Minor Leagues Debut Major Sublimated Designs

by Matt DeLaere, Marketing

Sports jerseys are a big deal here at Stahls’, and we know that they’re a big deal for you, too. In the past, we’ve highlighted some crazy minor league jersey promotions and now, with baseball season in full swing, we’re continuing that tradition.

Back at the end of May, a couple of spooky jerseys took the field as the AA New Britain Rock Cats donned jack o’lantern jerseys for “Halloween Night” and the AAA Toledo Mud Hens celebrated “Ghostbusters Night” with jerseys that would make Egon proud.

[Image from http://www.facebook.com/nbrockcats]

The Rock Cats went all out – this isn’t some orange jersey with yellow triangles for eyes and nose, oh no it isn’t. Not only are the jerseys striped to simulate a real pumpkin, the collar area is green to simulate the leaves and stem (official name: peduncle – your fun fact for the day). On the right sleeve is a black cat vector image, and each jersey’s nameplate features the word “Boo” in place of the player name.

 

[Image from http://www.milb.com]

 
The Mud Hens wore sublimated jerseys designed to mimic the uniforms worn by the “real” Ghostbusters, complete with backpack straps and ectoplasm stains.

 
 
 

 

[Image from http://www.facebook.com/MemphisRedbirds]

On June 7th, the AAA Memphis Redbirds paid tribute to their namesake city in Egypt with special uniforms. The tribute jerseys feature the gold and blue stripes of the nemes, the headcloth worn by ancient Egyptian pharaohs (think of King Tut’s sarcophagus). The falcon-headed god Horus is shown, modified with the head of the team’s cardinal mascot, and the city name is spelled out in hieroglyphics.

 

 

[Image from http://www.milb.com]

This Friday, the AAA Lehigh Valley Ironpigs, they of the bacon-themed uniforms, will turn their attention from the pig pen to the Batcave, and don Batman-inspired jerseys for “Superhero Night.” The famous Batman crest has been modified for the uniforms, with the bat replaced by a pig.

 
 

 

[Image from http://www.journaldequebec.com]

And this past Thursday, as the hockey season was winding down, the independent Québec Capitales and St. Paul Saints baseball teams faced off in hockey-themed jerseys. The Capitales wore jerseys inspired by the defunct Québec Nordiques, while the Saints wore jerseys inspired by the Minnesota North Stars (now known as the Dallas Stars). In the picture at left (you can click to enlarge), a Capitales player bats wearing the Nordiques-themed jersey, while Saints players watch from the dugout.

From youth leagues all the way to the majors, sports uniforms are getting increasingly elaborate. From bright colors to sublimated designs, you can be prepared for whatever your customers request with Stahls’ products.

 
 
Whether you’re creating custom designs with a vinyl cutter or customizing jerseys with Pre-Cut Letters and Numbers, Stahls’ Thermo-FILM® heat transfer material is an excellent choice for sublimated polyester garments. Its special low-bleed formula resists dye migration, plus it’s abrasion-resistant, making it durable enough for even the toughest full-contact sports.

To print your own full color logos with a print/cut system, CAD-COLOR® SuperTEK™ Sublistop™ printable heat transfer material is the way to go, especially for high-tech performance materials. Its adhesive, ONYX STiX2™, features a charcoal-based lining which inhibits bleed-through from sublimated dyes. Plus, it has excellent stretch and recovery, and will apply to specialty materials like Lycra®/spandex without damaging the garment.

For full color logos with an embroidered look, try CAD-PRINTZ® Perma-TWILL™ or Texture-TWILL™. These twill full color digital transfers apply with just a heat press, and can be sewn for a finished embroidered look.

Keep these choices in mind the next time a customer needs you to decorate a hot pink softball jersey or a digital camouflage basketball uniform. With Stahls’ decorating solutions, you can accept every order, from the Tigers to the Pharaohs to the Purple People Eaters.

 

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