5 Tips When Ordering Customized Apparel
Have you ever been tasked with having to order customized apparel? Depending on what supplier you choose to use, your experience will vary greatly. Here are some tips on how to order customized apparel like a pro!
Know the style of product you want.
There are thousands of different items of apparel to choose from, and the more vague you are, the more difficult it will be for the supplier to find the “perfect” product for you. Have some idea of what you want; perhaps a particular brand or a specific fabric for your customized apparel. The more detailed information you can give your supplier, the easier your order will be for both you and for your supplier.
Have your artwork in the correct format.
Any artwork that you wish to be printed or embroidered on customized apparel should be professionally designed. A high-quality design will produce a high-quality product, rather a poor-quality product. Artwork should be in vector formats, high quality .jpeg, and/or editable PDFs. A photo or picture of your logo, a drawing, or an image you took from a website will not yield high-quality results when printing.
Collect the quantities and sizes that you need.
This may be the most difficult part of the process when ordering customized apparel. Any time you must wait for someone else’s response makes your job more difficult. We suggest that as soon as you are tasked with ordering apparel, begin determining the quantity and sizes you will need. Set a firm deadline for everyone to report their size for customized apparel to you.
Order extra.
This is somewhat an extension of the previous point. You will almost always have someone complain that “This is the wrong size” or “This large shirt is really a medium; who could fit into this?” Order backups of customized apparel to get out of this typical jam. Worst case scenario: you end up giving the customized apparel to new staff that comes on board or late arrivals!
Get an early start when placing your order.
Trying to produce a custom apparel order in less than a week is very difficult. It is stressful for all parties involved. This stress is easily avoidable if you call a week earlier. When people have to rush, mistakes get made, and no one wants that when ordering customized apparel.