Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Elementary Spirit Wear

Presenting RockSports line of Mascot Letters T-shirts - www.elementaryspiritwear.com. RockSports talented artist V....Vaughan created a unique line of cute, school spirit tees using her trademark letters design. The artwork was actually created several years ago for school fundraising. We are excited now to offer the full line of mascot t-shirts online. The online version provides a convenient resource to view all of the available mascots. The online version also includes an online ordering function where you can customize your order for your school.

RockSports Mascot Letters T-shirts are perfect for elementary school spirit wear. The designs are unique in that they are very colorful. Most screen printing shops will not print more than three to four colors on a T-shirt. RockSports specializes in seven to eight color designs. The only requirement for such a unique design is that you must order a minimum of 72 shirts per custom order.

Another great feature of the RockSports Mascot Line is that the shirts work great as a school wide fundraiser. The elementary spirit wear tees are priced so that your school can make a profit. At $10 per shirt you can easily resell your shirts at $15, making $5.00 per shirt sold. Not only will the children love the shirt, but you can offer it to the community to support your school.

Figure 1. Shows how you can customize your order by putting text above and below the design. You can also choose the color of your font and the color of the shirt. Note that if you order a dark shirt the price goes up slightly.

Figure 2. demonstrates where the "accent color" is located on the designs. Typically the mascot letters contain a mascot that is wearing the school colors. In the Eagles example the eagle is wearing a green shirt. You could change that color to your school's color.

If you have any questions about getting a mascot letter design for your school, you can order online, email us, or call us - 800-324-5152.

Figure 1.






Figure 2.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008





TAHPERD Conference Recap and Contest Winner!

This year's TAHPERD Conference was a huge success and we owe it all to the attendees and our
wonderful customers. We also want to thank all of you who participated in our drawing for $50 worth
of RockSports apparel. To show our appreciation to everyone who participated, we are offering one
free RockSports tee with any T-Shirt purchase until christmas. And finally, this year's winner of the
TAHPERD Conference drawing is Sherri Holloway. Congratulations Sherri and remember, if you didn't
win the drawing you can still visit www.RockSports.net and pick up a free RockSports tee with any
order from now through December 24th. Use coupon code "CHRISTMAS08" when you checkout and
thank you for choosing RockSports for all of your custom screen printing and embroidery needs.
See you next year!




Thursday, December 11, 2008

Screened vs. Digital (direct to garment) Printing

Recently RockSports added "direct to garment" printing to our list of capabilities, with the purchase of the Brother GT-541. I thought it would be a good idea to let people know why we bought it and its limitations:

To the right you can see a comparison of the same design - History Shapes. History Shapes is sold as a seven color screen print. I printed the same design on the Brother for a comparison. You will notice that the Brother uses CMYK process, where Cyan Magenta, Yellow, and Black mix to make all of the appropriate colors in the design. On this particular design the screened graphic is much more vibrant.

Also, if you look closely, there are some limitations on how detailed you can get with direct to garment printing. The three boats at the bottom of V....Vaughan's design are the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. You cannot see these details on the digital, direct to garment print.

Wash and wear of the two are similar, as is the process of curing the inks - the digital print must use a heat press for the colors to remain for the life of the T-shirt.

Digital Benefits:
  • No minimum orders
  • Extremely quick turn-around-times
  • Great for photographs
  • Cost effective option for small orders with multiple colors
Digital Limitations:
  • Color is not as vibrant as silk screen printing.
  • Can only do one at a time.
  • Limited to print on White or Ash shirts color shirts
Common Uses for Digital Direct to Garment Printing: Birthday's, Family Reunions, Weddings, Funerals, Sport Events, Quick Gifts

Now that you know the differences you will have an idea which process will be better for your next job. If you have questions you can always contact us and we will help point you in the right direction.

This blog post is meant to be a high level analysis of digital vs. screen printing for garments. Feel free to leave comments for a more thorough analysis. See it in action on youtube. The Brother Printer works well with an .ai file or a .jpg (high resolution).

