There are a number of different ways to print onto a t-shirt, for example screen printing, direct-to-garment, vinyl, transfers and sublimation. All of them have various pros and cons. Below I have to outline some of the pros and cons of some of the methods, but it is by no means a definitive list. At Your Sportee we design and print sports t-shirts, so it has been written from a slightly sports-focused angle (of course!).

+ Most common technique for printing on cotton t-shirts
+ High quality
+ Durable
+ Cost effective (if printing lots of t-shirts)
- Limited number of colours
- Not suitable for one-offs and small runs
- Limited resolution of design
- Heavy feel of print
- Effects breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric

Direct-to-Garment 

+ Prints directly onto fabric
+ Good for one-offs and small batches
+ Full colour printing
- Affects breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric
- Does not print well onto polyester
- Works best on lighter coloured fabrics

+ Can produce complex designs
+ Full colour printing
- Longevity of print - can crack and peel
- Not as heavy as screen printing, but still has obvious feel of print
- Affects breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric

Vinyl

+ Bold, vibrant colours
+ Good for small batches
+ Great for lettering
- Heavy feel of print
- Limit number of colours
- Limit detail
- Affects breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric
- Longevity of print - can crack and peel

Digital Vinyl Transfer 

+ Bold, vibrant colours
+ Full colour prints
+ Good for small batches
- Heavy feel of print
- Affects breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric
- Longevity of print - can crack and peel

Sublimation

+ Can produce complex designs
+ Full colour printing
+ Durability
+ Good for one-offs and small runs
+ Does not affect feel of fabric
+ Does not affect the breathability and moisture-wicking of fabric
- Works best on lighter coloured fabrics
- Cannot be used on 100% cotton

From this quick run through, you can see why we use sublimation at Your Sportee. The other techniques all have excellent uses for various different types of t-shirts. But for sport and exercise, sublimation is by far the best to produce t-shirts that have designs on that don’t affect the performance properties of the t-shirt (or you!).

At Your Sportee we only use sublimation printing. If you want to find out more please checkout the site, shop and follow us on social media. We always want to hear comments and feedback.

Oats are a go-to breakfast for many sports people. If an athlete is asked what they have for breakfast, one of the most frequent answers is porridge. I often find the thought of sweating through hot porridge in the morning pretty unappealing. So here is a simple way to make your own granola, rich in oats and nuts and seeds to give you a great start to the day.

Oats are great - slow release carbohydrate (low glycemic index), high in fibre, digestible fibre (beta glucan), protein, antioxidants, rich in vitamins and minerals and the list goes on. Starting the day with oats can help ensure you feel fuller for longer, giving you the energy needs to train hard (or just make it to lunchtime!) and full of goodness!

Sportee Granola

Ingredients

• 250g Oats
• 150g nuts (to be cheap I sometimes use mixed chopped nuts, but cashews/pecans are great)
• 150g seeds (pumpkin and sunflower seeds work well)
• ½ tsp salt (adds good flavour, but omit if you want!)
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ nutmeg
• 5 tbsp of good olive oil (adds great flavour, but can be reduced)
• 3 tbsp runny honey
• 200g raisins

 Method 

1. Preheat oven to 150 deg C, Gas Mark 2.

2. Mix dry ingredients in bowl (oats, nuts, seeds, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg)

3. Mix in olive oil and honey

4. Cover large baking tin with baking paper

5. Spread dry ingredients over baking sheet and put into oven for about 30 min, stirring halfway through.

6. Remove from oven when mixture is starting to brown and allow to cool.

7. Mix in raisins and store in a suitable container!

 Serving suggestions: Great with milk or yogurt, add fresh fruit for added goodness and flavour.

For the average person, not a lot of thought goes into the printing process used to create the designs and logo on a t-shirt they want to buy. This is because they often do not know enough about the different printing processes, and don’t realise the comfort and performance implications of these.  

However, it goes without saying that for exercise comfy clothing is really important, just ask anyone who has done a long run with a chafing logo over a nipple or wears a heavy cotton t-shirt that becomes sodden and heavy with sweat (nice mental images...). Nowadays we want sport t-shirts to be light, comfy, quick drying, moisture-wicking,….the list goes on. A major problem with most printing techniques is that they will affect some or all of these ‘technical’ qualities - not ideal for sport and exercise. 

Most people have experienced wearing a t-shirt that has a printed design on it, maybe a logo, words or image. Because most printing techniques need to be applied over the fabric, the print feels heavy, is noticeable against skin, blocks the breathability and moisture-wicking of the fabric and often has a limited number of colours available. 

Sublimation printing is different. The ink (or dye) that is used to produce the images and text actually dyes the individual fibres of the fabric so you cannot feel the print on the fabric, the breathability and moisture-wicking properties are not compromised and you can print in full colour and high detail. This makes sublimation a no brainer for a t-shirt designed for sport! 

One of the main negatives with sublimation printing is actually a benefit for sport t-shirts. Sublimation printing needs to be onto a t-shirt made of a synthetic fabric (eg polyester). For everyday t-shirts this is a negative as people generally prefer to have a t-shirt made of cotton. However in sport, polyester is the most popular material to have; it has all the technical qualities listed above to ensure you stay comfortable and maximises your performance. 

At Your Sportee we only use sublimation printing. If you want to find out more please checkout the site, shop and follow us on social media. We always want to hear comments and feedback. 

Eddie

Your Sportee