Custom T-Shirts
Custom Sports T-Shirts for Teams, Events and Races
A race shirt is the piece of kit a finisher actually wears afterwards, and a team shirt is what a club photographs. That makes it a different product from a promotional tee: the fabric has to survive sweat and washing, the print has to sit in the cloth rather than on top of it, and every shirt in the order has to match the medal ribbon, the bib and the bag it ships with.
Sinoawards makes custom sports t-shirts in 145 gsm polyester piqué, decorated by sublimation, heat transfer, screen print or embroidery, from XS to 5XL with children's sizes on request. They are produced for the same buyers as the rest of an event kit — race organisers, clubs, schools, corporate teams and promotional distributors — and packed in the same consignment as the medals and bibs when the order is a full kit.
Key Features
- 145 gsm polyester piqué — light, quick-drying and the standard base for sublimation sports kit
- Four decoration routes — sublimation, heat transfer, screen print or embroidery, chosen per design
- Variable data — each shirt can carry its own name, number and size in a single run
- Colour matched — shirt colour dyed to the same Pantone reference as the ribbon and the bib
- XS to 5XL — unisex and women's cuts, children's sizes on request
- Packed per participant — bagged with the bib and medal where the registration desk needs one bag per runner
- Private label — your brand on the neck print, label, hang tag and packaging
- One shipment — shirts, medals, ribbons and bags on one schedule and one invoice
T-Shirt Specifications
| Fabric | 145 gsm polyester piqué as standard; poly-cotton and heavier cotton on request |
|---|---|
| Weight | 145 gsm — light enough for race kit, dense enough that a sublimation print reads sharp |
| Sizes | Adult XS–5XL, unisex and women's cuts; children's sizes on request |
| Neck | Ribbed crew neck; V-neck and polo collar available |
| Sleeve | Short sleeve with raglan or set-in seam; long sleeve available |
| Decoration | Sublimation, heat transfer, screen print, embroidery |
| Colour | Stock shades from white to black, or dyed to a Pantone reference for the event — see Colours |
| Branding | Woven label, neck print, hang tag and poly bag under your brand |
| Production time | 10–15 business days after artwork and size breakdown approval |
| Shipping | Air express 2–5 days, sea freight 20–35 days, quoted with the order |
Colours: Race Palettes and Dye-to-Match
Most event shirts are ordered in two colours at most, and the palette is usually already fixed by the event brand — a race that runs red and gold through its medals wants the same red on the shirt. The shades below cover the usual request in polyester piqué; anything outside them is dyed to a Pantone reference for the run, so the shirt, the bib and the ribbon all sit on the same colour.
- White
- Black
- Navy
- Royal blue
- Red
- Crimson
- Orange
- Fluorescent yellow
- Forest green
- Grey marl
| Stock shades | White, black, navy, royal blue, red, crimson, orange, fluorescent yellow, forest green, grey marl |
|---|---|
| Custom shade | Dyed to a Pantone reference for the run, with the reference stated on the quotation |
| Matching across the kit | The shirt, bib, ribbon and packaging are approved against one colour reference, so the kit does not arrive in three shades of red |
| Fluorescent and neon | Available in polyester piqué for safety and marshalling shirts; dye lots shift between runs, so the shade is confirmed on the proof |
| Dark garments | Sublimation needs a white or light base, so a black or navy shirt with a full-colour design moves to heat transfer or screen print |
Two-colour kit is the norm for a reason: shirt in the event colour, print in white or white plus one accent. It photographs well at the finish line, it is cheaper to print, and it survives being worn by 5,000 people who did not read the artwork guidelines.
Printing Methods Compared
The method decides the cost, the colours and the garment colours you can use — so it is the first decision, not the last. Most event orders end up using two: sublimation for the shirt and heat transfer for the individual names.
| Method | Best for | Garment colours | Cost behaviour | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sublimation | Full-colour designs, photos and gradients | White and light polyester only | No per-colour setup; the ink becomes part of the fabric | Race tees, club kit, all-over prints |
| Heat transfer | Small runs, individual names and numbers | Any garment colour | Per-piece labour rather than setup | Team rosters, sponsor logos, one-off names |
| Screen print | One to three solid colours at volume | Cotton, poly-cotton and polyester | A setup per colour, cheapest per unit at scale | Promotional shirts, school events, staff uniform |
| Embroidery | Crests, badges and small logos | Polos, heavier knits, caps | Digitising once, then stitching per piece | Club polos, staff uniform, corporate kit |
A practical rule that saves arguments later: if the design has photographs, gradients or more than four colours, sublimation on a white or light shirt is almost always the better route. If the design is two solid colours on a black shirt, screen print wins on price at any serious quantity.
