The number on the back is the first thing the referee sees, the first thing the commentator says, the first thing that makes your team identifiable on the pitch. And still, at most clubs the question of the right printing technique ends in a quick "flock, like always". Where that convention comes from, and whether it really is the right answer for amateur football, is what I explain here.
"The technique the pros use was never invented for players. It was invented for fan shops."
Why professional clubs use flock and flex, but not for the reason you think
Big clubs produce shirts in the hundreds of thousands, without player names and without numbers. When a fan buys a shirt in the club store and wants their own name on it, the number goes on afterwards with a heat press. Sublimation does not allow that: once the colour is burned into the fabric, nothing can be changed.
Flock and flex film are common in professional football because the retail logic of fan shops demands it. Not because they suit the pitch better. That is a decisive difference.
What this means for amateur football
An amateur club orders once, for its squad. The names and numbers are settled at the moment of ordering. There is no fan shop, no unknown customers, no reorder for changing wishes. The retail logic does not apply. And so neither does the convention that grew out of it.
Sublimation printing: durable, affordable, right inside the fabric
In sublimation printing the colour is burned into the polyester fibre with heat, not onto the fabric but into it. The number becomes part of the shirt. It does not peel, does not fade, does not crack, no matter how many wash cycles, no matter how hard the season. For an amateur team that wears its kit for two or three years, this is the most durable choice. And at NOKTO sublimation is included in the base price of the shirt, with no add-on and no surcharge.
One limit: what has been sublimated cannot be changed afterwards. Anyone who wants to adjust numbers after production needs a different technique.
Flock: velvet character, replaceable
Flock is the classic alternative: a velvety matt surface pressed onto the fabric with a heat press. You can feel the number, and that gives it substance. With proper care flock lasts three to five years. The decisive part: flock can be removed and applied again. If you want to keep shirts flexible, number individual shirts later or expect squad numbers to change, flock is the sensible choice.
Flex film: gloss, metallic, effects
Flex film is the most versatile option visually: a smooth surface with different finishes, whether glossy, metallic or textured 3D pattern effects. It is applied with a heat press as well and can also be replaced later. It is slightly less wear resistant than flock under heavy match use, but offers considerably more design freedom. Good for special kits, events or clubs that want to stand out.
For match shirts in amateur football we recommend sublimation: more durable, cheaper and included in the base price. We offer flock and flex film as a number add-on whenever flexibility or a particular look matters.