So you’ve signed up for Armband Creator and you’re ready to build play-call wristbands for your baseball or softball team. The app handles the design — but you still need a few baseball wristband supplies to go from screen to game day.
The good news: you don’t need much. A handful of items are all it takes, and you probably already own the most important one. Here’s everything you need to create professional-looking wristbands your players will actually use.
A Printer (Required)
Any standard home or office printer will work. Inkjet or laser — it doesn’t matter. Armband Creator generates a print-ready PDF sized for standard 8.5″ x 11″ letter paper, so there’s no special settings required.
Color printing is recommended so your players can quickly identify columns and play categories at a glance, but black-and-white works in a pinch. If you’re printing for an entire roster, a laser printer will save you ink over time, though most coaches get by just fine with a basic inkjet.
Don’t have a printer at home? No problem — you can use an online printing service like The UPS Store, Staples, or Office Depot. Just upload your PDF and pick it up. Most locations can print on card stock too if you ask.
Bottom line: if you can print a homework assignment, you can print wristbands.
Card Stock Paper (Optional but Recommended)
Standard printer paper works fine, but printing on card stock gives your wristband cards extra durability. The thicker paper holds up better inside wristband sleeves and can even survive a game or two without laminating if you’re in a pinch.
Our Pick
We recommend this card stock paper. It’s letter-size, runs through any standard inkjet or laser printer without issues, and gives your printed wristbands a noticeably sturdier feel compared to regular paper.
Wristband Sleeves (Required)
A wristband sleeve is the clear plastic holder that straps to a player’s wrist and displays the printed play-call card. Without one, your players would be stuffing a loose piece of paper into their batting glove — and that’s not going to survive the first inning.
Wristband sleeves are inexpensive, reusable, and designed to hold a small card that’s visible during play. You print the sheet from Armband Creator, cut out the individual cards, and slide them into the sleeve. That’s it.
Our Pick: Champro Youth Wristband Sleeves
We recommend the Champro Youth Wristband Sleeves. They’re affordable, durable, and fit the cards generated by Armband Creator perfectly. The youth size works for most players from 8U through 14U, which covers the majority of teams using play-call wristbands.
A Laminator (Optional but Recommended)
You don’t need a laminator to use Armband Creator — but if you want your wristband cards to survive more than one game, laminating is the way to go. A laminated card resists sweat, rain, and the general wear and tear of a baseball season. Without lamination, a printed card can smudge or tear after a single game, especially on a humid day.
Any basic pouch laminator will do the job. You feed the printed sheet (still full-size, before cutting) through the laminator inside a laminating pouch, then cut out the individual cards afterward. The laminated cards are stiff, waterproof, and can last multiple games or even an entire season.
Our Pick
We use and recommend this laminator. It’s compact, affordable, and heats up fast — usually ready to go in a couple of minutes. It handles letter-size sheets without any issues and doesn’t take up much space in a closet or on a desk.
Laminating Pouches (Needed if You Laminate)
If you’re going to laminate, you’ll need laminating pouches. These are the clear plastic sleeves that seal around your printed sheet when fed through the laminator. One pouch per printed sheet.
Use letter-size pouches (8.5″ x 11″) with a thickness of 3 mil. That’s the standard thickness — thick enough to protect the card without making it too rigid to fit into a wristband sleeve. You’ll find them sold in bulk packs, and a single box will last you multiple seasons.
Our Pick
We recommend these laminating pouches. They’re 3 mil, letter size, and come in a large pack — more than enough for a full season of wristband printing for your entire roster.
Putting It All Together
Once you have your baseball wristband supplies ready, the workflow is straightforward:
- Build your wristband in Armband Creator — add your plays, pick your colors, and customize the layout.
- Download the PDF and print it on standard 8.5″ x 11″ paper.
- Laminate the sheet (optional) — slide it into a laminating pouch and feed it through your laminator.
- Cut out the individual cards along the printed guidelines.
- Insert each card into a wristband sleeve and hand them out to your players.
That’s the entire process. For a step-by-step walkthrough, follow our Simple wristband guide (great for 8U–12U) or our Advanced wristband guide (built for 14U and up).
Ready to Get Started?
Armband Creator is a one-time purchase of $99 — lifetime access, no subscription, no recurring fees. Pair it with the supplies above and you’ll have professional play-call wristbands for your entire team in minutes.