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What is a jersey?
A jersey or guernsey , is a T-shirt or jumper usually from a foot ball team, that has normally been signed by the players or was worn in an important match (sometimes both). We have decided to include many different items of clothing in this section, even though they are not jerseys, though the framing principles remain the same. Things that can be approached the same way are rower’s zoot suits, winners jackets, Corporate T-shirts, School / police / armed forces uniforms, hunters / fishing vests, Jockey’s silks, Wedding dresses and theatrical costumes to name a few.
Jerseys are one of those things that have a great many variables when it comes time to choose how you want to, & how you are able to, frame them.
Framing choices.
When looking at how you want to frame them, you need to of course choose the colours & frames that will suit. Though you may want to also think about things like whether you would like the entire jersey presented, or if you want to have the sleeves folded in & the bottom tucked up. There are occasions when people want the entire thing folded neatly, so that the jersey appears to be completely square. Folding it can make the finished frame smaller, therefore costing less than the jersey laying completely flat.
Do you want it set back into a boxed frame, or do you want it pressed up tightly against the glass? If you are to have it set back you will undoubtedly pay more, though your piece will ultimately last longer.
If you are to have it boxed, you will need to decide whether you want another mat up the front of the frame against the glass. This stops the frame having such a boxy look, though will make it bigger & again, more expensive. If you do have this second mat up to the glass, it is generally a good idea to get a double mat, as the highlight will set off the edge of the mat better than a single. This means you are now paying for 3 mats & the procedure can start to get quite expensive.
When you are getting jerseys boxed, the fabric is more difficult to hold in place as there is no glass pressing up against it. To alleviate this you can have a “bust” made from something like foamcore, that fits into the jersey making it into something like a manikin. This solid unit is then fixed into the frame & the fabric sits perfectly flat.
Framing logistics.
When looking at how you are able to frame a jersey, you need to decide how to hold it flat, How to box it if you are going to, how text or a plaque will fit within the frame & what size you can keep your finished frame to.
Fixing the jersey into the frame, is as with many other areas of framing, a matter of how you want it to look and how long you want it to last.
The slowest method is sewing it flat. This may or may not include a bust as described above, and is a very conservational way of framing. Though if you don’t use a bust, we have found this is a more inaccurate way of positioning, & wont look as good as other methods.
Another way is to staple it directly to the backing. This only really works when you don’t have the frame boxed, as the staples are prone to falling out letting the jersey sag or fall off.
Gluing or taping jerseys does not work very well. The material only sticks on the back,& it can be damaging to the fabric in the long term.
When using plaques you can set them to the front of the frame itself, the mat the jersey is sitting on or the mat to the front, if you have one. Text printed or written on paper can be in placed into either of the mats though not onto the frame. Any kind of text is usually set towards the bottom centre, though a few clubs prefer to place it on the top. Some framers provide a service of printing directly onto the mat itself. Framemart is not one of these.
In terms of keeping the finished frame to an economical size, you are limited to an extent by the size of the jersey. Although you can fold them up a little, if you have a XXXL rugby union jersey that has been sighed on every spare inch, your choices are few. One of the main things you can do to make a jersey fit into a smaller size is to forgo extra mats & or keep the space around the jersey to a minimum. We charge things out according to what we get out of a sheet of any particular component. Since our backings & mats have a standard size of 1018*818mm, if you go exceed this you will pay a higher price.
One final note. If you have a unsigned jersey, that you are going to get signed & then framed. Try to get the players to sign away from the sleeves so they can be folded over. And if some dimwit signs the back of the jersey, don’t be too worried. A hole can always be cut into the back of the frame to allow you to view it, if you feel that such a twit is worth it.
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