The Complete Guide to Custom Sportswear Manufacturing

Sportswear manufacturing should be simple: you send a design, a factory makes it, the kit arrives before the season starts. In practice, it rarely works that way. First-time buyers and seasoned ones keep hitting the same problems:

• Quotes that don't say what's actually included
• Sellers who turn out to be middlemen, not factories
• A finished product that looks and feels nothing like the sample
• Sizing that runs smaller than the size chart
• Fabric that arrives thinner than what you paid for
• Delivery dates that slip by a month or more

I wrote this guide so you can catch these problems before they cost you money. We've been running our factory in Zhongshan, China, since 2002. With twenty-plus years of sportswear manufacturing behind us, we've learned what separates a good factory from a bad one. Now, I've taken that experience and turned it into a guide that buyers can follow. It covers fabrics, printing, sizing, pricing, sampling, lead times, quality control, and shipping. Every section draws on our own production floor, so you get the numbers we actually work with rather than industry averages.

This guide is for sports clubs, schools, start-up brands, and retailers. All four want the same thing: sportswear manufacturing that goes right the first time. Most examples lean on soccer, or as you might call it, football. That's because soccer kits cover our widest range of orders, from ten Sunday league shirts to 5,000-piece retail runs. This advice applies equally to basketball, baseball, rugby, esports, cycling, and training wear.

1. Should You Buy From a Manufacturer, a Wholesaler, or a Reseller?

Key Takeaways

• Each company between you and the factory adds 30 to 100 percent to the price.
• Only a manufacturer can change the fabric, the fit, or the design. Wholesalers and resellers can't make these changes themselves.
• A wholesaler is the better choice when you need fewer than ten garments, when you need them in less than a week, or when you just need a plain garment with a small logo and fit isn't critical.

What a Manufacturer, a Wholesaler, and a Reseller Really Do

• A manufacturer owns the machines and employs the people who cut, print, and sew your garments. All the sportswear manufacturing in this chain happens here; everyone else moves boxes.
• A wholesaler buys plain garments in bulk and sells them in smaller lots. Some wholesalers also add a logo.
• A reseller takes your order and passes it to a manufacturer or a wholesaler. The reseller's website often looks like the website of a real factory. Some resellers are trading companies: middlemen based in the same country as the factory. They buy and export goods but make nothing themselves.

How the Price Rises From Manufacturer to Wholesaler to Reseller

Take a custom soccer jersey with a factory price of $9. Here's a typical route from the factory to a club:

• The factory sells the jersey to a trading company for $9.
• The trading company sells it to a wholesaler in Europe or North America for $13.
• The wholesaler sells it to a smaller reseller in the same country for $19.
• The reseller sells it to the club for $28 to $35.

As a result, the club ends up paying three to four times the factory price. On top of that, each company in the chain has to check and approve the order before passing it on. This adds one to two weeks to the delivery time.

How Much Control You Have Over Fabric, Fit, and Design

• A manufacturer can swap the fabric for a heavier or more breathable one, adjust the sleeve length by a couple of centimeters, or add a woven size label.
• A wholesaler, in contrast, only sells what's in stock. You can't change the fabric or the fit.
• A reseller can forward your change request, but it has to pass through two or three companies before it reaches the factory. By then, two or three weeks have gone by.

When a Wholesaler Is the Right Choice

Wholesalers win in three situations:

• You need fewer than ten garments.
• You need them in under a week.
• You want a plain garment with a small logo, and fit isn't critical.

Outside of these cases, buying direct from a sportswear factory saves money and gives you control.

Signs That a Manufacturer Is Really a Reseller or a Trading Company

• No factory address on the website, or an address that turns out to be an office block on Google Maps.
• Stock photos of machinery rather than photos of their own equipment.
• Refusal to do a live video call from the production area.
• A product range covering every category from jerseys to luggage.
• Quotes that arrive within minutes, when working out a real price usually takes a day.

Ask for a live video tour. A real factory has no reason to refuse, and most can walk you through the cutting tables and sewing lines within a day. A reseller will stall.

2. How to Choose a Sportswear Manufacturing Partner

Key Takeaways

• Verify the factory before you send any money
• Overseas production costs less for large orders. Domestic production wins on speed for small runs.
• Never pay 100 percent upfront for a bulk order.

Five Questions to Ask in Your First Email

Answers to these five questions separate good factories from poor ones. Put all five in your first email:

• MOQ (minimum order quantity): Is your minimum per design, per color, or per order? (Section 7 explains the difference.)
• Samples: How much does a sample cost, how long does it take, and will the fee be deducted from my bulk order?
• Lead time: How many working days from artwork approval to shipment?
• Certifications: Which certifications do you hold, and can you send me copies?
• Payment terms: What deposit do you require, when is the balance due, and which payment methods do you accept?

If any of the answers are vague, treat that as a warning sign.

Domestic vs. Overseas

As you can see, overseas factories offer the best value for orders of 50 garments or more. Below 50, and you pay more in shipping and duty than you save at a factory. Above 500, the savings are large enough that almost all brands and retailers move their sportswear manufacturing overseas.