Friday, December 5, 2008

Reduced Rubble Kickoff!

For a limited time we are selling some of our best designs at a greatly reduced price, calling it the Reduced Rubble. Availability is limited, so order yours now while supplies last!

Order 10 or more and receive FREE SHIPPING!
Enter "BSBPLYRR" at checkout.

Availability:
Youth Medium: 12
Youth Large: 17
Small: 15
Medium: 27
Large: 26
Extra-Large: 24
2X-Large: 12
3X-Large: 6

Monday, December 1, 2008

Back on the road! TAHPERD Conference 2008

RockSports is back on the road in our home state of Texas! We are headed out for the TAHPERD conference in Corpus Christi, Texas this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday so come and see us if you're in the area. Stop by and check out our great products, meet our great people, and don't forget about our online store too! We want to thank our customers for choosing RockSports for all of their Screen Printing, Embroidery, and Fundraising needs. In appreciation, we are offering 25% off of your online purchase and free shipping on orders of 5 shirts or more. Simply use coupon code "TXPE08" for 25% off or "TXPE08S" for 25% off plus free shipping when you checkout. Thank you to all the attendees for making this conference and many others a success!


The Team at RockSports

Monday, November 24, 2008

This Weekend Only!

While you're resting from your Thanksgiving feast be sure to stop by RockSports.net and take advantage of our store-wide sale. This weekend only, every shirt in our store is only $9.95 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Order great apparel for yourself or someone special for the holidays during our biggest sale of the year! For details about this amazing sale, visit www.RockSports.net. And as always, choose RockSports for all your custom screen printing and embroidery needs.

50/50 vs. 100% Cotton

Have you ever wondered what difference it made to get your custom prints done on 50/50 blend or 100% cotton? At RockSports, we want you to be informed so you can make the right choice for your custom apparel. Through careful research, we have assembled the facts so you can find them right here in one place and take the guess work out of custom screen printing. Your first question might be, “What are my options?”.

The two major options are 100% cotton, and 50/50 polyester cotton blend. The benefits of 100% cotton are that it has a heavier, more luxurious feel, and the non-ringspun variety is a good base for four color printing. This is because of its density and tight surface, which is ideal for the fine dots and the continuous ink layer involved in the four color printing process. Ringspun 100% cotton has an even softer feel, however the fuzzy texture can show through an image and may yield a worn look or a dull image.

The advantage of a 50/50 polyester cotton blend is that it is a more durable material and will hold up better under more frequent wearing and washing. Although the shrinkage difference between 100% cotton and 50/50 blend has been greatly reduced, the 50/50 blend still has the advantage in this area and the 50/50 blend has a lighter feel that some may prefer.

At RockSports screen printing in Round Rock, we strive to provide you with all the information you need to make the right decision from concept to production and this is no exception. For more information about custom screen printing, custom embroidery, fundraising, or for ways to contact us, visit our website at www.RockSports.net.

Remember to make RockSports screen printing and embroidery your one stop shop for custom apparel.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

RockSports: Coming to a City Near You!

RockSports is heading east to the NCAAHPERD and SCAHPERD conferences. If you're in the area we would love to meet you and show you some of our work. For attendees of these two conferences, we would like to extend to you a great offer. Simply enter the coupon code "NCPE08" for North Carolina attendees, or "SCPE08" for South Carolina attendees, and recieve 25% off your online purchase. If you purchase 5 shirts or more you can enter "NCPE08S" or "SCPE08S" and recieve 25% off plus free shipping. As always, we invite everyone to stop by our online store and check out our great products. Thanks for making Rocksports your choice for custom screen printing and embroidery. Keep a look out for RockSports in a city near YOU!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

RockSports is on the road again!

RockSports hits the road from time to time to meet our customers in person and to show off our latest T-shirt designs. This weekend we are splitting up by going to Baton Rouge, LA for the LAHPERD conference and to Fort Worth for the CAST conference. LAHPERD stands for Louisiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. CAST stands for Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching. If you are in the area, please stop by. We would love to see you.

