A jersey is read from a distance: from the boundary, the stand, a photograph. Placement is what makes it readable.
The crest
On the left chest, over the heart, is the convention in most sports. A centred crest works for a bold, simple mark. Keep it the size of a palm: big enough to read in a photo, small enough to leave room for a sponsor.
The name
Above the number, on the upper back, in capitals. Use surnames or short names; a full name in small type disappears at twenty metres. Decide one rule for the team (surname, first name or nickname) and apply it to everyone.
The number
- Cricket: large on the back, under the name. Many teams add a small number on the front or sleeve.
- Football: large on the back; leagues often ask for a small number on the front and on the shorts.
- Basketball: on the front and on the back, as almost every league requires. Check your league's rules before the design is drawn.
The number should be the strongest contrast on the jersey: a dark number on a light body or the reverse. Outline-only numbers on a busy pattern vanish.
Sponsors
Agree positions before the design, because sponsors pay for specific places:
- Front chest: the main sponsor, the most visible spot on the jersey.
- Sleeve: a second sponsor, readable in close-up photos.
- Upper back, above the name, or lower back: a third.
- Collar or back neck: a small one.
Send every logo as a vector file if you can, and agree the colours: a sponsor may insist on its own colours, which then have to sit on your body colour.
Common mistakes
- Too many logos, so nothing reads.
- Thin fonts that fill in from a distance.
- A pattern running behind the number.
- Two players with the same number.
Every position is agreed on the mockup before anything is printed. Start on cricket jerseys, football jerseys or basketball jerseys.
