Custom designed jerseys for big riders?
 

I'm planning a charity tour, requesting donations (money, blankets, clothes, toiletries) from friends/family and anyone else who wants to help for homeless veterans. I'd like to have a couple custom designed jerseys to wear while I ride through towns to promote the awareness of veterans returning from war to find their job has been eliminated and are now home less. I have a simple design, with my logo on the front (a soldier holding a M16 with an American flag in the background with a caption saying "what am I fighting for?" and on the back, unrelated to the purpose of the tour, I've thought about putting "Give us a Brake" over a transparent brake pedal as a subliminal message to the erratic drivers out there.

Anyway, I tried searching Google and only came up with a couple results all requiring minimum orders of 30 short sleeve jerseys. Obviously I won't need that many, I was thinking 10-15 ( Maybe more, as I can sell a couple at a bike store nearby ).

If I can't find a company that'll print a small number of custom jerseys, my local graphic art place is willing to work with me to print up some basic DriStar (wicking fabric) t-shirts but they've never used that fabric before so they can't guarantee the quality of the design.

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer.

Check out AKApparel in Ohio. Why Choose AK Apparel - AK Apparel

I used them in 2012 to make a run of 6 or 7 jerseys with corporate logos and custom colors and they did a great job. Their website says no minimums, so you should be able to do a small run or even a "one-off" to suit your needs. Go to the web address I posted above and click on the "flexible ordering" link.

They will want your design in vector artwork (EPS format) and they can do this for you at a cost. But I found a free website online that did the conversion and it worked great. All the guys that got one of the jerseys I designed and had done at AKApparel were really pleased with them.

They have a good size selection, too. http://www.akapparel.com/custom-appa...ible-sizes.php Our order ran from L to XXL and it looks like they can go bigger if needed. They have "Tall" sizes as well.

I thought the turn around was very quick - after I finished the design online and got the artwork formatted properly, I placed our order on 07/13/2012 and I was shipping the jerseys out to our individual riders by 08/03/2012.

Good luck and I salute your endeavors. I can envision your front design, but I'd change the design on the back to tie in with your message. You'll miss a lot of free advertising by not putting your message there (look at the MS bike jerseys online for ideas).

The custom jerseys we got for the forum came from champ-sys.com and if I recall, the minimums weren't terribly onerous. I've got three different jerseys from that company now and I'm pretty pleased with each of them.

Order Minimums

You may wish to reconsider your desire to have different jerseys and just have multiples of the same one.

How do veterans return from war to find their job eliminated? They're all in the army (or the Navy, which is much cooler btw), that is their job? I assume you're referring to veterans of earlier wars that are currently homeless? Anyway, as a total sideline, it might be better and easier for you to find an established charity that does support the cause you believe in and work with them. That would free you up from having to deal with any tax or legal implications and also lend more credibility to your efforts for people who don't know you personally, and maybe broaden your reach. Just a thought.

Many of the vets currently serving overseas are called up National Guard and Reserves. It has been this way for years.

Ah, I totally forgot about those folks - thanks for the reminder.

Thanks for the links guys.


I'll probably end up go see an administrator at the nearest VA hospital about ways to fund raise on the behalf of homeless veterans legally, if nothing else to get some advisement. Something I probably should've done before I started making t-shirt/jersey designs