Designing a jersey? Admit it, it makes you eager and gives you more satisfaction than you thought. You get to choose what will visually represent a team and more importantly, you know you are designing something that will be worn for exciting activities! When it comes down to it, jerseys are worn as a symbol of sportsmanship and healthy competition. Who wouldn’t love a great deal of the two?
Fabric & Ink
When we talk about colour combination on a shirt, it typically means the colours of the fabric (namely the shirt itself) and the design (inks used). For jerseys, however, colour combination can refer to all the colours of the fabrics alone since fabrics of different colours are normally paired together to create one jersey. In some cases, the colour combination of a jersey may refer to the first fabric’s colour, the second fabric’s colour, and the design ink all at once. That’s how happening picking colours for a jersey can be!
Logo Colours
One way you can go about it is by re-using the colours on your logo. A sports team’s logo typically carries two to three main colours such as blue, red, and yellow. You can use these three colours to be the colour of the base (body), colour of the sleeves and collar, and colour of graphics respectively. If your logo has striking colours, you can stick with the colours on your logo so all the colours on your jersey will match well when combined together. If your logo only has basic colours like black and white to them, you can step up the game and be a bit more creative. Choose a combination of a bright, exciting set of colours or strong, fierce one – whichever you prefer.
Still, you do not have to feel like you are restricted by the colours on your logo or symbol. After all, an average jersey has approximately three to four different colours, with one or two being the main ones.
Sleeve
Think there is nothing much you can do with the sleeves? Think again. Whether you are going for set-in sleeves or raglan sleeves, both can be spiced up to complement the whole look of a jersey. So, pick different colours for the sleeves as well if you want to! Of course, there is nothing wrong with going for a single-coloured jersey. It’s all up to your preferences!
Are we clear about where and which parts of the jersey you can give colour(s) to? If we are, now we’ll share some tips on how to figure out what colours would work well together!
Colour Wheel & Colour Harmonies
A good, harmonious combination of colours normally refers to two colours placed directly opposite of each other (complementary colour scheme) or three colours sitting next to one another (analogous colour scheme) on the colour wheel. However, over the years we have seen sports teams making their appearance in jerseys with irregularly or oddly-matched colours which, surprisingly, still work! Hence, if you would like to experiment with colours that are not exactly opposite each other on the colour wheel, do so.
With all of the above said, below are some of the colour combinations that will work amazing for jerseys!
Mustard Yellow & Deep Purple |
These two colours sit directly across each other on the Colour Wheel, so this colour matching undoubtedly turns out well. Yellow and purple both have a broad spectrum, ranging from the lightest or brightest to the darkest and deepest ones. Mustard yellow and deep purple, in particular, are among the deeper tones of each colour. Despite being located on the ‘deep shade areas’ on their colour spectra, deep yellow (e.g. mustard yellow or gold) and deep purple (e.g. indigo) go well together due to the nature of each colour. Yellow is incredibly bright while purple is calmer and stable. Any design with colours like yellow and colours as dark as purple and blue will almost always turn out eye-catching!
Black & Yellow |
Wiz Khalifa certainly knew what he’s talking about when he dropped Black and Yellow! This bold pairing of colour is one that you simply cannot go wrong with. When paired together, the strong black and exciting yellow bring the best out of each other. Is your team full of energy and thrill? If so, this is what you should go for!
Bright Red & Yellow |
Nothing screams fierceness better than bright red and yellow. Yes, even yellow. Yellow is a pretty flexible colour. When you match it with light blue, you have a colour combination that suits a baby’s crib. When matched with red, you basically get a roaring-lion vibe. If burning intensity is what your team’s image revolves around, this is the kind of colour pairing you would want to go with. Not to mention, yellow on red is visually appealing, which we’re certain you won’t be able to deny.
Bright Teal & White |
Many people wouldn’t think to have their jerseys in white because they are afraid it would look basic, but we believe that’s only because they haven’t found a colour that can stand out better when put on white. Lucky for you, you’ve found this article so you are one step ahead of those people! For this one, we are pairing teal with white. Be bolder than just a black-and-white matching. Also, you might want to ditch the whole notion of white-looks-better-with-dark-colour. As a matter of fact, some bright colours look amazing on white! You just have to pick the right kind of bright colour, preferably one that comes from the Cool group.
Orange & Dark Green |
Just like yellow and purple, green and orange make a great match because they are placed directly across each other on the Colour Wheel. This pairing is particularly gentle and pleasing to the eyes. Since both dark green and deep orange are regarded as the ‘quiet’ colours, it would be best to incorporate these colours if your logo is of brighter colours. This way, all the colours AND your logo will look properly balanced on the jersey.
Bright Purple & Light Blue |
This one’s for the funky and cool team! While this is a mix of two Cool tones, purple and blue can still work together harmoniously. Coupling a light blue and bright, almost neon purple may seem like an odd choice, but you see why it works. This pair is significantly louder and more happening in comparison to other colour combinations. If that’s what your team is all about – being fun – then this is your colour combination!
Turquoise & Peach |
A rather unpopular colour pairing, but you’ll see what I’m talking about when you transfer it onto a piece of cloth. First off, the colours blue and orange are opposite each other on the Colour Wheel. This should say enough, but we’ll go on. The reason why this combination works is that one colour is visibly overpowering the other – and this is not always a bad thing! When you opt for a lighter tone from the Warm colours group, partnering it with another lighter tone (either from the Warm or Cool group) can make your whole jersey feels dull and low-spirited, which is the last thing you would want a team to look like. Hence, the best type of colour you can go for is one that is deeper or darker and specifically from the Cool group. That is what’s going to create a well-balanced dynamic between the two colours.
Red & Off White |
Red and white is a powerful colour pairing. But what’s even better than red and white? Red and OFF WHITE. Some may think we’re playing it safe but no, we’re playing it great, actually. Compared to the whitest of white, off white pairs well with all skin tones and it certainly looks way more natural on one’s body. People who put on white shirts with red-inked design on it are viewed as brave and principled. They don’t mind their design being a little bit louder than others’. Sounds like your team? This is what you’re looking for.
See, you can play around with the colours and have fun along the process of designing your jersey! The background does not necessarily have to be the darker one, and vice versa for the supporting colour(s)! Didn’t find your desired colour matching from this list? Talk to us at Custom Prints & Apparels and we’ll guide you through your best yet Singapore jersey printing experience, as we offer various perks from free mock-ups to free delivery!