If you can't make it to the show, here are our new designs and our conference specials:






Coupon Code:
  • CAST08 - Redeemable for 25% off your purchase.
  • CAST08S - Redeemable for 25% plus FREE SHIPPING on orders of 5 shirts or more.

Friday, September 26, 2008

New RockSports Site and Store

RockSports has a new look!!! Find us under one roof at www.rocksports.net. We overhauled the entire site, adding excellent features. Several of our customers commented on the difficulty in navigating our old site. So, we changed it. The new RockSports website follows our four major product offerings: Retail Printed Garments, Wholesale Printed Garments, Custom Printing/Embroidery, and Fundraising. The greatest change that we made to the site was that you can place your Printed T-shirt order online by going to http://store.rocksports.net.

For our current clients you will be happy to know that you will not need to create a new account. Simply sign in on the left hand side of your screen, above the categories, and your account should be just like it used to be.

We would love to hear your comments on our new website. You could comment here (be on of the first ones! =)) or email me at web@rocksports.net.

Also, you can now follow us on Twitter. Look to our Twitter page for latest news from RockSports. We will also tweet specials from time to time.


Thursday, July 31, 2008

RockSports is making changes!

RockSports is growing and with that, we are making some big changes! One of our big changes is that we are upgrading our whole web presence. When you service such a wide variety of customers and products it is difficult to find the right balance. RockSports started with a 5 page website. We moved to a 200+ product e-commerce site. Most recently we had four websites and 400+ products. We have decided to bring it all back under one roof! It will be easier to navigate and awfully good looking. If you have anything you would like to see in the new site, please send in your recommendations. For now, please be patient as we make this transition!

John Payton
Marketing Manager
RockSports

Call us to order today at 512-218-9913. Email us at questions@rocksports.net
If you are with Robert Morgan, please call Joe Payton at 512-218-9913 x 311 and he will discuss the procedure for placing your orders.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

PE Live Smart, Live Strong

After the overwhelming and outstanding vote turnout we have decided to make "PE Live Smart, Live Strong" the shirt of the week. Each week RockSports puts up one shirt for $10.00 and free shipping. This week it is PE Live Smart, Live Strong, which you can see here and purchase it online at www.rocksportsshop.com.

If you couldn't tell, I was joking about the amazing voter turnout. Although the blog was not hot, the same could not be said for RockSports. The summer is heating up as RockSports prepares for back to school. Not only have we traveled all over Texas in July, but we are full swing into the baseball season with the Round Rock Express Baseball Team. August will only be busier as we concentrate on back to school T-shirt printing.

Tune in next week as we provide some recommendations on custom T-shirt ordering and some of the latest trends. As for now, check out our newest PE designs and Coaches designs at www.rocksportsshop.com.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Yes We Will Dress Out Today - Shirt of the Week!

In honor of our coaches and PE Teachers we have made "Yes We Will Dress Out Today" T-shirt the Shirt of the Week. Every week RockSports puts up for $10.00 and Free Shipping. This week we are getting prepared for back to school a little bit early. I guess it is never to early to be prepared.

We recently got back from the Texas Girls Coaches Association Conference and talked with some of our loyal customers. One of the Coaches said that she loved this shirt. In fact, she bought two of them and said that she would wear one on the first day of school to set the tone for the year. The other she was going to use as a sign in the locker room. That way every time they come to the gym, they know that it is time to release all their worries and focus on their sport.

I'm sure as a coach you get tired of answering the question of whether or not you will dress out. That's like saying to a math teacher - Are we going to add and subtract today. Of course you will, unless you want to run in heals!

If haven't voted yet, please do so today, and help us put together the best selection of T-shirt designs.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Five New PE Designs

RockSports would like your feedback. Here are five new PE Designs. We are running a survey to see which of these we should carry in our store. Be sure to fill out the survey on the right hand side of our blog and then tell everyone you know to do the same.




PE live smart, live strong



PE Checklist English, Math, Science... Nah, I'll take PE :)



PE Body PE does a body so good retro print.



