There are two very different things people mean by custom motocross jersey printing. One is adding a name and number to a jersey you already own. The other is having jerseys manufactured with the design built in from the start.

They involve different methods, different costs and different suppliers, and choosing the wrong one is the most common mistake we see. This guide covers both, then walks through the artwork, placement and setup you need before anything goes to print.

Printing an Existing Jersey vs Manufacturing a Printed One

Start here, because everything else follows from it.

Decorating an existing jersey

You buy a blank or branded jersey, then send it to a service that applies your name, number or logos to it. Sometimes you post the garment to them.

Works for: one rider, a jersey you already like, a quick addition before a race weekend.

Limits: the design sits on top of the fabric. Coverage is limited to whatever area the press can reach, so you are adding to a jersey rather than designing one. Sponsor logos are usually charged individually — around $5 to $10 each is typical.

Manufacturing a printed jersey

The design is printed onto flat fabric panels, and the jersey is cut and sewn afterwards. There is no jersey until after the printing is done.

Works for: teams, clubs, brands, anyone who wants a design rather than a decoration.

Limits: minimum order quantities apply, and lead times are longer because you are producing a garment, not decorating one.

The short version: if you want one rider’s name on a jersey you already have, use a decoration service. If you want twenty riders in matching gear with your own design, you need custom motocross jerseys and pants built from scratch.

This guide is mostly about the second route.

The Four Printing Methods

Four methods are used on motocross apparel. Each has a job it does well.

Dye sublimation

Heat and pressure bond the dye into polyester fibres. The design becomes part of the fabric with nothing sitting on the surface.

Use it for: full custom jerseys, team kit, multi-colour designs, anything with sponsor logos or individual rider details.

Requires: polyester fabric. It will not work on cotton.

We cover the process in detail in our guide to sublimated motocross jerseys.

Heat transfer and vinyl

A design is cut or printed onto a transfer material, then pressed onto a finished garment.

Use it for: adding a name and number to an existing jersey, single pieces, fast turnaround.

Limits: the vinyl sits on top of the fabric, so it blocks airflow where it is applied and lifts at the edges over time, particularly under pressure washing.

Screen printing

Ink is pushed through a mesh screen onto the fabric surface. Each colour needs its own screen.

Use it for: simple logos on cotton team wear such as pit shirts, hoodies and casual merchandise.

Limits: setup cost per colour makes multi-colour designs expensive, and it cannot handle a different name on every piece. Not suited to performance race jerseys.

Embroidery

The design is stitched into the fabric with thread.

Use it for: caps, jackets, polos and team casual wear. Premium finish for sponsor logos off the bike.

Limits: adds weight and stiffness, and does not stretch. It is not used on race jerseys for that reason.

Which Method for Which Job

The pattern is straightforward. Anything involving a full jersey design, multiple colours, or individual rider details goes to sublimation. Everything else has a narrower use.

What You Need to Supply Before Printing

Most production delays start here. Getting these right the first time saves a week.

Artwork files

Vector is what we want. AI, EPS or a layered PDF. Vector files scale to any jersey size without losing quality, which matters when the same logo has to sit on a youth XS and an adult 4XL.

High-resolution PNG is acceptable when a vector is not available, at 300 DPI minimum measured at the size it will actually print. A logo pulled from a website is usually 72 DPI and will look soft on fabric.

A screenshot is not a file. Neither is a photo of a sticker. If that is all you have, tell us early and we will redraw it.

Colour references

Send Pantone codes if you have them. “Team blue” is not a specification. If you do not have Pantone references, send a physical sample or an image of something in the right colour.

Expect a small shift from screen to fabric. Your monitor shows colour in light, which is always brighter than dye on polyester. Finished gear looks slightly more muted than the mockup. This is normal and not a printing fault.

Neon and fluorescent colours are the exception worth flagging. They rarely reproduce as vividly as they appear on screen. If a fluorescent is central to the design, ask for a sample first.

Rider details

For team orders, send names and numbers in a simple spreadsheet with one row per rider, matched to their size. Names and numbers become part of the print file, so they are locked in when the design is approved. If you are still finalising a squad’s sizes, our youth motocross jersey sizing guide covers how to collect that list properly.

Placement: Where Things Actually Go

This is where a design that looks good flat can fail on the bike.

Rider name. Standard placement is across the lower back. Keep the area behind it relatively plain, or the name becomes unreadable at speed.

