Sports teams are one of the most reliable customer segments for embroidery businesses — club logos on shirts, kit bags, hoodies, and caps generate repeat orders every season. Managing a team order efficiently requires understanding the different embroidery needs for each garment type, and setting up your files correctly from the start.
Typical Sports Team Embroidery Order
- •Playing shirts (knit polyester): club logo on chest.
- •Training kit (poly fleece): logo on chest, player name/number optional.
- •Team hoodies / sweatshirts (fleece or cotton mix): large logo on chest or back.
- •Kit bags (canvas or nylon): club name and logo.
- •Caps: small club badge or initials on front panel.
- •Player name + number: typically embroidered on shirts and training tops.
Fabric Considerations for Sports Kit
| Garment Type | Typical Fabric | Stabilizer Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Playing shirt | 100% polyester knit | Cutaway (light) |
| Training top | Poly-cotton fleece | Cutaway (medium) + WSS topping |
| Hoodie | Cotton or poly fleece | Cutaway (medium) |
| Kit bag | Nylon or canvas | Tearaway (medium) |
| Cap | Cotton twill over foam | Tearaway or cutaway (medium) |
Logo Digitizing for Sports Clubs
Club badges and logos often have complex shapes — shields, circular badges, text around a crest. For best results:
- •Use the highest resolution source file available — ask the club for their official logo PNG or SVG.
- •Upload to sewflow.com/image, enable background removal if needed, and set the size to match placement (typically 80–100 mm for chest placement).
- •Preview the stitch simulation carefully — complex logo shapes may simplify some fine detail. Check text in the logo is legible.
- •For club crests with text around a circular border, verify the circular text stitches cleanly at the chosen size.
Player Names and Numbers
Player name embroidery is typically done with the text-to-embroidery converter. For numbers:
- 1Go to sewflow.com/text.
- 2Type the player's name (or number).
- 3Choose a sport-appropriate font — clean block letters work best for team kit.
- 4Set size: names typically 8–15 mm tall for chest placement; back-of-shirt numbers can be 60–80 mm tall.
- 5Download individual files for each name/number combination.
- 6Keep a naming convention for your files (e.g. JONES_10.jef) so you can manage a large squad easily.
Managing a Large Team Order
- •Get a confirmed size list, name list, and number list in writing before starting any embroidery.
- •Stitch test garments for one of each size before running the full order.
- •Group garments by type and stitch all of one type together before switching machine setup.
- •Keep a production checklist — tick off each player's items as they're completed.
- •Photograph all completed items before packing for delivery — this provides evidence if a dispute arises.
Create club logo and player name files for free:
Open Text to Embroidery →Repeat Business Tip
At the end of a team order, save all the design files and a record of thread colours used. When the club reorders next season, you can start production immediately without re-digitizing. This is a significant advantage over competitors who don't keep records.