PE Excuse Me Excuse me... I have to go PE, as in Physical Education, of course.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

PE - It's not just a job it's my passion

As many of you know, RockSports offers a new discounted shirt every week ($10.00 and free shipping!). This week's shirt is Physical Education It's My Passion. Order one today by clicking on the T-shirt design image.

P.E. - two letters that can evoke so much fear, passion, excitement. For many, images of rope climbing, sit-ups, and dressing out in to smelly uniforms are brought to mind. For me, it was my favorite subject. I couldn't wait for PE to roll around so that I could show off my soccer skills or play indoor hockey. It was a chance to free my mind of the math homework that was due next period. I guess PE (Physical Education) is one of those things you either love or hate.

As an adult I am seeing Physical Education become a popular topic of debate among parents, teachers, and the media. Whether it is Shaq fighting against childhood obesity, or educators crying for higher academic standards in the core subjects, it is clear that the student's time is desired. I tend to fall into Shaq's corner. One because he's a big dude and I would not want to tangle with a 7'.2" "Big Aristotle". The real reason that I side with the importance of Physical Education in the schools is that I believe that it provides a balanced life. Time in school should reflect a balance between mental, social, emotional, economical, and spiritual aspects of life. Some educators would make the argument that time out side of school should be used for physical activity. To this I would not disagree, just as that time outside of school should be used for mental exercise.

The truth is, that the responsibility, of a balanced life and higher test scores, is ultimately on the shoulders of the parent and the individual student. As teachers we do our best to make an impression on our students; to give them a learning experience that will act as buoy in future trials.

So much more could be said about the topic in a much more eloquent manner. Check out this site - www.americascores.org/index.php?id=390 to see how the US scores in terms of childhood obesity.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

TGCA - Texas Girls Coaches Association

This week RockSports is attending its 14th consecutive Texas Girls Coaches Association annual meeting. Texas Girls Coaches Association is for coaches of UIL girl's athletics and it is governed by the coaches of girl's athletics. TGCA promotes achievements by girl's athletics, their teams, and their coaches. RockSports is proud to have exhibited at the conference for over a decade. In honor of that achievement, we have created several new T-shirt design for Coaches. We are even offering one of our favorites as the Shirt of the Week.

Check out the shirt of the week by clicking any of the images below:


Sorry to all the loyal blog readers. No cheesy stories for this week. Check back next week!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Born on the 4th of July...almost - USA Shapes

USA Shapes is the shirt of the week. $10.00 will buy you this awesome shirt with free shipping! Click on the image to the right and choose "pick up" and we will send it to you at no charge, via snail mail. I know it is kind of late, but if you order this shirt on Monday we might be able to get it to you by Thursday the 3rd. That way you can sport your new shirt on the 4th. How is that for a promise!!!

USA Shapes is what we at RockSports call this patriotic design from V....Vaughan. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord...Psalms 33:12 is written below the design on the shirt. The red, white, and blue design is printed on 100% cotton 6.1oz T-shirt.

I was born on the 4th of July - almost. My Birthday is actually on the 5th of July, but we tend to always celebrate it on the 4th. Being born so close to the 4th is probably alot like being born near Christmas. There is the good and bad. I always have fireworks on my birthday and people always come together. What more could you ask for right?

Growing up, I guess I got used to the Summer Festivities and a, I'll admit it - I was a little bit spoiled. On my 15th birthday I learned a valuable lesson on happiness. It was July 5th, 1995 and I was miserable. I thought my family or my friends were going to come over on the 4th and celebrate. When that didn't happen, and the 5th came and went without a big party, festivities, or presents, I was crushed. I know - I was a spoiled brat. On that day, skipping dinner with my family to sulk, I did some reflecting and realized that I have control of my attitude. I also remembered how important it is to take control, when you want something in particular. I vowed that on my birthday I would try to serve others, rather then waiting to be served. After a decade plus of more July 4ths and 5ths this promise has been a guarantee for a sense of self worth and happiness.