Sizes, Cuts and the Size Breakdown
Sizing is where event orders go wrong, because a "medium" from one supplier is a "small" from another. The measurements actually being used are confirmed on the size chart at proof stage, and the order is built from a size breakdown rather than an average.
| Adult | XS to 5XL — Unisex and women's cuts; measurements confirmed on the size chart at proof stage |
|---|---|
| Children | On request — School and junior club kit; sizes quoted against the same size chart |
| Fit | Regular or athletic — Athletic cut is closer through the chest and shorter in the sleeve |
| Extras | Long sleeve, polo, singlet — Same fabric family, so the kit stays consistent across garments |
For races, send the size breakdown with the entry data: the proportion of smalls to larges is never the same as a club order, and producing to the actual mix is what prevents 200 unsold XXL shirts in a store room.
Design Rules That Save a Reprint
- Vector artwork with fonts outlined — AI, EPS, PDF or CDR; a JPG logo usually has to be redrawn
- Pantone references for every brand colour, plus the shirt colour, so the print and the garment are specified together
- Print area and placement — chest block size, sleeve placement and back panel depth, agreed on the proof
- Sponsor hierarchy — which logo goes on the chest and which on the sleeve; a sponsor moved without notice is the most common reprint cause
- Names and numbers — a spreadsheet with one row per participant, spelling exactly as it should appear
How to Order Custom T-Shirts
Send the artwork, the size breakdown, the shirt colour, the print method and the date the shirts have to be in hand. If the shirts are part of an event kit, send the medal and bib specifications too so the colours and the packing are planned in one pass.
- Choose fabric and method — 145 gsm polyester with sublimation is the default for race and club kit.
- Send artwork and the size breakdown — vector file, Pantone references, and a row per participant if names are needed.
- Approve the proof — print position, colours, sizes and the packing plan, before anything is cut.
- Produce and inspect — print, press, stitch and check, with the print checked against the Pantone reference.
- Pack with the kit — bagged per participant or sorted by size, shipped with the medals, bibs and bags.
Related Products
Frequently Asked Questions
What fabric are the t-shirts made from?
The standard sports t-shirt is 145 gsm polyester piqué, a lightweight knit that takes sublimation print and dries quickly, which is why it is the usual choice for races, school sports days and club kit. Heavier cotton or poly-cotton blends are available for promotional and retail-style shirts where the print method calls for them.
Sublimation or screen print: which should we choose?
Sublimation puts the design into the fabric, so it has no per-colour setup, does not crack, and handles full-colour artwork and photographs on white or light polyester. Screen printing is cheaper once the order is large and the artwork uses one to three solid colours, and it works on any garment colour including black. Heat transfer suits small runs, individual names and numbers, and garments that cannot take a screen.
Can each shirt carry a different name and number?
Yes. Sublimation and heat transfer both take variable data, so each shirt can carry its own name, number and size in one production run — which is what a team roster or a race entry list needs. Send the list as a spreadsheet with one row per participant.
What sizes are available?
Adult XS to 5XL, with children's sizes on request. Because sizing varies between suppliers, the measurements that will be used are confirmed on the size chart at proof stage rather than assumed from the label — particularly for women's cuts, which run differently from unisex.
Is there a minimum order?
It depends on the decoration rather than the shirt. Sublimation has no per-colour setup, so a small run is viable; screen printing carries a setup per colour and becomes economic at volume. The quotation states the minimum for the method, the colour count and the quantity you ask about.
Can the shirts be packed with the medals and bibs?
Yes, and for events this is usually the point: shirts, medals, race bibs and bags made to one colour reference, bagged per participant where the registration desk needs it, and shipped in one consignment. One order, one delivery date, one invoice.
How long does production take?
Around 10 to 15 business days after the artwork and the size breakdown are approved, with shipping on top — air express is normally 2 to 5 days and sea freight 20 to 35 days. Event orders are scheduled backwards from the date the goods have to be in hand.
Do you produce under our own brand?
Yes. Labels, neck prints, hang tags and packaging can carry your brand rather than ours, and the shirts can be supplied as blanks for your own decoration. This is standard OEM production for distributors, clubs and event companies that resell the kit.
Get a Quote for Custom T-Shirts
Send the artwork, the size breakdown and the date you need the shirts. If they are part of an event kit, send the medal and bib details too.
Request a Quote See Custom Medals