by Matt DeLaere, Marketing

It’s August (already!) and kids will soon be returning to school – and to the football field. For helpful hints on decorating everything from uniforms to practice gear, to fan and spirit wear, be sure to turn to our recently remodeled How to Decorate Football Uniforms page.

A few weeks ago we had a blog post covering football practice gear decoration. Today we turn to game day, and how to help customers’ teams put their best foot(ball) forward.

Stahls’ range of products can help you increase profits and gain returning customers by decorating football players from top to bottom. Customers may already be coming to you for personalized jerseys, but you can help them customize helmets, gloves, pants, and even shoes using heat transfer materials and full color digital transfers.

Heading up the football uniform (literally) is the helmet. Football helmets typically feature a team logo on one or both sides, and player numbers on the back (or, in some cases, the sides). CAD-PRINTZ^® Full Color Custom Helmet Stickers are a great solution for football logo decals. For helmet numbers, try Full Color Helmet Number Stickers. Both products are digitally printed and can be ordered in unlimited colors, with no per-color fees.

The heart of the football uniform (literally) is the jersey. Because of the high contact in football, any personalization must look good and be built to last. If your customers are looking for a sewn personalization option, we recommend Poly-TWILL™. With a heat-activated adhesive, the letters and numbers can be tacked into place with a heat press before sewing for final application.

For a no-sew option, Thermo-FILM^® heat transfer material is the way to go for cotton and polyester jerseys. This tough material resists abrasion and dye migration, meaning it will stay on jerseys no matter how tough the game is, and maintain their true colors, no matter how rich the colors underneath.

Stahls’ recommends using Pre-Cut Numbers for the back and shoulder, and Pre-Spaced Text for the player name and jersey-front team name. Thermo-FILM and Poly-TWILL are available in both options.

While the helmet and jersey are the most recognizable parts of a football uniform, the pants really give legs to the the team look. Football pants are often constructed with nylon, making Thermo-GRIP^® the material of choice. Whether you’re applying player numbers or team names in pre-cuts, or placing the team logo cut with a vinyl cutter (or custom cut from Stahls’), Thermo-GRIP will resist the wear and tear associated with football, keeping the logo looking sharp all season.

Decorating accessories goes hand in glove with jersey personalization. To decorate that glove, use CAD-PRINTZ^® full color digital transfers. They apply to a wide range of materials, from cotton and polyester to neoprene and leather. They’re perfect for designs with shading and color gradients, and there’s no per-color fee.

For shoes, a team logo or player numbers in heat transfer material can help complete the uniform. Decorating footwear is easy with the 6″ x 15″ Hotronix^® Shoe Platen. Simply cut a design (or number) up to 2″ x 4″ on your vinyl cutter (a great use for scrap material), and print one pair of shoes at a time.

When decorating for this fall’s football season, don’t stop at the jersey. Use Stahls’ products to make players look great from head to toe.

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