Sponsor-logo backs: screens, colors and layout
The sponsor back is where event shirts get expensive or stay cheap. The rule is simple: every ink color on the back is a screen ($20) and more press time. Keep the whole back to one color and ten sponsor logos cost the same as one. Battle Born Clothing prints these every week.
How a sponsor back is priced
| Back | Screens | Back print per piece | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ten logos, all in one ink color | 1 ($20) | $4.59 | The standard. Logos as one-color versions |
| Ten logos, one of them in two colors | 2 ($40) | Quoted per job | The whole back becomes a 2-color print |
| Full-color logos as supplied | Not a screen job | Quoted per job | Goes to DTF; costs more per piece at 48, less setup |
On a 48-piece dark PC61 order, a 1-color front plus a 1-color sponsor back is $15.22 per shirt all-in plus $40 in screens. Every ink color you add to the back is another $20 screen and a higher per-piece rate quoted for the job.
What to ask sponsors for
- A vector logo (AI, EPS, PDF or SVG). Most businesses have one from their sign company or web designer.
- Permission to print it in one color. Nearly every brand has a one-color version of their mark.
- Their tier, so you know how big to make it.
Laying out the back
- Title sponsor at the top, biggest, with the event name.
- Second tier in a row of two or three.
- Everyone else in a grid of equal boxes. Equal boxes end arguments.
- Keep the printable area about 12 inches wide and 14 inches tall on adult shirts. Youth shirts get a scaled version on a second screen ($20).
The two-color sponsor problem
One sponsor insists on their red-and-blue logo. Your options: (1) ask again for a one-color version, which usually works; (2) print the whole back in two colors, which adds a $20 screen and a higher per-piece rate quoted for the job; (3) move the back to DTF, which prints every logo in full color and is quoted per job. At 48 shirts, option 1 is cheapest and option 3 is often second.
Charging sponsors for the back
Many events price the back print into sponsorship. A 48-shirt back at one color is 48 x $4.59 + $20 = $240.32. Split among eight sponsors that is about $30 each. A title sponsor who covers the whole back is paying for the shirts' second screen and then some.
Questions
Can a sponsor logo go on the sleeve instead?
Yes. A sleeve is a third location: $20 screen plus a per-piece rate quoted per job.
What file format do you need for sponsor logos?
Vector (AI, EPS, PDF, SVG) is best. A 300 dpi PNG at print size works for a one-color logo. Website JPGs usually do not.
Can the back be a different ink color than the front?
Yes. Each location is its own screen and ink.