How Custom Sportswear Is Manufactured: The 10-Stage Process at ZipaSports

The 10 stages at a glance: timings and what the buyer sees

An order at ZipaSports passes through 10 stages, and the buyer sees something concrete at each: a mockup, a quotation, a sample, photos on request and finally tracking and export documents. The bulk clock starts at design approval and runs 15–25 business days, or 7–12 days on express at additional cost.

Stages 3 to 10 make up the 15–25 business days of bulk production. Video tours of the floor are available on request.

Stage 1 — Brief and free 24-hour digital mockup

Every order starts with a brief, and the ZipaSports design studio turns that brief into a free digital mockup within 24 hours. The brief can be as little as a logo and a sport, or as much as a full tech pack; buyers send a logo, a sketch, a reference photo or just an idea by WhatsApp or email, and the studio does the rest under the free design service.

The mockup shows the garment front and back, the colourway with Pantone references, every print or embroidery placement, and, for teamwear, the full names-and-numbers list laid onto the shirt. Revisions are unlimited and free until the buyer is satisfied, which matters because the approved mockup becomes the reference every later stage is checked against: the strike-off in Stage 5, the decoration in Stage 8 and the final inspection in Stage 9.

Brand founders building a first collection usually send a mood board and a fabric preference; clubs send a crest, sponsor logos and a squad list; distributors send an existing sample to be matched. All three routes end in the same mockup format. The tech pack guide explains what to include if you want to shorten the revision loop.

Stage 2 — Quotation and approval

Once the mockup is agreed, ZipaSports issues a written quotation based on fabric, quantity and decoration method, and production is booked only after the buyer approves both the mockup and the quotation. Prices are not published on this site because the same jersey costs differently in 140 GSM mesh with sublimation than in 200 GSM piqué with embroidery; payment terms and the full quotation are confirmed with your enquiry.

The minimum order is 20–25 pieces per design, lower quantities are possible on request for sample runs and small teams, and there is no MOQ limit for sportswear brands and companies. Buyers who want to handle the fabric and fit before committing can order a physical sample: it is charged at sample cost, takes 5–7 days, and the cost is adjusted against the bulk order.

Approval means three things signed off in writing: the final mockup, the size specification (ZipaSports charts or the buyer's own), and, for personalised kit, the squad list. Bulk production of 15–25 business days is counted from that approval, not from the first enquiry, and the how it works page shows the same steps from the buyer's side.

Stage 3 — Pattern making and size grading (computerised)

Patterns are drafted and graded on computer, so a jersey approved in one size is scaled to every size in the run from the same base without hand-redrawing. A base pattern is made for each style and cut (men's, women's, youth), then graded across the size range: adult XS–5XL, women's XS–4XL and children's sizes, or a fully custom size chart supplied by the buyer.

Grading is where fit consistency is decided. Each size step changes chest, length, sleeve and hem by set increments taken from the approved size chart, and the same pattern file is used for the sample and for bulk, so the sample the buyer measured is the pattern the bulk is cut from. The size chart guide lists the measurements the factory works to.

Sublimated garments get one extra step here: the print artwork is mapped onto each pattern piece with bleed beyond the seam line, so stripes, gradients and sponsor logos land in the right place on every size rather than only on the size the designer drew. The computer then lays the pieces into a cutting marker that Stage 6 follows.

Stage 4 — Fabric sourcing and inspection

Fabric is sourced against the GSM and composition agreed in the quotation, and every roll is inspected for weight, shade and defects before it reaches the print or cutting room. The factory works within standard option ranges for each garment type; the buyer picks the fabric at Stage 1 or 2 and this stage confirms the delivered rolls match it.

Three checks are made on each roll. GSM is verified by cutting a fixed-area swatch and weighing it, because a roll sold as 160 GSM that arrives lighter changes drape and opacity. Shade is compared against the approved Pantone or swatch, and rolls for one order are kept to one dye lot wherever possible. Finally the roll is inspected for holes, slubs, stains and uneven dye, and flagged sections are cut around rather than into garments. GRS-certified recycled polyester follows the same checks and is available on request; the fabrics hub covers every option.

Stage 5 — Printing: sublimation paper to heat press, or dyed fabric for solids

Sublimated garments are printed before they are cut: the artwork from Stage 3 is printed in dye ink onto transfer paper on large-format printers, the paper is laid face-down on white polyester, and a heat press at around 200 °C turns the dye to gas and bonds it inside the fibre. Because the colour is in the polyester rather than on it, a sublimated print cannot crack, peel or fade in the wash. The print room runs both calender (roll) presses for continuous all-over runs and flatbed presses for individual panels.

The first pressed panel is a strike-off. It is compared against the approved mockup for colour, and against the pattern for registration, before the rest of the order is pressed; a photo of the strike-off is sent to the buyer on request. Names and numbers on teamwear are pressed at this stage as part of each player's panel, which is why a sublimated squad of 25 different shirts costs no more effort in the print room than 25 identical ones.

