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Artwork preparation links the design people see with the files used to make the garment. For a sponsored jersey, a usable package names each logo, its size and position, the garments it goes on and the version approved for production. You can start with a sketch or a reference, and Voyager Sportswear can help develop the design and work out what still needs to be supplied.
Start with the best available files
A vector logo is built from paths and can usually be resized without pixelation. Ask the sponsor for its original artwork and brand guidelines. AI, EPS, SVG and PDF are common delivery formats, but a PDF can also contain a low-resolution image, so the extension alone says nothing about print quality.
Photographs, textures and other raster graphics can work if they hold enough detail at the print size. Send the original file, not a screenshot or a compressed copy, because enlarging a small image does not restore missing detail. If a logo has to be redrawn, allow time for its owner to check the redraw.
Ask the factory for its file and resolution requirements for the chosen process, and keep an editable master. For the print copy, agree whether text should be outlined or fonts embedded, and share font files only where the licence allows. Check that accented letters and unusual characters still appear correctly in the exported proof.
Describe placement on the garment
A front-view mock-up shows the visual idea, but production also needs the dimensions and reference points that locate the artwork. “Left chest” leaves more room for interpretation than a logo width plus its distance from the centre line and a named neck seam.
| Item | Information to supply or agree |
|---|---|
| Club crest | Approved file, width, colour version and placement reference |
| Sponsor mark | Brand guidelines, permitted size and clear space, affected garments |
| Numbers, if required | Typeface or reference, colour, placement, size rules and number list version |
| Panel background | Original artwork, panel coverage, colour reference and areas that must align |
| Youth and adult sizes | Whether marks keep one size or change across size groups |
Once the pattern is set, work on production panel templates. Background artwork may need bleed beyond the finished area, and important text and logos need clearance from seams and edges. The allowance depends on the pattern and the process, so take it from the factory rather than choosing a margin of your own.
Where a graphic crosses a seam, review the join on a sewn sample. Cutting, transfer placement, seam allowance and sewing all affect alignment, and fine lettering or a sponsor logo across a seam can be less forgiving than a background pattern.
Assign each element to a production method
On Voyager Sportswear's custom sublimation route, we cut polyester fabric into panels, print the design on transfer paper, transfer it to the panels with heat and then sew the garment. Numbers and sponsors can be part of that panel artwork if they are approved in time. Repeating patterns on fabric rolls can be printed before cutting, which is a different production arrangement.
An embroidered crest or an applied transfer is a separate operation. Describe the effect you want, then confirm the method with the factory for the fabric and position in question. A sponsor added late cannot automatically be applied successfully to an already printed garment: colour migration, adhesion, press marks, access and the production stage can all affect feasibility. See the printing and embroidery comparison.
Keep versions and approvals connected
Home, away, goalkeeper and training garments may use different logo colours or sponsor sets, and a youth version may need its own layout. Give each approved combination a clear file name and revision, and state which sizes it covers. An email subject such as “latest artwork” is not a reliable reference.
The club or agency should obtain the sponsor approvals and check current competition requirements. Include any restrictions on mark size, position or content in the specification you send the factory. Whether a logo suits production and whether you have permission to reproduce it are separate questions.
Check what each proof can establish
A digital proof is useful for checking spelling, composition, dimensions and which elements are present. A screen image alone does not show the colour, feel or appearance on the chosen fabric. Where those matter, agree a strike-off or decorated sample and the reference it will be judged against.
Check the proof against the artwork list you supplied, including the smallest garment size in the order, any numbers, the home and away logo versions and artwork near seams. Record the approval with the file revision and any outstanding corrections. An approval of the layout should not quietly turn into approval of fabric colour or fit.
Before production, confirm the approved files, size breakdown and sample references together. If anything changes, issue a new revision and ask which work has to be repeated and whether the cost or dispatch timing changes. The colour matching guide explains how to link digital colour instructions to a physical reference.
Questions and answers
Is a PDF sponsor logo good enough for printing on a football jersey?
A PDF sponsor logo is good enough only if the file holds vector artwork or an image with enough detail at the print size. A PDF can also contain a low-resolution image, so the extension alone does not show print quality. Ask the sponsor for its original artwork and brand guidelines. A vector logo can usually be resized without pixelation, while enlarging a small image does not restore missing detail.
How should logo placement on a football jersey be specified?
Logo placement on a football jersey is best given as the logo width plus its distance from reference points such as the centre line and a named neck seam, because "left chest" alone leaves room for interpretation. A mock-up shows the idea, but production needs those dimensions. Keep text and logos clear of seams and edges by the factory's allowance, and state whether marks change size between youth and adult garments.
Can a late sponsor logo be added to an already sublimated jersey?
A late sponsor logo cannot automatically be applied successfully to an already printed jersey, because colour migration, adhesion, press marks, access to the area and the production stage can affect feasibility. On the custom sublimation route, numbers and sponsors can be built into the panel artwork if they are approved in time. An embroidered crest or applied transfer is a separate operation, confirmed for the fabric and position in question.