A good sublimated jersey quality check covers five things: print, colour, seams, sizes and the personal details on every piece. Print and colour faults show at a glance, but a misspelt name on one player’s shirt is the fault teams remember, so the name list deserves the same care as the fabric.
This post sets out what we look at in our quality check, and what you should look at on your sample and when the kit arrives.
Print quality
Sublimation puts the dye into the polyester, so a good print feels like the fabric itself. Hold the jersey up to the light and run a hand over it.
Look for:
- Sharp edges on the crest, sponsor logos and small text.
- No white creases. If fabric folds during printing, a thin white line can appear where the dye did not reach. Check under the arms and at the sides.
- No ghosting, a faint double image beside the main design.
- Even colour across the whole panel, with no pale patches.
- Pattern continuity. Where a stripe crosses a seam, it should meet, within a small allowance, on the other side.
On mesh, very fine detail looks softer than on polyester knit, because the open structure shows less printed surface. That is normal for mesh and worth knowing before you approve the design.
Colour
Colour on screen and colour on fabric are never identical. A crest red on a laptop can print darker or brighter on polyester. That is why we prepare a layout for your approval and why the sample matters.
On the sample, compare colours in daylight, not only under shop lighting. Hold the jersey next to anything the team already owns in its colours: an old kit, a flag, a printed banner. If the club has exact brand colour codes, send them with the design.
Once you approve the sample, its colour is the reference. Our quality check compares bulk pieces to that sample, not to a screen.
Seams, collar, finish and sizes
A jersey is a sewn garment as well as a print. Check:
- Side and shoulder seams are straight, flat and even in width.
- The collar sits flat and level, with no puckering at the join.
- Sleeve and body hems are even, with no twisting after a wash.
- Panels line up, so the front and back meet cleanly at the side.
- Stitching has no skipped stitches or loose threads.
- Shorts have an even waistband, a working drawcord if specified, and clean leg hems.
Wash the sample once, as a player would, and check again. The hem and collar should keep their shape, and the print should look the same.
Sizes and measurements
Measure the sample against the size chart for the style: chest width, body length and sleeve length. Measure a few sizes in the bulk order too, not only the middle one.
Then check the size label matches the garment. A medium label on a large shirt causes as much trouble as a wrong name.
For academy orders, check at least one kids size and one adult size from the same style. Kids jerseys are graded down from the adult pattern, and a fault in grading shows up most in the smallest and largest sizes. If a kids jersey looks too long or a 3XL looks too short, raise it at the sample stage, before the bulk order is cut.
Names and numbers
This is the part teams notice first, so we check every personalised piece against the list you sent:
| Check | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Spelling | Each letter matches the list, including accents |
| Number | Correct number, no duplicates within a team |
| Size | The jersey size matches that player’s line |
| Placement | Name and number centred and level on the back |
| Font | Matches the approved layout |
| Front number | Present if the design includes one |
Our check works from your list exactly as written. That is why the list itself must be right before printing. A name spelt wrongly on the list will print wrongly, and it will still match the list when we check it. Ask the coach to sign off spellings before you send it. Our post on ordering team jerseys explains how to set up the list.
When the kit arrives
Open a few cartons straight away and do your own check before handing kit out:
- count pieces by style and size against the packing list
- check a sample of names and numbers against the list
- look at print and seams on a few pieces from each carton
- keep the approved sample to hand for comparison
If something does not match, photograph it with the label visible and tell us with the player’s name and the style. A clear record makes it quick to sort out.
Get a sample you can check
Send us your design, the style from our white label team jerseys range, and a test name and number. We make a sample for you to check on all of these points, and once you approve it, it is the standard for the full order.