Solid-colour garments skip printing. Their fabric is bought already piece-dyed to the approved Pantone at Stage 4 and goes straight to cutting, with crests and sponsor logos added later at Stage 8. The dye sublimation and sublimation vs screen printing pages cover the choice in depth.

Stage 6 — Computer-controlled cutting

Fabric is cut on a computer-controlled cutter following the marker produced in Stage 3, so every panel matches the graded pattern to the millimetre the software allows rather than to the eye of a hand cutter. Plain fabric is spread in multiple plies and cut in one pass; sublimated fabric is cut after pressing, following the registration marks printed with the artwork so the bleed from Stage 3 sits inside the seam allowance.

Cut panels are bundled by size, and on personalised kit by player, with a ticket that travels with the bundle through stitching, decoration and inspection. This ticket is how a size-M shirt for number 7 stays a size-M shirt for number 7 across a floor handling several orders at once, and it is also what the final inspector reads when checking quantity against the approved order.

Two cutting checks are made before bundles leave the room: a notch check confirming seam alignment marks are present on paired pieces, and a panel count against the order quantity plus the cutting allowance. Heavy wovens such as 600D bag fabric and 8–12 oz gi trousers are cut on the same system with a different blade setting, and reinforcement panels for bag bases and motocross knees are cut alongside the main pieces.

Stage 7 — Stitching lines: which seam goes where

The factory runs flatlock, overlock, coverstitch and lockstitch sewing lines, and the seam type is fixed by the garment, not by operator preference. Lines are organised by garment family so the operators sewing rash guards are not the ones sewing bags, and each bundle from Stage 6 is routed to the line its ticket specifies.

Knits are sewn with ballpoint needles so the needle parts the loops rather than laddering them, and thread is matched to the approved colourway. Woven neck labels and printed size tags are sewn in on the line, and each operator checks the previous operation before starting their own, which is the first layer of the in-line QC in Stage 9.

Stage 8 — Decoration: embroidery, DTF, screen print, rhinestone and tackle twill

Decoration is anything applied after the panel is printed or dyed, and at ZipaSports it is done in-house in Sialkot rather than sent out, so the approved mockup is the only reference in play. Sublimated artwork is already in the fabric from Stage 5; this stage adds crests, sponsor logos, names and numbers on solid garments, and embellishment.

Each decorated piece is checked against the mockup for position and size before it moves on, using a placement template so the crest sits at the same point on a size S and a size 3XL. The printing and decoration hub details every method, and the names, numbers and sponsor logos page explains which method suits which garment.

Stage 9 — In-line QC and final inspection

Quality control runs in two layers: in-line checks while the garment is being made, and a final inspection of finished pieces against the approved mockup, size specification and order sheet before packing. In-line checks happen at the strike-off, at cutting, at each sewing operation and after decoration, so a fault is caught on one panel rather than on a finished shirt.

These five checkpoints match the definitions in the Quality Guarantee, so a piece that would count as a manufacturing defect after delivery is the same piece the inspector is looking for before it. Pre-shipment photos of finished garments are sent on request, and the quality control page describes each checkpoint in more detail.

Stage 10 — Finishing, labelling, packing, export documents and shipping

Finished garments are thread-trimmed, pressed or steamed, folded and packed to the buyer's private-label specification, then shipped from Sialkot with the export documents needed to clear customs. Labelling was sewn in at Stage 7; at this stage hang tags are attached, each piece goes into a polybag with a size sticker, and polybags are packed into cartons by size or by player, with a carton packing list on the outside.

Full private-label packaging is available: woven neck labels, printed size tags, hang tags and branded polybags and boxes, all to the buyer's artwork. Brands selling online usually ask for individual polybags in size-sorted cartons; clubs usually ask for one polybag per player with the name on the sticker so the kit manager can hand it out without opening every bag.

Three export documents travel with every shipment: a commercial invoice, a packing list and a certificate of origin. Air freight by DHL, FedEx or UPS delivers in 5–10 days worldwide with a tracking number sent to the buyer on dispatch; sea freight is used for bulk and takes 3–6 weeks. The shipping policy and the import duties guide explain what to expect at your end.

After delivery: the Quality Guarantee

Quality Guarantee: if any garment arrives with a manufacturing defect, we remake it free of charge — the remake goes into production within 3 days of your report. A manufacturing defect is a print fault (misprint, ghosting, colour off the approved mockup beyond normal shade tolerance), a stitching fault (open seam, skipped stitches, loose or missing trims), a wrong size against the approved size specification, or a wrong garment or quantity against the approved order.

To claim, send photos and your order reference on WhatsApp or email within 7 days of delivery. ZipaSports confirms within 24 hours in business hours, remakes the affected pieces free of charge with the remake in production within 3 days, and ships the replacements at no charge; a credit can be issued instead if you prefer. Minor shade tolerance between dye lots, measurements within the ±1–1.5 cm size-chart tolerance, sizing chosen wrongly by the buyer and wear-and-tear are not defects.

Made-to-order garments carry the buyer's own design and labels, so they cannot be returned for change of mind. The full policy is on the quality guarantee and return policy pages.