Matching gear makes a team look like a team. Whether it is a netball side, a social touch team, a running club or a one-day charity event, custom shirts and singlets pull everyone together. The hard part is rarely the printing. It is organising sizes, names and money from a group of busy people. This guide covers how to plan it so the order goes smoothly.
Choose the right garment for the activity
Start with what the team will actually be doing in the gear.
- Singlets suit running, touch, basketball, gym and summer events. They keep people cool and leave arms free.
- Tees are the all-rounder. Good for warm-ups, supporters, volunteers and event crews.
- Hoodies work for winter sports, sideline wear and end-of-season gifts.
- Caps are handy for coaches, managers and outdoor events.
Many clubs mix these. Players in singlets, supporters and coaches in tees, and a hoodie for everyone at the end of the season.
Plan the design: logo front, name and number back
The classic team layout is simple and it works. A club logo on the front, a player name and number on the back.
At Mocked Up each side of the garment is one print, so a front logo and a back name and number is two prints. You can add an image or logo for +$25, or text such as a name or number for +$20, on top of the garment's base price. If you want a stitched club crest instead of a print, embroidery is +$30 with a one-off $30 setup, and your file is kept for next season.
A few design tips for teams:
- Keep numbers big and bold. They need to read from the other side of a field.
- Use one colour for names and numbers. Pick the colour with the strongest contrast against the garment.
- Keep names short. Surnames or nicknames work better than full names.
- Check your club logo file. An old, blurry logo pulled from a Facebook page will print blurry. Get a proper version first.
If your logo needs cleaning up, the design service can redraw it as a print-ready file for $25, or digitise it for embroidery from $30. You own the finished file, so the club can reuse it anywhere.
Organise the order before anyone pays
This is where most team orders go wrong. Collect everything in one place before you order. A shared spreadsheet or a simple form works well. For each person, record:
- Name as it should appear on the garment
- Number (check for duplicates)
- Garment type
- Size
- Whether they have paid
Set a firm cut-off date and stick to it. Late additions are the main cause of delays. It also pays to get people to check the spelling of their own name in the list, since a misspelt name cannot be fixed once it is printed.
For sizing, ask people to measure a shirt they already own and like. That beats guessing. Kids and adults often need different garment sizes in the same order, so ask parents to be specific.
Building the order at Mocked Up
There is no minimum order, so you can order exactly the number you need, including a single replacement later in the season. Each garment is customised on its own, which is what makes individual names and numbers possible.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pick the garment, size and colour, then hit Customise it |
| 2 | Add the club logo to the front |
| 3 | Switch to the back and add the player's name and number |
| 4 | Check the live preview, which is true to size |
| 5 | Add to cart and repeat for the next player |
Tick each player off your spreadsheet as you go. It is easy to lose track after the first ten.
Timing, delivery and care
Allow 3 to 5 business days for printing, then tracked courier anywhere in New Zealand. Urban deliveries usually take 1 to 2 business days and rural 2 to 5. Team orders often pass the $200 mark, which means free shipping. Work back from your first game or event date and add a few days of buffer.
Prints are hot-peel DTF at 300 DPI on AS Colour garments, wash-tested to 50+ cycles. To keep them looking sharp through a season, wash inside out in cold water and skip the tumble dryer where you can.
Every garment is made to order, so there are no change-of-mind returns. That is another reason to lock in sizes and spelling before ordering. If something arrives faulty, report it within 7 days and it will be put right.
Ready to kit out the team?
Start with custom singlets or custom t-shirts, and see the print size and placement guide for where names and numbers sit well.