DIY Game Day Jerseys: Step-by-Step Guide for Personalization

Choosing the Right Materials

The first step in crafting your own game day jerseys is selecting the appropriate materials. Since our jerseys are made from 100% polyester, we'll be using HTV (heat transfer vinyl) and Supacolor transfers to decorate them. This brings us to tip number one: always consider the garment type you're working with. Don't assume what worked for someone else will work for you. Your choice of transfer material should align with the fabric you're using.

Designing Your Jerseys

Now, let's set up our design in Leonardo Design Studio. After importing your artwork, you'll see three options. If you need to edit your graphic layer by layer, select "editable artwork." If your graphic is already a vector, choose "cut on only" and adjust the number of colors. Tip number two is to consider creating a stitched or embroidered effect on your designs for added depth.

Once your image is loaded, adjust the media size, ensuring it fits the artboard entirely, and then send the design for cutting. While that's in progress, let's create a Supacolor order for our basketball jersey. Since it's made of mesh black polyester, we'll use Supacolor Blocker, designed to resist bleed and offer elasticity for sportswear. Go to heat.press/Supacolor to upload your artwork and specify media specifications such as size, garment type, and color. Tip number three: use a well-lit photo of your garment to match colors accurately, ensuring consistency in your jersey's color scheme.

Applying Your Graphics

With your designs cut and weeded, let's apply them to different spots on the jersey. Align the design on a flat surface to check placement before pressing. This is crucial to ensure you're satisfied with the positioning. Press the first layer for three to five seconds, add a second layer, and press again for a short duration. Finally, cover both layers with parchment paper and press for the full 15 seconds. Repeat this process for each location you want to customize.

For Siser EasyWeed, you can create one-offs for your customers without waiting for pre-made transfers. All you need is vinyl, a plotter, and a heat press. The settings for using Siser EasyWeed can be found in the video.

Next, let's take the orders we received from Supacolor and press them onto our mesh basketball jersey. Supacolor offers quick turnaround, and the press settings for Supacolor Blocker are provided in the video. Center your graphic, press down with firm pressure, and perform a hot peel as soon as the timer ends. Repeat this process for the back jersey number.

Game Day Ready Jerseys

Once you've completed these steps, you'll have two fully customizable jerseys ready for game day, made to last. We took advantage of Siser EasyWeed HTV and the seamless process of Supacolor transfers to decorate these jerseys. If you're interested in any of the materials used in this tutorial, you can find them linked in the description box below.

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