This July 4th, as you are making your plans, remember to give back a little. Wake up with anticipation of the amazing impact that you can have on your family and friends. Let the inspiration of the fireworks remind you of the presence and impact that you can have in others lives and that your reward for serving others will be true joy.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Hold Me I’m a fermata T-shirt

The shirt of the week is Hold Me I’m a Fermata. This cute music t-shirt is available in a variety of print and shirt colors and in sizes YM-Adult 3XL. Order yours at www.rocksports.net or by clicking on the image. Sizing information is below.
Warning this shirt may cause spontaneous hugging. Random hugging is not always welcomed.

Take this story as an example:
A few weeks ago I was having a really bad day. The night before, I stayed up late grading papers and studying for a midterm for my graduate school classes. Sleep deprived, driving to school after a late start, a squirrel jumped out right in front of my car. Everyone knows I have a fondness for squirrels, so I pulled a Danica Patrick and swerved out of the way in the nick of time. Unfortunately, the hot coffee, that I spent my lunch money on, sprayed all over my car and on me. It would have been really awesome if there was a super slow motion, HD, camera mounted to the inside of my car that could have caught my face contorting as hot liquid magma coffee poured all over my white pants and “Hold me I’m a fermata t-shirt”. But there wasn’t and no one was really able to enjoy the moment, which is sad.
So, being that I am running late, I continued on to school with the plan to tell any nosey students that the stain on my pants was just a floral grunge pattern that they were not sophisticated enough to appreciate. Driving up the parking lot was completely full. I finally find a place at the bottom of the huge hill about two miles away (a little exaggeration). So I looked for a Sherpa to help me with my bags, but I couldn’t find one and I resolved to make it on my own. I walked to the back entrance where the band hall is located, rushing to get to my first period before the class starts, because the parking lot was completely full. To my chagrin the door is locked. Less than thrilled I walked around to the front of the school where the whole community was lined up in front of the school. At this point I am wondering what the world is going on. I looked to the front of the school and it said, “Saturday Town Election – Don’t forget to vote”. Just then, realizing that it was Saturday and that I didn’t need to be at school, a strange man came up and gave me a hug. I froze. I didn’t know what to say or do. He looked down smiled at me and said I read your shirt “Hold me I’m a fermata” and you looked like you needed a hug. I screamed, everyone looked at me, I ran down the hill, jumped in the car, sped home, got some ice cream, and jumped in my bed. I needed to start all over.
Youth (SIZE) - S/6 - 8, M/10 - 12, L/14 - 16
Unisex (CHEST) - S/34 - 36, M/38 - 40, L/42 - 44, XL/46 - 48, XXL/50 - 52, XXXL/54 - 56
Ladies Cut (Size/Body Width/Full Body Length/Sleeve Length) – S/18/25/5.5, M/20/26/5.75, L/22/27/6, XL/24/28/6.25, XXL/26,29/6.5

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

RockSports T-shirts and Round Rock Express Baseball

RockSports is proud to be a sponsor of the Round Rock Express and the Corpus Christi Hooks. RockSports holds a special appreciation for the Express because of the positive impact the organization has had on our community.

Not only do the employees at RockSports and Round Rock Screen Printing enjoy the professional relationship with the Express, but we are all huge Express Baseball fans! At any particular home game you will see someone from RockSports at the ballpark. Most likely you will be able to identify them by the RockSports apparel that they are wearing. If you see us at the game be sure to say hello!

Because many of our customers are also fans, RockSports has partnered with the Express to offer one-of-a-kind official licensed Express merchandise. RockSports expertise in design, screen printing and embroidery come together with the Express in some outstanding packages. Check out the exclusive merchandise at http://www.rocksports-rrexpress.com/. Order your gear online and we will ship it to you direct or you can pick it up at our location - 1609 Chisholm Trail; Ste. 400; Round Rock, TX 78681. We hope to see you at the game!

As many of you know, we are really pushing to get the word out about our blog and our online store. Please recruit as many people as possible to our websites and invite them to link back to our websites or this blog. For your efforts I would like to provide this coupon code towards an order online - FANPACK08 - good for a 20% off discount. Also, sign up for our newsletter and promotions on the bottom of our online store at http://www.rocksportsshop.com/.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Do you fear the flute? - You should!


