Last NFL team to wear ...

[Gothamite]

Like a few people said, there were several teams still using non-stitched numbers in 2001. Technically, the game unis were "heat-pressed" layers applied on top of one another, while store replicas were screenprinted. I have a circa-2001 Bills authentic and you can see each layer peel off the one beneath it.

I prefer screenpinted Champion replica jerseys over the current stiff Nike replicas... the $100 price tag isn't doing the new jerseys any favors, either.

Just outta curiosity- what is the difference between 'heat-pressing' and 'screen-printed' graphics?

http://www.customsportsteamuniforms.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-screen-printing-and-heat-press/

The old screenprinted replica jerseys (think Champion-era) had one layer total for an entire number while a heat-pressed jersey (think Sandknit or Reebok's 2001 authentics) would have a separate layer for each color, just like stitched uniforms, but pressed with heat instead of stitched together.

For example, if the Ravens heat-pressed their numbers, the drop shadow behind the numbers would be its own fully established printed layer. The white number itself would be another layer pressed on top of the last. If the Ravens screen-printed their numbers, they would print all the colors as one layer and only the black that shows past the number would actually be printed.

You can heat-press a multicolored design on jerseys now. Numbers wouldn't have to be multi-layer anymore, even if they involved multiple colors. Think of it as a higher-tech version of the old t-shirt transfers people used to iron on.

They use a heat press at the NFL Draft now, to prepare jerseys for picks to hold up:

[WavePunter]

Screen printing is essentially painting onto the jersey using a stencil (or several stencils, each representing a different color), while heat pressing is essentially taking pre-cut vinyl patches and ironing them onto the jersey with a giant heat press (either a single printed layer, multiple layers stacked on one another, or multiple pieces cut to fit together like a puzzle, so it looks multi-layer, but is actually only 1 total layer)..

Once they're both applied and cured, they look similar, but a screen print number can wear off (fade, crack, etc) while a heat press number will simply begin peeling off until re-heat-pressed if need be

[oldschoolvikings]

Silk Screen...

Also, this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSkQnOUH10w

I worked at a screen printing sweatshop waaay back in the late 80's/early 90's. Not my favorite job.

[oldschoolvikings]

As for sleeve stripes, I think the Roman is right about the three current methods. You have the Steelers and Lions (and up until this disastrous year, the Browns) who wear stripes that are directly woven into the fabric of the sleeve, the same way they put stripes into a sock...

Personally, I think easily looks best. In this case, the stripe looks smoothly integrated into the sleeve because it's all one material, literally. Also, at one time, this is how every jersey was constructed...

Beautiful.

The Vikings (and Colts, Rams, and Panthers, if you count shoulder stripes) use a sewn in insert...

Also, pretty nice, if done well, by a manufacturer who's trying (in other words, not a counterfeiter).

But these days, most stripes are screened onto the flat fabric that will become the sleeve, before the jersey is constructed. The Giants, Niners, Packers, Cowboys, etc. all do this, and I've never liked it. Back in the late 70's thru the 80's, when both the numbers and the stripes were typically screened, it wasn't that noticeable to me. But now, with everyone sewing on the numbers, that slick, shiny look of the screened stripes looks really cheap to me.

I'd love it if every team went with the Steelers' method. it just looks more professional. (And by the way, the ugly way the Steelers' stripes get cut off has nothing to do with how the stripes are applied. That just happens because the team has been especially stubborn about not reducing the stripes' overall size.)

[Gothamite]

Yeah, the Packers' stripes look like hell. Hate them.

[TheOldRoman]

Like I said, it's probably because I'm a '90s kid, but I think there's a certain charm to shiny, screenprinted stripes. Particularly with the Packers' dazzle mesh shoulders and sleeves, I think it looks great.

[johnnysama]

One other fun fact: During the 1980s, the New York Jets had huge-a** stripes done as a sewn-in insert, but when they added black as an accent color in 1990, they became screened on until the change to more-or-less their current unis in 1998.

[ConcreteCharlie]

Like I said, it's probably because I'm a '90s kid, but I think there's a certain charm to shiny, screenprinted stripes. Particularly with the Packers' dazzle mesh shoulders and sleeves, I think it looks great.

I like the Cowboys stripes too

[johnnysama]

As for sleeve stripes, I think the Roman is right about the three current methods. You have the Steelers and Lions (and up until this disastrous year, the Browns) who wear stripes that are directly woven into the fabric of the sleeve, the same way they put stripes into a sock...

Personally, I think easily looks best. In this case, the stripe looks smoothly integrated into the sleeve because it's all one material, literally. Also, at one time, this is how every jersey was constructed...

Beautiful.

The Vikings (and Colts, Rams, and Panthers, if you count shoulder stripes) use a sewn in insert...

Also, pretty nice, if done well, by a manufacturer who's trying (in other words, not a counterfeiter).

But these days, most stripes are screened onto the flat fabric that will become the sleeve, before the jersey is constructed. The Giants, Niners, Packers, Cowboys, etc. all do this, and I've never liked it. Back in the late 70's thru the 80's, when both the numbers and the stripes were typically screened, it wasn't that noticeable to me. But now, with everyone sewing on the numbers, that slick, shiny look of the screened stripes looks really cheap to me.