How to Verify That a Factory Is Real

Here are three checks that will take about an hour of your time:

• Video tour: The same test from section 1. Ask for a live call from the production floor, and have them walk you from the printers to the sewing lines. That way you know it isn't a recording.
• Audit report: Ask for their latest BSCI or SMETA report. (Section 10 explains what these mean.)
• References: Ask for the names of two clubs or brands in your country that they have supplied, then email them. Some factories will decline for confidentiality reasons; two refusals plus a refused video call is the real warning sign.

A factory with nothing to hide won't hesitate on the first two. Some will decline to give references for confidentiality reasons, and that's understandable. But a refused video call or audit report is the real warning sign.

Communication and Time Zones

A factory in China is six to eight hours ahead of Europe and twelve to sixteen hours ahead of North America. That means an email sent during your workday often won't be read until the next Chinese workday.

Expect replies within one working day, not within the hour. Agree on a single channel, such as email or WhatsApp, and ask for the name of your contact. Poor English is rarely a problem in itself. Slow or inconsistent answers are a problem.

Payment Methods and Deposits

Most factories ask for 30 to 50 percent of the order value as a deposit when you confirm the order. Then, before they ship the goods, they ask for the remaining 50 to 70 percent. If a factory asks for 100 percent before production starts, walk away. No real factory needs that.

As for how you pay, bank transfer (T/T) is the preferred method for factories because it costs them almost nothing. The catch is that it gives you no protection: if the goods never arrive, the money is gone, and your bank can't get it back.

PayPal and card payments, on the other hand, do protect you. They cost the factory 3 to 5 percent, and that cost is often added to the price they quote you, but in return you get the one thing T/T can't offer: a dispute process. If the goods never arrive, you can file a claim and get the money back. For a first order with a new factory, that protection is worth the extra 3 to 5 percent.

3. Sportswear Fabrics Explained

Key Takeaways

• Polyester is the go-to fabric because it pulls sweat away from the skin, dries fast, and takes sublimation ink well.
• GSM is the fabric's weight in grams per square meter. (Our guide on the meaning of GSM in fabric goes deeper.) Heavier fabric is harder to tear; lighter fabric keeps you cooler.
• For breathability, the knit matters more than the weight.

Why Polyester Dominates in Sportswear

Cotton absorbs sweat and holds it. This leaves garments wet and heavy. Polyester, however, moves sweat to the surface of the fabric, where it evaporates. It also weighs less and resists shrinking. What's more, it's the fabric sublimation printing needs. The dye bonds with polyester and nothing else. (Section 4 explains how that works.) That combination is what makes 100 percent polyester the default in sportswear manufacturing.

Knit Types Compared

Interlock gives the sharpest print. Birdseye breathes better and hides sweat. A common design is an interlock body with mesh under the arms, which gives you the print quality and the airflow. If breathability is what you care about, pick the knit before you pick the weight. An open knit at 160 GSM breathes better than a tight one at 140.

What GSM Tells You

GSM is the fabric's weight in grams per square meter. The higher the number, the thicker the fabric. A heavier fabric hides more, lasts longer, and holds more heat. Going up the scale trades breathability for durability.

• 130 GSM is the lightest fabric a supplier will use in a jersey. Hold it to a window and you can see your hand through it. Runners and cyclists like it for exactly that reason: it weighs nothing and lets air pass through. In white, though, it shows skin and underwear, and it snags on just about anything.
• 140 GSM is what most soccer match jerseys are made from. A player can wear it for ninety minutes in July without noticing it. In white it looks white rather than grey where it touches the skin. The trade-off is durability: it fades and thins at the shoulders after a season of hot washes. By the time it's handed down to next year's squad, it will look handed down.
• 160 GSM is the weight to choose if you don't have a reason to choose another. Nothing shows through it in any color, and it comes out of the wash the same shape it went in. It's heavier than 140, but still breathes on a warm afternoon.
• 180 GSM and above feels closer to a thick training top than a match shirt. It holds heat, which is what you want in November but not in July. It's also much harder to tear or stretch out of shape. This makes it suitable for training tops, cold-weather layers, and sleeveless basketball jerseys. Rugby shirts go further still, to 200 GSM or more, because a shirt grabbed at every ruck has to hold together.

Heavier fabric costs more per garment and lasts longer. For youth teams that replace jerseys every season, 140 GSM is fine. For adult clubs that need the same jerseys to last three years, 160 GSM is the better choice.

Performance Finishes

Finishes are chemical treatments applied to the fabric after it's knitted. Some are standard, some cost extra, and some wear off, so it's worth knowing which is which.

• Moisture-wicking: helps polyester move sweat to the surface, where it dries. It's standard on most polyester sportswear fabric and shouldn't come as an extra cost.
• Quick-dry: usually the same moisture-wicking treatment just under a different name. If a supplier lists it as a separate finish, ask for the lab result showing how long the fabric takes to dry.
• UV protection (UPF 30 to 50): blocks 97 to 98 percent of UV rays. Worth having on jerseys worn in direct sunlight for hours at a time, such as cricket or summer training.
• Anti-odor: a silver-ion or zinc treatment that slows bacterial growth and reduces smell between washes. It wears off after 30 to 50 washes.

Ask which finishes are permanent and which wash out.

