Personalised Jumpers: Knitted or Sweatshirt?
By The Velocity Wear Team
Here's a very British problem. Americans say sweater and sweatshirt, and the difference is clear. In the UK we say jumper for almost anything warm you pull over your head. So when you search for personalised jumpers, you get knitted pullovers, fleece sweatshirts, and a lot of confusion. Let's clear it up.
Knitted jumpers
These are made from yarn on a knitting machine. Think wool, cotton knit or acrylic. They're what your gran might make: textured, often with a ribbed collar, and the traditional Christmas jumper.
- Designs are usually knitted into the fabric or embroidered on top.
- Printing on knitwear is difficult, because the surface is uneven.
- Fully custom knitted designs generally need bigger minimum orders and longer lead times.
- Great for a classic, cosy, heritage look.
Sweatshirt jumpers
These are cut and sewn from jersey fleece, the same family of fabric as a hoodie, just without the hood. A smooth outer face, usually brushed and soft inside.
- Take print brilliantly: screen print, DTF, puff print.
- Embroider cleanly too.
- Much easier to personalise with names or individual details.
- Lower minimums and quicker to produce.
To be clear about what we make: our range is cut-and-sewn sweatshirts and hoodies, not knitwear. If you need a genuinely knitted jumper, that's a specialist knitwear job. For most group orders, though, a sweatshirt is exactly what people picture.
Which one do you actually want?
Ask yourself how it'll be decorated. If you want names, photos, a detailed logo or lots of colour, you want a sweatshirt. If you want a cable-knit texture and the design is simple enough to knit or stitch, you want knitwear.
Budget and timing matter too. For a club, school, office or party ordering 20 to 100 pieces with a few weeks' notice, a personalised sweatshirt is almost always the practical choice.
Personalised sweatshirt jumper ideas
- Embroidered initials on the left chest for staff or a family.
- Names printed across the back for a sports team or leavers.
- A simple embroidered word in a serif font, centred, for a brand.
- A festive printed design for an office Christmas do. More on that in our Christmas jumpers guide.
Family and group ideas
Personalised sweatshirt jumpers are popular for family gatherings, reunions and group holidays. Initials on the chest, a family name on the back, or a simple year and occasion design all work. Mix children's and adult sizes in one order.
Choosing a colour for jumpers
Oatmeal, navy, bottle green and burgundy feel like classic jumper colours and suit winter photos. Grey marl hides fluff and wear. For Christmas, red and green feel festive but date quickly; neutrals get worn all winter.
Washing personalised sweatshirts
Wash inside out on a cool wash and avoid tumble drying on high heat. Printed names and embroidered initials stay crisp for far longer that way.
When you ask for quotes
Say sweatshirt or knitted jumper explicitly, and send a photo of the kind of thing you mean. It saves a round of emails and makes sure the quotes you're comparing are actually for the same product.
Our sweatshirts start at 20 pieces per design with sizes mixed, and take 10 to 15 working days from artwork approval. See prices on the calculator, or read our custom sweatshirts guide for fits and fabrics.
