Now that you’ve got your ideas together and the designs have been approved, it is time to go into production.
Find a manufacturer
This is the company that will make your merchandise. Depending on the type of product you’ll be creating, you’ll need to approach one manufacturer or another, but you’ll need the same information from whoever you choose.
- Ask if they have experience with creating merchandise
- Make sure you understand the payment terms early on
- Same thing with the total cost
- Do they have a minimum order?
- Do they offer refunds if there is a mistake?
- When can delivery be expected?
- What happens if the courier misses the time of delivery?
Have a good relationship with your account manager
This is the person who will be dealing with your orders. If everything goes well or not, largely depends on this person.
Thrive for quality
Make sure it’s good quality. This is your name you’ll be selling, do you want it to be related to anything less? The decision will come down to each individual, we believe that it is worth paying a little extra for quality. You may be able to fool people once, but trust us, they won’t come back if the last time they tasted what you were selling it left a sour taste in their mouths.
Double Check final printing technique
Make sure you and your account manager understand what type of method will be used and what kind of artwork it requires. Some use flat vector layers with as few colors as possible, while others need 300dpi images
Order samples if necessary
Sometimes it is just better to see and touch the products with your own hands. The better the quality of a garment then the better the final job will turnout, although keep in mind that if the artwork is poorly prepared then there is no T-shirt that can save it. Most printing agencies will ship samples when requested (we sure do). Don’t be afraid to ask your account manager.
