Race banners, bibs and T-shirts: a season guide for organisers

If you're planning a spring run, rogaining event or orienteering stage, race banners should be ordered together with participant bibs and T-shirts – technically they all rely on the same set of logo files. PVC banners, posters and bibs are made at our production site on Kandavas iela 29A in 1–3 business days, while T-shirts and promotional products from the catalogue with logo printing usually take 6–10 business days (4–7 days production + 2–3 days delivery). This means: if your first start is in mid-April, artwork needs to be approved by the end of March.

Timeline: what to do in November, what to do in March

November and December are the best time to sort out your graphic basics – the event logo in vector format, the sponsor logo set and CMYK colour codes. Then in spring all that's left is updating the year and the sponsor line-up.

• 4–5 months before the start: logo and sponsor files in vector format (.ai, .eps, .pdf, .svg), colour palette.
• 6–8 weeks before: T-shirts and participant gifts from the catalogue – this needs the longest lead time, as you'll need to choose a model, colours and size breakdown.
• 2–3 weeks before: start and finish banners, roll-up banner stands, beach flags, course signage.
• 5–7 days before: participant bibs (once you know the number of registrations, with a 10–15% buffer).

Participant bibs: material and size

We usually print race bibs in two ways. The first is digital printing on heavy paper (250–300 g/m²), in A5 format (148×210 mm) or 160×200 mm, with holes punched in the corners for pins. This is the standard solution for road races and family-distance events.

The second is bibs on synthetic PP film or sticker material, which doesn't tear and isn't damaged by rain. For rogaining, trail runs and autumn/spring competitions in wet conditions, we recommend this option more often, since a paper bib is no longer legible after 4 hours in the mud.

Numbering and logos

Sequential numbering (e.g. 1–500) is a standard digital printing option – we prepare the number sequence from your Excel list. If team competitions need letter-and-number codes (A1–A20, B1–B20), that's possible too. Sponsor bands are usually placed at the top or bottom of the bib, leaving at least 90 mm of space for the number itself so it stays legible in photos.

Start and finish banners

In practice, three formats work well at the finish line. A horizontal PVC banner 3×1 m or 4×1 m with metal eyelets every 50 cm – mounted on the finish arch or between two posts. A photo banner 2.5×2 m or 3×2 m – as a backdrop for interviews and the awards ceremony, with a repeated logo pattern. Beach flags 2.5–4 m tall – for course turns and water stations, as they're visible from a distance and don't depend on walls.

For indoor registration and award ceremonies, roll-up banner stands 850×2000 mm work well – they can be reused for several years, as long as the year isn't printed directly on the graphic.

Indicative prices and quantities

Prices excl. VAT, indicative only; the exact price depends on quantity, material and printing method.

Larger quantities bring down the price per piece – ordering 1000 bibs instead of 500 usually means a 20–30% lower unit price, as the set-up fee is spread across more units.

T-shirts for participants, volunteers and judges

Events usually need two groups: participant T-shirts (one design, many sizes) and organiser T-shirts in a bright colour so they can be spotted on the course. We use screen printing (cost-effective from 50 pcs upwards, 1–3 colours), DTF transfer (full-colour designs, small runs) and embroidery for caps and jackets.

Standard printing locations:

• left chest – 110×90 mm (organiser T-shirts, sponsor logo);
• front and back – up to 280×210 mm (event name, distance, year);
• sleeve – 80×60 mm (additional sponsor);
• embroidery – up to 90×90 mm (caps, polo shirts, jackets).

Choose your models from the clothing catalogue – T-shirts, polo shirts for judges and hoodies for the awards ceremony. If you already have your own T-shirts, we can print on them – the lead time then shortens to 3–5 business days. More on the technologies: clothing printing.

Files and artwork

Please send vector graphics (.ai, .eps, .pdf, .svg) in CMYK; if the design contains photos, raster images need 300 dpi at actual size. For banners we accept lower resolution, as they're viewed from a distance, but brand colours should always be specified in CMYK or Pantone values. We send artwork for approval by email, and on request we prepare a 3D preview with your logo on the chosen product.