Race number. Back or sleeve, depending on your club’s requirements. Check your series rules before finalising, since some require a specific size or position.

Sponsor logos. Think about riding position, not standing position. A rider spends most of the race leaning forward, which hides the lower chest almost completely. The upper back, shoulders and sleeves stay visible in nearly every photograph. If a sponsor is paying for exposure, put them where the camera can see them.

Seam zones. In cut-and-sew production, panels are printed flat and then assembled. Alignment across a seam can vary very slightly. Critical details such as a race number should sit away from seam lines rather than straddling them.

Team crest. The centre chest works when the design around it is clean. If the jersey has a busy all-over pattern, a solid panel behind the crest keeps it legible.

Common Problems and How to Avoid Them

These account for most of the back-and-forth on custom orders.

Low-resolution logos. A logo taken from social media will print soft and pixelated. Ask each sponsor for their vector file at the start of the project, not after the mockup comes back.

Sponsor files in mixed formats. On a team kit with several sponsors you will get a JPG from one and a PDF from another. Collect them all before design starts.

Colour approved on screen only. If exact colour matters, approve from a sample rather than a digital mockup.

Design changes after approval. Once the print file is built, changing a name or a logo means rebuilding that piece. Confirm the rider list before you approve.

Text too close to the edge. Anything sitting right at a panel edge risks being cut short. Keep text inside a safe margin.

Assuming coverage on pants. Riding pants have reinforcement panels at the inner knee made from leather or heavy-duty synthetics. Those materials do not take sublimation, so a pant design has to be planned around them rather than over them.

What Printing Actually Costs

Printing cost behaves differently depending on the method, and this catches people out when comparing quotes.

Sublimation charges per garment, not per design element. A jersey with ten sponsor logos, a gradient background, a rider name and a number costs the same to print as a plain two-colour one. Everything goes down in a single pass.

Screen printing charges per colour, per position. A four-colour logo in two positions is eight setups. Names and numbers are billed separately per piece.

Vinyl and heat transfer charge per application. Each logo added to each jersey is separate work, which is why decoration services typically price sponsor logos individually.

The gap widens with team size. Twenty riders with individual names, numbers and three sponsor logos is a large add-on bill with screen print or vinyl. With sublimation it is included in the base price of the garment.

Timeline

For manufactured jerseys, printing is one stage inside a longer process:

1. Artwork received and reviewed
2. Design mockup produced
3. Revisions and approval
4. Print files built
5. Panels printed
6. Cut and sew
7. Quality check and packing

The printing itself is fast. What takes time is everything before it getting usable artwork, agreeing colours and locking the rider list. Teams that arrive with vector files and a confirmed roster move through this stage far quicker than teams still chasing a sponsor logo. Work backwards from your first race, not forwards from today.

Conclusion

The printing decision comes down to one question: are you decorating a jersey or designing one? Adding a name to gear you already own and producing matching kit for a squad are different jobs with different methods behind them.

Once that is settled, most of the work is preparation rather than printing. Vector artwork, real colour references, a confirmed rider list and sensible placement will move an order through faster than anything else. At Pamoo Industries we print flat panels before assembly, so designs run edge to edge and every rider’s details are part of the same pass.

Frequently Asked Questions

What printing method is best for motocross jerseys?

Dye sublimation, for anything custom. It handles unlimited colours, full coverage and individual rider names in one pass, and there is no surface layer to crack or peel under track conditions.

Can my existing jersey be printed?

By a decoration service, yes, using heat transfer or vinyl. Full custom manufacturing works differently, since the fabric panels are printed before the jersey is assembled.

What file format should I send?

Vector where possible AI, EPS or layered PDF. High-resolution PNG at 300 DPI is acceptable if the vector is not available.

Do sponsor logos cost extra?

With sublimation, no. Everything prints in the same pass. With vinyl or screen printing, each logo is a separate charge per garment.

Will the colours match my screen exactly?

Very close, but slightly more muted. Screens display colour in light, fabric reflects it. Pantone references get you as close as the process allows.

Can every rider have a different name and number?

Yes, with sublimation. Each garment is printed individually, so names, numbers and sizes can all vary within one order.

Can motocross pants be printed the same way?

The polyester areas, yes. Reinforcement panels at the inner knee do not take sublimation, so pant designs are planned around those zones.

How late can I change the design?

Up to approval. After that the print files are built and changes mean rebuilding them.