Artwork

Can you recreate my logo from a photo?

Usually yes for simple marks. Complex marks with gradients or fine detail take longer and should be requested well before your ordering window opens.

Who owns the redrawn file?

Ask before the work starts and get the answer in writing. Confirm you receive the vector file for future use so you are not tied to one supplier for reorders.

Will my colours match exactly next season?

They match when the specification is stored and reordered against the same fabric. That is the mechanism behind our repeat order process.

How many revision rounds are normal?

One to two when the submission is complete. Three or more almost always means colour codes or vector files were missing at the start. Further ordering questions are answered on our FAQ page.

Getting the First Mockup Right

A complete submission is vector artwork, coded colours, named fonts and a measured roster. Send those four things together and the first mockup is usually the last. Design direction sits in our guide on designing a jersey that represents your team, finished examples are in our shop, and background on our production process is on the about page. Send your files through the contact page and we will return a free mockup with any file problems flagged before production.