Recycled polyester (rPET)

rPET is polyester spun from recycled plastic bottles rather than made new from oil. It performs the same as virgin polyester and costs 10 to 20 percent more. Brands use it as a selling point; clubs rarely ask for it. Only accept "recycled" claims backed by a GRS or RCS certificate. (Section 10 explains what these are.)

Spandex Blends

Spandex, elastane, and Lycra are the same fiber under different names. It's what makes a fabric stretch and snap back. Plain polyester gives a little because of how it's knitted, but it doesn't recover the same way a polyester-spandex blend does. Adding 8 to 15 percent spandex lets the fabric pull back to shape every time it's stretched. That range covers compression wear, such as cycling shorts, as well as women's fitted jerseys.

Polyester-spandex blends have three drawbacks:

• The yarn costs more.
• Prints come out slightly softer. The fabric stretches a little under the heat press, so fine lines blur.
• Heat wears out the spandex. Put the jersey through a hot dryer every week and the cuffs and waistband go baggy within a season. Tell your players to wash it cool and hang it to dry.

4. Printing & Decoration Methods

Key Takeaways

• Sublimation is the default print method for polyester jerseys. It prints any number of colors for the same price, but it only works on polyester.
• Screen printing beats sublimation on cotton and for single-color logos at volume.
• Heat transfer vinyl suits names, numbers, and sponsor logos added after production, and it works on any fabric color.
• Embroidery is for polos, jackets, and caps. It looks premium and lasts, but it's too heavy and stiff for a match jersey.

How Dye Sublimation Works: Pros and Cons

The design is printed onto paper first, not onto the fabric. The paper is then pressed against the jersey with a heat press at around 200°C for 40 to 60 seconds. The heat turns the ink into a gas, and the polyester fibers soak it up and trap it as they cool. The color ends up inside the fibers rather than on the surface. You can't feel the print, and it won't crack or peel.

The pros of sublimation:

• Unlimited colors at no extra cost. A jersey covered in a gradient, one color fading into another, costs the same as a plain one.
• The whole design goes on in one pass. No matter how many colors it has, it's a single run through the heat press.
• Full-coverage designs. Edge-to-edge patterns are no problem, which is why sublimation dominates modern sportswear manufacturing.

The cons of sublimation:

• It only works on polyester. The dye doesn't bond to cotton at all. On a poly-cotton blend, it only takes to the polyester share, which leaves the print looking faded.
• The dye is transparent. It tints the polyester rather than making it a solid color, which limits it to white or light polyester.
• It doesn't work on dark polyester. A transparent dye has nothing to show against black: press a design onto a dark shirt and it disappears. To get a dark jersey, the artwork must be dark and cover the entire white polyester panel. The result is a black jersey printed on white fabric. (See image below ⤵)

How Screen Printing Works: Pros and Cons

Screen printing works a bit like using a stencil. Ink gets pushed through a fine mesh screen onto the surface of the fabric, and only the open parts of the stencil let ink through. Before anything gets printed, each screen has to be made and carefully lined up, and that setup is where most of the cost lives.

The pros of screen printing:

• Cheap at scale. Setup costs the same whether you're ordering 20 jerseys or 2,000, and it gets divided across every jersey in your order. Order more than 200, and a simple logo becomes cheap to print.
• Works on cotton. Hoodies and fan T-shirts are almost always screen printed, since sublimation won't take on cotton.
• Bold, durable color. Solid designs come out crisp, and the ink holds up well on the fabrics it suits.

The cons of screen printing:

• Every color needs its own screen. Add a color, and you've added another screen and another setup fee.
• Small orders are expensive. Order fewer than 50 or so, and that fixed setup cost makes each jersey pricey.
• Limited color complexity. Gradients, photos, and designs with many colors are impractical or impossible.
• No full-coverage designs. Screen printing handles a logo or chest print, not an all-over pattern. Edge-to-edge designs are sublimation territory.
• Design changes cost money. New season, new sponsor logo, new screen, new setup fee. Sublimation just needs a new digital file.

How Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) Works: Pros and Cons

A cutting machine cuts the design out of a sheet of colored vinyl, and a heat press melts the back of it onto the jersey. Unlike sublimation, which dyes the fibers themselves, the vinyl is a solid layer that sits on top of the fabric.

The pros of heat transfer vinyl:

• Works on any fabric color. Because the vinyl covers the fabric rather than tinting it, black jerseys are no problem. White names and numbers on dark jerseys are classic HTV territory.
• Perfect for one-offs and personalization. That makes HTV the standard way to add player names, numbers, and sponsor logos after the jerseys are made.
• No setup costs. There are no screens to make, so adding one jersey to an order costs about the same per piece as adding twenty.

The cons of heat transfer vinyl:

• It peels eventually. The vinyl sits on top of the fabric rather than inside it. Washed normally, it holds up for 40 to 60 washes, but after that the edges start to lift.
• Ironing ruins it. Ironing the vinyl will lift the edges long before the washes do. Tell your players to iron inside out, or not at all.
• One jersey at a time. What makes it great for personalization makes it slow for big jobs. Cutting and pressing a full team design piece by piece adds up fast.

How Embroidery Works: Pros and Cons

Embroidery stitches the design into the fabric with thread. It's how club crests and brand logos usually go on polos, jackets, and caps.

