Material

Golf balls, tennis rackets, baseballs, helmets, ski boots, arrows, bows, bicycle parts, basketball backboards, hockey sticks, and many other sports products require the use of ink printing. The application of ink printing technology on sports equipment is very extensive. Nowadays, sports equipment is becoming more and more personalized, with many sports product manufacturers, teams, and leagues printing their names, logos, or other text and designs on their sports equipment, baseballs cue.

Customizing sports equipment may be more complex than printing on other items like water bottles or pens. For example, sponsor names on football team helmets, athlete names on the sides of swim caps, or designs on custom surfboards. To successfully print on sports equipment or products, the following points need to be considered:

 

1. What substrate surface do you need to print the ink?

Marabu offers a variety of high-quality and versatile sports equipment inks to choose from. Before selecting the ink, it is important to know on what substrate surface you want to print, such as plastic, rubber, leather, or wood. Then, choose the appropriate ink for printing. Some woods, like baseball bats, may be coated with paint, so keep this in mind when selecting the right ink, as untreated wood and painted wood may require different inks for optimal results.

2. What are the best printing solutions for different printing surfaces, shapes, and uses?

For sports equipment, most printers either use screen printing or pad printing. Screen printing is used for larger, flatter surfaces, such as hockey sticks or surfboards. Pad printing is the more common method used for smaller, curved items like golf balls, baseballs, and footballs.

For pad printing inks, you can choose from Marabu's Tampa Star TPR or Tampa TPU ink series, which are suitable for many sports-related substrates. Tampa Star TPR is highly resistant to sweat and has excellent mechanical resistance, making it suitable for basketball, for example. Tampa Star TPU is a high-gloss, fast-curing dual-component ink with outstanding scratch resistance, chemical resistance, and excellent adhesion, making it the right choice for various balls, including golf balls.

For screen printing inks, you can use Mara Star SR or Mara PU inks, both of which are solvent-based inks. Mara Star SR is the best ink for outdoor durability, with excellent chemical resistance and fade resistance, making it ideal for swimming kickboards or surfboards. Mara PU is a highly corrosion-resistant dual-component ink suitable for indoor and outdoor use, with high chemical resistance and mechanical resistance, making it suitable for ice hockey or baseball.

 

3. What are the attributes and requirements of the sports product to be printed?

Are you printing on a rigid object like a hockey puck or a baseball bat, or on a flexible object like a rubber swim cap? Will the product be used outdoors, such as golf balls, requiring outdoor UV ink to protect it from external factors? Will the product, like baseballs, golf balls, or hockey pucks, be repeatedly struck by hard bats or clubs? Or will it be exposed to chlorine and sunlight like swim caps, requiring resistance to fading or peeling?

 

4. How will the printed sports product be used?

Of course, all sports equipment needs to be durable, but some items need to withstand stronger impacts. For example, hockey pucks are used on cold, wet ice, collide with hard boards, and are repeatedly struck with sticks. They need to be highly durable while also being scratch-resistant and waterproof.

 

Golf balls not only need to be struck forcefully with metal clubs but also need to be water-resistant. Basketball doesn't need to withstand bat hits, but it needs to withstand sweat and the high temperatures of crowded sports arenas or stadiums. Football games are played in various weather conditions, ranging from scorching heat and high humidity to cold temperatures and rainy or snowy weather. Therefore, customized footballs, helmets, and related equipment must be able to withstand these harsh conditions.

 

5. Do you need any pre-treatment or coating for the sports product?

Many sports products do not require pre-treatment, but it entirely depends on the printing surface. Many plastics may require pre-treatment to form a nice, clean, and smooth surface for printing, allowing the ink to adhere effectively. For example, rubber or elastic swim caps may require chemical pre-treatment before printing ink. While most products do not require a topcoat, items like hockey pucks may benefit from applying a transparent coating over the ink for additional protection against the harsh impacts of cold, wet ice, hard boards, and sticks.

 

6. What color of ink do you need?

Marabu offers a wide range of ink colors, including highly glossy inks and matte inks. Our inks are highly flexible and can match any color or achieve the color desired by your customers. Marabu understands the complexity of ink printing on sports equipment, as not every type of equipment is used in the same way. Different sports events take place in different venues or weather conditions, and sports equipment is made from various materials.

 

We can guide you in selecting the appropriate ink and printing method for your customers' sports equipment.