Fear the flute - domination through hyperventilation is the SHIRT OF THE WEEK! $10 will buy you this hilarious shirt and get your free shipping. Click the product image to purchase your shirt now!

Flutes are not just for girls. Some of the most famous flutists are men! But this shirt is not for trumpet players!

I'm not going to lie, I know close to nothing about the flute, flutists, or playing the flute. I would still wear this shirt though. Reading through http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flute and taking World Music as an elective in college, I know that the flute or versions of the flute were central to cultures throughout history. Check out some of these cool and funny images of flutes and flutists that I have found (click the picture to go to its source):






















thegalwaynetwork.com/

found at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=175339720

Fear the Flute Shirt is available in sizes YM-AXXXL

Youth (SIZE) - S/6 - 8, M/10 - 12, L/14 - 16

Unisex (CHEST) - S/34 - 36, M/38 - 40, L/42 - 44, XL/46 - 48, XXL/50 - 52, XXXL/54 - 56






Monday, June 9, 2008

Glitter Will Brighten Up Anyones Day

Glitter will brighten up anyone's day...or so I'm told. Glitter, Glitter, Glitter, I it seems like I can't get enough of it. The great thing about Glitter is it can't get enough of me either. I put it on one day and three days later it is still on me. No, I am not talking about the amazing piece of cinematography that starred a super famous singer. Glitter is used to enhance appearances, such as fabrics (like t-shirts), cosmetics (like us), glass, plastics, paint, paper, ornaments, or blogs - check this out - Custom Glitter Text Graphics - http://www.glittertextlive.com .

For this week's Shirt of the Week, we are sticking with Cheerleading. Check out this week's shirt, Cheer Swoosh Glitter, at http://www.rocksportsshop.com/. Or just click the picture. For one week only this shirt is $10.00 and Free Shipping. When purchasing your shirt simply choose "pick up from RockSports" and we will mail it to you.

Cheer Swoosh Glitter is one of RockSports best selling T-shirts. You can order it as is, or you can customize your order by calling RockSports directly at 800-3240-5152. For sizing information look here:

Youth (SIZE) - S/6 - 8, M/10 - 12, L/14 - 16

Unisex (CHEST) - S/34 - 36, M/38 - 40, L/42 - 44, XL/46 - 48, XXL/50 - 52, XXXL/54 - 56



Monday, June 2, 2008


During this first week of June, RockSports shirt of the week is Cheer 3D. School is out and that means that it is time for summer camps. For cheerleading summer camps give cheer squads the opportunity to learn new stunts, tumbling moves, and time to mingle with cheerleaders from other schools. It also gives cheerleaders the opportunity to get new gear before football season.

Cheer 3D is a seven color screen printed design. RockSports Special of the week is this shirt at $10.00 with no shipping charges, unless you want it expedited. Check out http://www.rocksportsshop.com/ for more information and to see the whole line of RockSports Cheerleading T-shirts. To order a full outfit - shorts, socks, shirt, or to order this design on baby dolls, give us a call at 1 800 324 5152 or email web@rocksports.net.

Friday, May 30, 2008

The Beginning

RockSports is bringing its line of T-shirts online. In efforts to bring you coming back, we will be offering an incredible special each week. This blog will be dedicated to bringing you more information about that special and all the happenings of RockSports. Check us out all over the web at the following links: www.rocksportsshop.com, www.roundrockscreenprinting.com, and www.rocksports.net.

Some of our friends that I would like to mention are Vhirt and Payton Artisan Chocolates. Vhirt.com, pronounced "Virt", is a new start-up that will be going live here in a few weeks - www.vhirt.com. All I'm going to say is that you are going to want to check it out. Another one of our friends is Payton Artisan Chocolates. If you want the finest chocolate that you will ever taste - check out www.paytonartisanchocolates.com or www.austintruffles.com.

Check us out at least once a week to see what's new!