The pros of embroidery:

• It looks and feels premium. A stitched crest looks and feels more expensive than a print, which is the point. It's the default for anything players and staff wear off the pitch.
• It lasts. Thread doesn't crack, peel, or fade the way a surface print can. The crest usually outlives the garment.
• Works on heavy fabrics. Polos, jackets, caps, and bags all take embroidery well, including materials that printing methods struggle with.

The cons of embroidery:

• It adds weight and stiffness. A stitched crest adds 5 to 15 grams and sits as a stiff patch. On a lightweight match jersey, players feel it against their chest.
• Thread can't do fine detail. Lettering smaller than about 5 mm breaks up, and a gradient is out, because every color is a separate thread with a hard edge.

The weight that makes a crest feel premium is the same weight a player feels on their chest during a match. Keep embroidery on polos, jackets, and caps.

Durability After 50+ Washes

Cost Per Unit at Different Volumes

Indicative decoration cost, excluding the garment:

5. Artwork, Tech Packs & Color Matching

Key Takeaways

• Send vector files for logos and crests. A JPEG works, but the factory will charge $15 to $40 to redraw it as a vector.
• Specify Pantone codes for every color.
• A tech pack removes guesswork; a factory can build one for you.

File Requirements

• Logos and crests: vector (AI, EPS, PDF, SVG). Draft these in programs like Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. They use shapes rather than pixels, which allows your artwork to scale to any size without blurring.
• Photographic or textured elements: 300 dpi at actual print size, in PNG or TIFF.
• Bleed: add 10 mm of design beyond every seam line, since fabric shifts during pressing.
• Fonts: convert text to outlines so the factory doesn't need your font installed, or send the font file with your artwork.

If you only have a JPEG of your crest, most factories will redraw it as a vector for $15 to $40.

Pantone Matching and Why Screens Lie

Every monitor displays color differently. Suppose your design shows a navy blue jersey. On one monitor it looks black. On another it looks royal blue. Neither screen is showing you the real color. That's where Pantone codes come in: they reference a physical color standard, not a screen.

Ask the factory for a Pantone swatch print on your chosen fabric before you approve the full production run. Factories call this a strike-off, so use that word in your emails. This matters because sublimation shifts some colors during printing. Bright oranges and deep purples are almost never an exact match. A strike-off costs a few dollars and prevents a costly reprint.

Working With the Factory's Design Team

Sportswear manufacturing usually comes with free in-house design, so use the factory's team for the production side. Use them for the production side of the design: arranging your logo, sponsor names, and player numbers, and adapting the design to each size. Use your own designer for how your jersey should look: the crest, the color scheme, and any all-over patterns. Either way, send the factory clear reference images.

Be specific in your design instructions. Unclear instructions force the designer to guess, and every guess means another round of revisions.

What a Tech Pack Is and Why It Matters

A tech pack is the spec sheet for a garment. It contains:

• Flat technical drawings, front and back
• Measurement chart for every size, with tolerances
• Fabric type, weight, and color codes
• Stitch types and seam construction
• Trims: labels, tags, zippers, drawcords
• Print or embroidery placement with dimensions

Brands usually design their own tech packs. Clubs and schools rarely have one, and that's fine. A good factory will build one from your mockup and size choices, then send it to you for approval. Once signed, it becomes the reference for every reorder.

Construction Basics Worth Knowing

• Flatlock seams lie flat against the skin. They're standard on quality jerseys and compression wear.
• Overlock seams, by contrast, are faster and cheaper, with a raised inner edge. These are fine for training wear.
• Measurement tolerance: the industry norm is plus or minus 1 to 1.5 cm on chest and length. Anything outside that is a defect.

Mockup and Approval Workflow

1. You send artwork and specs.
2. Factory returns a digital mockup within one to two working days.
3. You request changes (typically one or two rounds).
4. You sign off in writing.
5. Factory makes a pre-production sample or goes straight to manufacturing, depending on your choice.

A written sign-off for the final design matters. Some factories send a formal approval form. Others send an email asking for your approval. For an approval form, make sure the form shows the final design itself, not just an order number. For email, reply with the final design file attached in the same thread. If the finished order doesn't match the approved design, that record is your proof of what the factory agreed to make.

6. Sizing Systems, Size Kits & Fit Types

Key Takeaways

• Asian sizing runs one to two sizes smaller than US sizing.
• Always work from a measurement chart, never from a letter size.
• A size kit costs $50 to $150 and prevents almost all sizing complaints.

US vs. EU vs. Asian Jersey Sizing

Never order jerseys by letter sizes alone because Small, Medium, and Large vary from region to region. For example, a Large jersey in the US measures roughly 112 cm around the chest. A Large in Europe is closer to 108 cm, and a Large in Asia is often 100 to 104 cm.

Request the factory's measurement chart instead of relying on the tag. Then take a jersey that already fits your players well, measure it, and compare the numbers against the chart. One thing to check before you compare: some charts list the distance all the way around the chest. Others list the flat width from armpit to armpit, which is about half that number. So, make sure you measure based on how the factory measures.

Athletic vs. Regular Fit

• Athletic or slim fit: narrower chest and waist, higher armholes, shorter body. Commonly worn by professional teams on match day.
• Regular or relaxed fit: straighter cut, more space between the body and the jersey. Better for fan wear, youth teams, and clubs with a wide range of body types.