I'd love it if every team went with the Steelers' method. it just looks more professional. (And by the way, the ugly way the Steelers' stripes get cut off has nothing to do with how the stripes are applied. That just happens because the team has been especially stubborn about not reducing the stripes' overall size.)

I will add the Lions only started to wear woven-on stripes since the 2009 uniform tweak; prior to that, they were screened on, per my independent verification.

[oldschoolvikings]

As for sleeve stripes, I think the Roman is right about the three current methods. You have the Steelers and Lions (and up until this disastrous year, the Browns) who wear stripes that are directly woven into the fabric of the sleeve, the same way they put stripes into a sock...

Personally, I think easily looks best. In this case, the stripe looks smoothly integrated into the sleeve because it's all one material, literally. Also, at one time, this is how every jersey was constructed...

Beautiful.

The Vikings (and Colts, Rams, and Panthers, if you count shoulder stripes) use a sewn in insert...

Also, pretty nice, if done well, by a manufacturer who's trying (in other words, not a counterfeiter).

But these days, most stripes are screened onto the flat fabric that will become the sleeve, before the jersey is constructed. The Giants, Niners, Packers, Cowboys, etc. all do this, and I've never liked it. Back in the late 70's thru the 80's, when both the numbers and the stripes were typically screened, it wasn't that noticeable to me. But now, with everyone sewing on the numbers, that slick, shiny look of the screened stripes looks really cheap to me.

I'd love it if every team went with the Steelers' method. it just looks more professional. (And by the way, the ugly way the Steelers' stripes get cut off has nothing to do with how the stripes are applied. That just happens because the team has been especially stubborn about not reducing the stripes' overall size.)

I will add the Lions only started to wear woven-on stripes since the 2009 uniform tweak; prior to that, they were screened on, per my independent verification.

Correct...

[TheOldRoman]

The three years before Nike were strange for the Lions. The jersey fabric had the slight sheen of jerseys back then, the shoulders were dazzle mesh, but the sleeves were noticeably different and more matte than the rest of the jersey.

And that issue is still there today. Last week I saw an authentic Nike Suh jersey at Ross. The sleeves have a different sheen than the rest of the jersey and the material appeared to be thinner, too.

[johnnysama]

Sorry to reply to something a week later, but some Cleveland Browns jerseys from the 1980s-2005ish had screened-on stripes, according to some more research I did on google.

[El Scorcho]

It's really interesting to read about the 3 different methods of applying stripes. It seems odd that screenprinting exists in the NFL in 2015 when every team has their jerseys manufactured by the same company and the first two methods look so much better.

[oldschoolvikings]

Sorry to reply to something a week later, but some Cleveland Browns jerseys from the 1980s-2005ish had screened-on stripes, according to some more research I did on google.

You might very well be right. I wrote that without researching, mostly just to take a random shot at Cleveland's horrific new mess of a uniform. The Browns' had woven stripes pre-Ravens I know for sure, but that was a long time ago.

It's really interesting to read about the 3 different methods of applying stripes. It seems odd that screenprinting exists in the NFL in 2015 when every team has their jerseys manufactured by the same company and the first two methods look so much better.

Well, they really don't necessarily have the same manufacturer, despite all uniforms having the swoosh slapped on the sleeve. The Packers' uniforms, for one, have nothing to do with Nike, as far as manufacturing goes. Nike just paid for the right to attach their logo to them.

[MJWalker45]

Sorry to reply to something a week later, but some Cleveland Browns jerseys from the 1980s-2005ish had screened-on stripes, according to some more research I did on google.

I can confirm this as I have a team issue jersey from 2008.

[WavePunter]

Not to jump in argumentatively, but imo the sewn-on insert always looked most professional to me for some reason.. I guess because it sort of mimicked the tackle twill of the numbers.. The integrated knit stripes are a close second though.. I agree that it's odd for screened stripes to still exist in the NFL.. So cheap looking

[TheOldRoman]

Sorry to reply to something a week later, but some Cleveland Browns jerseys from the 1980s-2005ish had screened-on stripes, according to some more research I did on google.

You might very well be right. I wrote that without researching, mostly just to take a random shot at Cleveland's horrific new mess of a uniform. The Browns' had woven stripes pre-Ravens I know for sure, but that was a long time ago.

The Browns may have worn wpven stripes at some point in the '80s, but I'm about 95% sure they had screen stripes in 94-95 when I started watching football. I had an Athlon preseason guide which I looked at for hours on end, critiquing the jerseys. Even back then, something was wrong with me.

Anyway, these are about the best photos I could find. Judging by the sheen on the stripes, it looks like they are screened on.

LOOK AT THOSE BROWN JERSEYS. Holy crap, that was a good look.

[C-Squared]

I saw an old William Green "authentic" Reebok jersey with sleeves in the same material as the Steelers... right next to it was another William Green "authentic" Reebok jersey with the shiny printed sleeves... the non-printed jersey looked faker overall, but the sleeves looked fantastic compared to the screened ones.