Custom Transfers for Performance Apparel

Performance wear has become very popular for both athletic wear and casual apparel, but decorating it can be a challenge. Sold under brand names such as Under Armour®, Nike®, Adidas®, Teamwork® and Augusta®, or under its attributes dry fit and moisture wicking, there’s a custom transfer type to help you outfit your team.

Performance wear is typically 100% polyester fabric making it perfect for a few types of transfer application. Basically there are two types of performance wear—loose fit, that fits like a t-shirt, and compression, or tight fit that stretches tightly against the skin.

All of the Transfer Express products can be used to decorate loose fit. The product just needs to be able to withstand a temperature of 340° F or 365° F depending on the product for perfect application.

For tight fit or compression performance wear, you will need a print that will stretch. For screen printed transfers, Elasti Prints will stretch with the fabric. Elasti Prints is recommended when printing in a single color or spot multi-color.

For full color options, UltraColor Soft can be used for 100% polyester.

For apparel containing spandex or nylon, you’ll want to switch over to the UltraColor Stretch transfer type.

Elasti Prints and the UltraColor line of full color transfers all of a low temperature application that is good for heat-sensitive polyester.

Choosing the Right Performance Wear Fit and Transfer Type

It is approaching that time of year when your customers will have new year’s resolutions to get in shape and will need some of the wholesale performance wear you can now offer to wear during their training.

It’s not only tricky to find the right performance wear fit your customer is looking for – but also knowing which transfer type is appropriate for that garment.

Fitness Apparel Benefits

So, why go with performance wear over a standard t-shirt? Here is a definition of the benefits our performance wear has:

Moisture Management – this fabric wicks away moisture keeping your body cool and dry
True Hue Technology – designed to prevent dye migration making decorating more efficient
Odor Resistant – repels odors
4 way Stretch – allows for increased mobility

Fitness Apparel Fit Choices

Determining the performance wear fit you desire is an important choice.

Here is the definition of the different fits we offer:

Compression – Compression products hug the body
Fitted – Stretch to fit the body, but not to the degrees of compression
Semi-Fit – Flow over the contours of the body
Relaxed – Does not hug the body, these fit loosely

The Performance T-Shirt Choice

Port & Company’s Performance Tee, style PC380, is 100% polyester with moisture-wicking technology to keep you both dry and comfortable. It is available in 15 color choices including neon orange, neon blue, neon yellow and neon green. Size choices are from S-4XL, and is also available in a ladies cut (LPC380) and Youth (PC380Y).

The Transfer Choice

The choice to decorate it is the plastisol transfer, Elasti Prints. Elasti Prints applies at a low temperature which will prevent the dreaded scorch marks. On the polyester you can adapt the application instructions to a low temperature of 290 degrees and it is applied for 15 seconds, and peeled cold. Elasti Prints allows some stretch, perfect for this performance t-shirt.

The Art

To order your Elasti Print transfer for application on performance wear, you can either send your own art or use our online designer. The designs in these photos are both layouts that are ready to customize in just a few seconds. Change the text, choose your art, color and size, then add to cart to place your order.

Elasti Prints Performs For Performance Wear

If you’re in the business of garment decoration, and let’s assume you are, the odds are pretty good that you’ve stumbled across performance wear. And if you haven’t yet, you’re going to soon.

You have to wonder if the inventors of performance wear knew where it would be today when they were coming up with it back in the mid to late 90’s. What started as a sweat-proof garment for football players to wear under their uniforms has become so incredibly popular that garment manufacturers are actually making casual clothing out of performance fabrics as well.

First, you might wondering, “Why? What’s the big deal?” The general public has taken a shine to performance wear for the same reasons that the very first football players did when the concept was born in the 90’s. Performance fabrics naturally pull moisture away from your skin and to the top of the garment (this process is called “wicking”). This allows the sweat to evaporate off the garment surface, keeping you dry while still keeping you cool.

Wearing the fabric close to the skin allows the garment to work the way it needs to which isn’t a problem because on top of all the other benefits, performance wear is light weight as well.

After the concept caught on in football, it took other sports by storm as well. As the demand grew, so did the range of garments made out of performance fabrics.

Compression that squeezes for blood flow, fitted so sweat can be wicked away easily, and loose for full range of movement while still allowing for the benefits of performance fabric. T-shirts, long sleeves, and tanks. Lightweight for heat, heavyweight for cold, even polo shirts that allow professionals to remain cool and dry while still looking business casual!

So here’s the challenge: How do you decorate it? The sports world is evolving to the point of actually using performance wear as warm up jerseys or in some cases the actual jerseys themselves. So we’ve reached a point where you need to be able to put out a quality decorated performance wear garment. Thankfully, we have the solution for you! Your 100% polyester performance wear can be easily decorated with our Elasti Prints screen printed transfers.

Our Elasti Prints are pressed at a cool 290°, allowing them to decorate heat sensitive materials without scorching or melting them.

Ever try to press on a polypropylene tote bag? Did you know they melt at 300°? Elasti Prints temperature allows them to easily decorate these totes as well as our industry’s big up-and-comer, performance wear.

In addition to this, as the picture below shows, Elasti Prints are very vibrant, keeping their color bright even on black performance wear. If you’ve ever worked with neon colors before, you know they can be finicky. But with the Elasti Prints the colors are bright and retain their neon look without having to take any additional steps. And let us not forget the special feature that Elasti Prints are named for: they stretch! As long as your performance wear is 100% polyester, our Elasti Prints will move with the garment and rebound nicely.

That’s right – those are neon colors on a black performance wear shirt. And they’re bright, thanks to Elasti Prints.

So when you stop and think about it, our Elasti Prints tackle all the challenges you’ll find when you’re trying to decorate your performance wear. They stretch, they apply at a low temperature, and they stay bright.

There are even number styles offered in Elasti Prints ink type, which offer all the great benefits of Easy Prints Number product, but with the versatility of Elasti Prints. With Champ Pro, you can easily decorate the front of your performance wear and number the back without a problem.

Interested in getting a sample of our most versatile screen printed product? Get a sample so you can try it yourself!