On amateur players, though, athletic fit often feels too tight. When in doubt, choose regular fit, or if you want the athletic cut, order one size up in athletic fit.

Size Kits: How to Run a Fitting Session

A size kit is a set of plain, unprinted jerseys, one in each size, made from the same fabric and cut as your order. The factory ships it before your full order goes into production. Players try the jerseys on, you record each player's size, and you send the kit back. It costs $50 to $150 plus shipping and eliminates almost all size-related complaints.

If a size kit is not practical, measure each player's chest and match it to the factory's measurement chart. Then give the factory a size breakdown (for instance, 4 S, 8 M, 6 L, 2 XL) rather than a total.

Youth, Men's, and Women's Grading

Grading is the sportswear manufacturing term for how much each measurement changes from one size to the next. Men's sizes are graded by chest measurement: each size up adds a fixed amount to the chest, usually 4 to 6 cm. Youth sizes are usually graded by age (6 to 8, 8 to 10, and so on) or by height. However, the chart used is still based on a chest measurement.

Women's bodies differ from men's in proportion. They have narrower shoulders, a shorter body, and a waist that curves inward. Women's sizes are graded by chest measurement as well, but require a pattern of their own. Some factories skip this and simply scale the men's version down, keeping every proportion the same. That produces a smaller men's jersey, not a women's one, and it's why some women's teamwear fits badly.

Before you order, ask whether the factory has dedicated women's and youth patterns.

7. How MOQ and Pricing Work

Key Takeaways

• MOQ (minimum order quantity) exists because of the cost to set everything up.
• Ask whether the MOQ is per design, per order, or per color.
• Extras like sampling, shipping, and duties usually add 15 to 35 percent to the quoted unit price.

What MOQ Means and Why Factories Have One

MOQ stands for minimum order quantity. This is the smallest number of pieces a factory will accept in one order. The reason comes down to setup. Sportswear manufacturing is front-loaded: a factory must prepare the artwork, load the fabric, calibrate the printer, and set up a sewing line before anything gets made. Whether you order 10 pieces or 500, the setup work and the cost remain the same.

Below a certain quantity, those setup costs eat the factory's profit. The MOQ is the floor that protects it. This is also why factories that do sublimation can accept lower MOQs than factories that do screen printing. They don't need to make any screens, which removes one setup cost.

Per Design vs. Per Order vs. Per Color

An MOQ of 20 can mean three different things, so find out which one you're dealing with:

• Per design: each design must hit the minimum on its own.
• Per order: the total across all designs must hit the minimum.
• Per color: each color must hit the minimum on its own.

Two factories both quoting an MOQ of 20 jerseys may be offering very different deals. Confirm which one applies to your order before you compare quotes.

Hidden Costs

The unit price in a quote rarely covers all costs. Expect these extras on top of it:

• Sample fee: $30 to $80 per garment. Most factories subtract this from your final bill if you go ahead with the order.
• Artwork setup: free at most factories, $20 to $50 at others.
• Names and numbers: $2 to $5 per shirt if the quote doesn't already include them.
• Shipping: $3 to $8 per jersey by air on small orders, under $1 per jersey by sea on large ones.
• Import duty and tax: varies by country. Section 12 covers this in detail.
• Payment fees: 3 to 5 percent on cards and PayPal.

Together, these extra costs usually add 15 to 35 percent to the quoted unit price. To avoid surprises, ask for a landed cost estimate. This means the full price of the order delivered to your door, with the charges above included.

Negotiating as a Repeat Buyer

Prices can drop on repeat orders because the factory still has your artwork, tech pack, and patterns. You don't need to pay for these things a second time. After a successful first order, it's reasonable to ask for 5 to 10 percent off the unit cost, free samples for new designs, or a smaller deposit. Better still, tell the factory how much you expect to order over the whole season. This gives them a reason to offer good terms from the start.

8. The Sampling Process

Key Takeaways

• A pre-production sample is the only way to check fit, color, and print together before the full order is made.
• Budget two to three weeks for a sample, door to door.
• Samples cost $30 to $80 per garment, and most factories subtract this from your final bill if you go ahead with the order.

From Digital Mockup to Bulk

• Digital mockup: a rendered image of your design on the garment template. It's free and you usually receive it in one to two days.
• Pre-production sample: one physical jersey made with the actual fabric, print, and construction you specified. This one you pay for, and it usually takes two to three weeks to arrive, including shipping.
• Bulk production: begins once you approve the sample in writing, using the sign-off process mentioned in Section 5.

This is where sportswear manufacturing punishes impatience. Skipping the sample saves you that two-to-three-week wait, however you won't see the final jersey until the whole order arrives. If there are any color or fit mistakes, they're already in every jersey in the order. For a first order with a new factory, always get a sample before you give them the go-ahead to manufacture the bulk order.

What to Check on a Sample

• Jersey colors against your Pantone references in daylight
• Print alignment at seams and across panels
• Fabric weight and how the fabric feels
• Measurements against the size chart, at chest, length, and sleeve
• Stitching: even, with no loose threads, and flatlock where you specified it
• Labels, tags, and small extras like drawcords and zippers

Finally, wash the sample once and check for shrinkage or color change. If anything is wrong, photograph it and send the photo with a clear description of the fix you want.

