Custom Hi Vis Shirts for Crews That Need to Be Seen

ANSI Classes and Safety Colors, Explained

High-visibility apparel in the US is rated under ANSI/ISEA 107. The label inside a rated garment shows its type and class. Type R covers roadway work, Type O covers off-road work like warehouses and parking lots, and Type P covers public safety responders.

Federal rules require Class 2 or Class 3 apparel for workers on federal-aid highways, and many contractors and agencies set their own minimums. The rated colors are fluorescent yellow-green, fluorescent orange-red and fluorescent red; on product pages you'll usually see them called safety green and safety orange.

Not every job needs a rated shirt. Warehouses, parking crews, festival staff and volunteer days often use safety-color tees without reflective tape, which are lighter, cheaper and easier to decorate. Check your site's safety plan before you choose, and each product page lists whether a shirt carries an ANSI rating.

Branded Safety Shirts for Construction and Road Crews

Road, utility and construction crews want a shirt that meets the spec, holds up to a Florida summer and still shows who they work for. Most companies choose moisture-wicking polyester in safety green or orange with a branded logo on the left chest and the company name, phone number or DOT-style unit name across the back.

Long sleeves earn their place here. Class 3 garments need sleeves with fluorescent fabric and reflective tape; short- and long-sleeve Class 3 shirts both exist, and long sleeves keep the sun off arms through a full day on the asphalt. For crews who want sleeve coverage without reflective tape, our long sleeve tees come in bright colors too. Branded custom safety shirts for landscapers, movers and delivery fleets follow the same layout and often use the non-rated tees.

FR Shirts: When Flame Resistance Is Required

Some sites require flame-resistant (FR) clothing on top of high visibility: electrical utilities, refineries, welding and anywhere with arc-flash or flash-fire risk. FR garments are certified to their own standards, such as NFPA 2112 for flash fire and NFPA 70E with an arc rating for electrical work, and that certification depends on everything attached to the shirt.

Ordinary plastisol ink, DTF film and polyester thread can melt or ignite, so decoration on custom FR shirts has to use materials that keep the garment's rating, following the manufacturer's guidance. If your crew needs FR, ask us before you order and tell us the standard and arc rating your site requires, so we can confirm a decoration method that keeps the garment's rating.

Logo Methods That Keep Reflective Tape Compliant

Decoration covers fluorescent background fabric, and a rated shirt must keep the minimum area its class requires. The safest approach is a modest left-chest logo and a back print placed above or between the reflective stripes, never on top of them. Here's how each method works on hi-vis polyester:

• Screen printing: the best value for a one- or two-color logo on a crew order of 100+ pieces, through our team. Low-bleed inks stop polyester dye from tinting the ink. Setup is quoted with the order, one time per design.
• DTF: sharp full-color logos on any shirt, with no setup fee. The transfer is pressed with heat, so it goes on away from the tape, which can be damaged by a hot press. Our guide to heat transfer printing explains how it works.
• Embroidery: best on hi-vis polos, button-ups and hoodies rather than thin mesh tees. There's a one-time $35 digitizing fee per design.

Sublimation doesn't suit fluorescent fabric, because it changes the garment color it prints on. Black or navy single-color logos read best on safety green and orange, and they keep the bright background dominant. Send your logo as an SVG or PDF file if you have one; a high-resolution PNG or JPG also works, and AI and EPS files can be sent with a bulk quote. Your mockup shows the exact placement relative to the tape before production.

Crew Numbers and Personalized Names on Hi-Vis

On a busy site, a name or role on the back helps everyone find the right person fast. Common additions include personalized first names on the chest or upper back, crew or truck numbers, and titles like Flagger, Foreman, Supervisor or Traffic Control. Names go on shirt by shirt with DTF at no setup cost, placed in the fluorescent fabric between stripes.

For shop technicians and service crews who don't need hi-vis, see our mechanic shirts with name patches. Complete the outfit with branded caps from our personalized hats for any occasion.

High-Vis Uniform Programs and Reorders

Uniform programs run smoothly when you standardize one or two shirt styles, one approved logo and one placement. New hires then match the rest of the crew, and reordering is simple. There are only two setup fees: $35 for embroidery digitizing and, on orders of 100+ pieces, a quoted screen-printing setup. Setup fees are one-time per design: reorders, and the same design on other products, never pay them again; only a design change needs new setup. Your digitized file is saved to your account. Fleets and contractors can ask for volume quotes, and our bulk pricing on shirts collection shows lower-cost options for large crews.

Plan for replacement. Fluorescent color fades with sun and washing, tape cracks over time, and a faded or dirty shirt is less visible no matter what the label says. Wash cold without bleach or fabric softener and hang dry. Rush orders are available for a fee quoted with your order; tell us your in-hand date and we'll confirm it before you approve. Orlando-metro companies can pick up at our Orlando-area warehouse, and every order can ship anywhere in the US.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you add a logo to custom hi vis shirts without voiding the ANSI rating?

Yes, when the logo stays within the manufacturer's guidance. Keep decoration off the reflective tape, place it on fluorescent background fabric and keep it modest so the shirt keeps the minimum area its class requires. A left-chest logo and a back print between the stripes work on most rated shirts. Preview your design in our 3D Custom Designer, or request a bulk quote for 100+ pieces and approve a free mockup before anything is produced.

Do you offer FR shirts?

Ask us before you order. FR certification depends on both the garment and its decoration, so we handle decorated FR orders case by case. Tell us the standard your site requires, such as NFPA 2112 or an NFPA 70E arc rating, and we'll confirm a decoration method that keeps it. Standard inks and threads can compromise an FR rating.

What's the difference between ANSI Class 2 and Class 3?

Class 2 is the usual choice for work near traffic at 25 to 50 mph, with reflective tape around the torso. Class 3 adds more fluorescent fabric and tape on the sleeves for traffic over 50 mph, night work and cluttered backgrounds. Class 3 garments need sleeves with fluorescent fabric and reflective tape; short- and long-sleeve Class 3 shirts both exist, and long sleeves also help against the sun on hot Florida job sites.

Is there a minimum for safety shirt orders?

No. You can order one shirt for a new hire or outfit a full crew. DTF has no setup fee, which makes single shirts and personalized names simple, and screen printing pays off on runs of 100+ pieces. To see how quantity and method affect the total, read how much do custom t-shirts cost.