Sample Costs and Crediting

Expect $30 to $80 per sample, and more for complex jerseys. As mentioned in Section 7, most factories subtract this cost from your final bill once you place the bulk order. If possible, get that promise in writing. Some factories offer free samples, though usually only after you've paid a deposit on the bulk order.

Turnaround Times

A single sublimated jersey sample can take anywhere from 7 to 14 days to produce and 3 to 7 days to arrive by express. Plan for two to three weeks for delivery. A revised second sample adds the same amount of time. To avoid that delay, get the artwork right the first time.

Common Revision Requests

• Color too dark or too light (fixable with a Pantone adjustment)
• Logo too small or too large
• Body length too short in athletic fit
• Collar style change
• Number font change

Once you've paid the deposit, most factories include one free revision. After that, they charge for each round.

9. Production Lead Times & the Ordering Timeline

Key Takeaways

• A realistic first-order timeline is five to eight weeks from inquiry to delivery.
• When a factory quotes "production time," it rarely includes artwork, sampling, or shipping.
• Chinese New Year adds three to four weeks to orders placed from December to February.

The Realistic Inquiry-to-Delivery Timeline

Expect about five to eight weeks for a first order. Reorders run three to four weeks because the factory already has your approved design and can skip artwork and sampling.

Why "2 to 3 Weeks" Often Means 4 to 6

There is a difference between production time and delivery time. Production time means making the products. It begins once you approve the sample and it ends once the products leave the factory. Delivery time covers everything. It runs from the day you place the order all the way to your front door.

Most buyers think the clock starts the day they place the order. But that's not the case. The extra weeks pile up at both ends of production.

Before production starts:

• Sample shipping: 3 to 7 days by express, each way.
• Revisions: each sample revision adds a full sample round.

After the goods leave the factory:

• Freight: express air takes 3 to 7 days, standard air freight takes 5 to 10 days, and sea freight takes 30 to 45 days. The shipping method you choose decides how long this stage runs.
• Customs: usually 1 to 3 days, sometimes up to 5, but a missing document or a random inspection can stretch it to a week or more.

To cut through all of this, ask every factory the same question: "If I approve the artwork today, what date will the goods arrive at my address?"

Peak Periods and Chinese New Year

Chinese factories close for two to three weeks around Chinese New Year, between late January and mid-February. Workers travel home, and production comes to a full stop.

For you, the delay is longer than the closure itself. In the weeks before the holiday, every buyer rushes to place an order before the shutdown. When the factory reopens, it has to work through that backlog of orders before it gets to yours. That's how a two- or three-week closure becomes a four-week delay for you. Order in December, and you wait in the pre-holiday queue. Order in January, and your jerseys often won't ship until March.

Pakistani factories close around both Eid holidays. During the month of Ramadan, production often slows down. These dates shift earlier every year, so check the calendar for the year you're ordering.

Rush Production and What It Costs

Most factories can finish bulk production about a week earlier. But this comes at an extra charge of 20 to 40 percent of the production cost, and express air shipping adds more on top of that.

Rushing an order may mean you need to skip the sample stage. If anything is wrong, it will show up in every jersey. Only rush an order if it's a reorder because the factory already has the design details and the setup.

What a Real Order Looks Like from Start to Finish

We've run this sportswear manufacturing process thousands of times. Here's how it played out for one real order in April 2026. Here is how it played out for a real order in April 2026. The buyer ordered 64 sublimated football jerseys for a UK amateur club:

• Day 0: We received an inquiry from the contact page on our website. It included a JPEG file of the crest, a JPEG file of the sponsor logo, and photos of the front and back of their last season's jersey.
• Day 1: We sent the quote to the buyer: $14.20 per jersey.
• Day 2: We drew the crest up in CorelDRAW and drafted the full jersey design, front and back. Then we sent it to the buyer for approval.
• Day 3: The buyer asked us to move the sponsor logo higher on the chest. We sent the updated artwork the same day.
• Day 4: The buyer asked for a different number font. We sent the second revision the same day.
• Day 5: The buyer approved the final artwork.
• Days 6 to 14: We produced the pre-production sample and shipped it to the buyer via express air.
• Day 19: The buyer received the sample and asked for a 2 cm longer body on the Large. That was a single measurement change rather than a print or color change, so we didn't need to produce a second sample.
• Day 20: We updated the tech pack and sent it to the buyer for approval. Since no new sample was needed, there was no revision charge. The buyer approved in writing and sent the deposit.
• Days 21 to 36: Bulk production, including a mid-production quality check on day 28 and a final inspection on day 35.
• Day 37: Order shipped by air freight.
• Day 44: Order cleared customs and delivered to the buyer's door.

From beginning to end, the order took 44 days to complete. That's just over six weeks and sits comfortably within the five-to-eight-week range for a first order. The following season the club reordered another 68 jerseys, and we delivered them in just 22 days.

10. Quality Control & Certifications

Key Takeaways

• Certifications tell you that a factory should be good. An inspection tells you your order is good. You need both.
• BSCI and SMETA are audit reports, not certifications. Ask to see the report itself, with the audit date and result visible.
• For first orders above 500 pieces or any order over $10,000, a third-party inspection at $250 to $400 is money well spent.

The Difference Between a Certificate and an Inspection

Buyers tend to treat certifications and inspections as the same thing. They're not, and mixing them up is how you botch a sportswear manufacturing order: a fully certified factory can still ship you a batch of faulty jerseys.

• An inspection covers the batch of jerseys you ordered. It measures the garments, checks the color against your approved sample, and tests print durability. All of this gets checked before anything ships.
• A certificate or audit report proves the factory met a standard at the time of the audit. It says nothing about the batch of jerseys you ordered.

The tables below cover each credential and the inspections you should ask for. BSCI and SMETA are audits that produce a report. They are not certifications. When a factory writes "BSCI certified," it either doesn't understand the scheme or is hoping you don't. Either way, ask to see the report itself. Check the audit date and the result: an A or B grade for BSCI, or a findings list with no critical non-compliances for SMETA.

Factory and Social Compliance Audits & Certifications

Fabric and Product Certifications

One clarification: REACH (EU), CPSIA (US), and Proposition 65 (California) are legal chemical limits. They are laws, not certifications. A factory exporting to those markets must meet them no matter what certificates it holds. A factory advertising "REACH certified" is dressing up a legal obligation as an achievement.

Quality Control: Inspections & Testing

11. Private Label, OEM & ODM for Sportswear Brands

Key Takeaways

• OEM means your design, their production. ODM means their design, your label.
• Get design ownership in writing before you pay a deposit.
• Replica designs of professional kits are a legal risk the factory will pass to you.

OEM vs. ODM vs. Private Label

• OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer): you provide the design and tech pack; the factory produces your jerseys to spec.
• ODM (Original Design Manufacturer): the factory offers existing designs; you choose one and add your own branding.
• Private label: a broad term that covers either OEM or ODM. The finished product carries your brand rather than the factory's.

New brands often start with ODM to test the market, then move to OEM once they know what sells.

Custom Labels, Tags, Hangtags, and Packaging

A branded jersey needs:

• A woven or printed neck label
• A care and content label (legally required in most markets)
• A hangtag
• A polybag or box

Woven labels come from specialist suppliers with their own MOQ, usually 500 to 1,000 pieces. For small orders, that often means printed labels instead. On top of that, custom packaging adds $0.30 to $2 per unit depending on the complexity of the design.

IP Protection and Design Ownership

A word of caution that applies across sportswear manufacturing: any factory you work with can, in theory, produce your design for someone else. You can't eliminate the risk, but these three steps help you reduce it:

1. Sign a simple manufacturing agreement stating that the designs remain your property. Do this before you pay the deposit.
2. Register your logo as a trademark in your home market.
3. Keep tech packs and artwork files under your control rather than only on the factory's server.

Licensing Pitfalls

Reproducing a professional club's jersey, crest, or sponsor layout without a license is trademark infringement. Reputable factories refuse these orders. The ones that accept them have little to lose: it's your name on the import documents, not theirs. If there is any trouble, it lands on you. Original designs inspired by a style are fine. Copies are not.

12. Shipping, Duties & Delivery

Key Takeaways

• Express is best for orders under 30 kg, air freight for orders between 30 and 200 kg, and sea freight for orders above 200 kg.
• Incoterms decide who pays for each leg of the journey and who is responsible if something goes wrong along the way.
• Import duty on polyester sportswear runs 12 to 32 percent depending on the destination. US orders from China carry extra tariffs on top.

Express Delivery vs. Air Freight vs. Sea Freight

These three terms describe how your order physically travels, and they're easy to mix up:

• Express is a door-to-door courier service like DHL or FedEx. The courier collects the package from the factory, clears customs, and delivers it to your address.
• Air freight is cargo space on a passenger plane or dedicated cargo aircraft. It travels from airport to airport, but you or your freight forwarder still has to clear customs and truck the goods to you.
• Sea freight works the same way as air freight, but by ship from port to port: it's the cheapest per kilogram and by far the slowest.

Here's how the three shipping options compare on speed, cost, and order size:

Air vs. Sea vs. Express

A sublimated jersey weighs about 200 grams once packed. To put that in perspective, fifty jerseys come to roughly 10 kg. At that weight, express is the sensible choice.

Incoterms in Plain English

Incoterms are standard trade terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce. They define who arranges and pays for each leg of the journey, and who carries the risk while the goods are moving.

The three you will actually see:

• EXW (Ex Works): you pick up the order from the factory and handle everything after.
• FOB (Free on Board): the factory delivers the order to the port or airport, and you pay for freight, duties, and any import fees.
• DDP (Delivered Duty Paid): the factory delivers the order to your address with duties and taxes already paid.

At clubs and schools, the order is usually handled by a treasurer or office administrator. They don't have an importer account or a freight forwarder, and they've never heard of an HS code. That's why they choose DDP: all they have to do is provide a delivery address and the factory handles everything else.

By contrast, brands that import regularly tend to go with FOB. This can be a lot cheaper because under DDP the factory arranges the shipping and adds its own markup to the price. Under FOB, the brand hires a freight forwarder and pays the shipping cost directly. Forwarders move freight in bulk, so their rates are lower to begin with.

The full definitions can be found on the ICC Incoterms 2020 page.

Import Duties and HS Codes

Customs classifies goods by HS code. Knitted polyester jerseys usually fall under 6110.30 (pullovers, knitted, man-made fibers) or 6114.30 (other knitted garments, man-made fibers). Choosing the wrong HS code can double your duty bill. To be safe, confirm the code with your customs broker before you ship.

As a rough guide, duty on polyester sportswear runs 12 percent in the UK, 12 percent in the EU, and 16 to 32 percent in the US, plus any additional tariffs on goods coming from China. Beyond that, VAT or sales tax applies on top. US tariffs on Chinese apparel have changed several times since 2018, so check the current rate before you work out your costs.

Note: In February 2026, the Supreme Court struck down the 2025 emergency tariffs entirely. But the long-standing Section 301 duties on Chinese apparel remain, and new Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods took effect in July 2026.

Packaging Options

Standard packing is one garment folded in a polybag, 50 to 100 units per carton. Most factories offer several upgrades:

• Size stickers on each polybag
• Team-set packing (each player's full kit bagged together)
• Branded polybags
• Branded retail hangers

Team-set packing costs a little more but saves a volunteer two hours of sorting.

Package Tracking, Insurance Coverage, and Damaged Shipments

All express and air shipments come with package tracking. Sea freight is different: you track the container, not your individual cartons.

Insurance depends on the shipping method:

• Express includes a small amount of automatic cover, usually around $100. Topping up to the full order value costs about 1 percent, with a minimum charge of $10 to $20.
• Air freight includes no insurance, only a legal liability cap of roughly $30 per kilogram. You can get proper insurance through your freight forwarder for about 0.3 to 0.5 percent of the goods value.
• Sea freight also includes no insurance, and the liability cap is a few hundred dollars per package at most. As with air freight, your forwarder can offer insurance for the same 0.3 to 0.5 percent.

Whichever method you use, insurance is worth adding for any order over $2,000. Finally, if the goods arrive damaged, photograph the carton and contents before unpacking further. Then notify both the carrier and the factory within 48 hours.

13. Caring for Sublimated Sportswear

Key Takeaways

• Sublimated print outlasts the fabric it's printed on. The dye sits inside the fiber, so washing can't remove it.
• Heat is the enemy: hot dryers and irons damage polyester and vinyl.
• Most quality complaints trace back to care, not manufacturing. A printed care card prevents them.

Washing Instructions to Share with Players

• Wash inside out in cold or warm water at 30 to 40°C / 86 to 104°F.
• Use standard detergent. Skip fabric softener because it coats the fibers and reduces wicking.
• Do not bleach.
• Air dry or tumble dry on low.
• Do not iron directly on prints, vinyl, or sponsor logos.

Send these instructions to every player, or print them on a card and pack one in every polybag.

Preventing Snags, Pilling, and Fading

Polyester snags on Velcro, zippers, and rough surfaces. To prevent snags, don't wash your jerseys with anything that has Velcro straps, such as shin-guard sleeves and goalkeeper gloves. Pilling, meanwhile, comes from friction in the washing machine. Turn the jerseys inside out before washing to prevent most of it. Fading is the one problem you rarely need to worry about because with sublimated fabric the dye is locked inside the fiber. That said, names and numbers made with vinyl can fade, and the cause is almost always a hot dryer.

Expected Lifespan

A 160 gsm sublimated jersey worn and washed weekly lasts two to three seasons. A 140 gsm jersey lasts one to two. Vinyl names and numbers typically outlast the fabric if dried on low. Spandex blends are the exception: regular hot washing breaks down the elastic fibers, and within 12 to 18 months the jersey loses its stretch. Washing it in warm water keeps its shape much longer.

Why Care Instructions Reduce Complaints

Most quality complaints we receive trace back to care:

• A jersey that shrank after it went through a hot dryer
• A vinyl name or number that peeled after it was ironed
• A jersey that became stiff after it was washed with fabric softener

A care card is the cheapest quality control you can buy. It protects your players' investment and saves you awkward conversations with the factory.

14. What We Manufacture

If you've read this far, you now know more about sportswear manufacturing than most trading companies. The next step is putting that knowledge to work on your upcoming order.

Effective Sportswear produces custom teamwear and brand apparel for clubs, schools, and brands worldwide. Most importantly, every step of your order happens in-house at our factory.

Here is what in-house actually means:

• Design and mockup team turns your idea into a free mockup
• Sublimation printers produce prints that never fade
• Cutting tables cut printed fabric to the size chart you approved
• Sewing lines handle anything from 15 kits to 5,000 pieces a month
• Embroidery machines stitch crests, hats, and other detail work
• Heat presses apply vinyl names, numbers, and sponsor logos
• In-house QC team inspects every garment before packing

We don't outsource anything, so nothing gets lost between factories. Here are some of the products we make for our clients:

• Sports Apparel: uniforms and jerseys for soccer, basketball, baseball, American football, and more
• Athletic Apparel: hoodies, polo shirts, windbreakers, mesh shorts, tennis skirts, and more
• Fan Jerseys: retail-quality supporter wear for baseball, American football, hockey, and basketball

Ready to start? Send us your design or an idea and we'll get back to you with a quote and a free mockup within 24 hours.