If you have a clothing brand and you’ve decided to add tie-dye clothes to your inventory and revamp them with your custom designs, there’s going to be more planning involved than if you were opting for plain blank attire. So let’s review some of the processes, tips, and techniques involved with printing on tie-dye clothing for your business and finding a printing company to do it for you.
Choosing the tie-dye pattern
From horizontal stripes to bullseyes to hearts, there are many options you can go with for your tie-dye pattern. However, if you’re starting to sell tie-dye clothes through your business, consider opting for a versatile tie-dye print to see how well it sells.
Another option is to think about upcoming holidays. For example, the heart option would be great for kids and adults for Valentine’s Day, and using a red, green, and white pattern could be fantastic for December. Finally, consider selling one versatile tie-dye patterned clothing and another limited edition option specifically for a holiday, giving your customers a choice between one or the other (or being able to buy both).
Printing methods
There are several printing tips available for printing on tie-dye clothing. For example, a few options include screen printing, direct-to-garment printing, and sublimation. Both screen printing and direct-to-garment are typically ideal for natural materials, such as cotton, while sublimation’s best friend is polyester, typically on tie-dye garments. The printing method you choose has a lot to do with the complexity of the design you want to put on the garment and the clothing’s material.
How to choose a printing company
The best way to choose a printing company to put a design on tie-dye clothing items is by reading customer reviews on various websites. Some printing companies are better than others in terms of quality, services, turnaround times, and costs. Reviews can give you a good idea of what others have experienced.
Once you find some printing companies you feel might be good candidates, call them and describe what you want. They can explain which printing options they think would suit your particular need and let you know if they do those printing methods. For example, some businesses that offer direct-to-garment printing might not also offer sublimation.
Get all the information you can from each printing company you speak with, and once you have the details, you can determine which one you feel is best. Make sure, however, not to focus solely on price. While cost is essential, quality, selection, past customer thoughts, and the services they offer are even more so.
How to choose a printing method
Since you have a professional clothing brand, you’ll want to use the printing method that offers you the best results and will satisfy you and your customers. There are several factors to consider, including cost. Further factors to consider include what graphic design you’re going with and in what colors, how soon you need the orders, how many pieces you’ll need, and what material you want the clothes to be. You’ll also want to consider the specific clothing item(s), such as if you want to order the Bella + Canvas unisex tie-dye pullover sweatshirt.
Before ordering, talk with the printing company that will do the designs for you on the tie-dye apparel. Explain (or better yet, show) what designs and colors you have in mind, and see what they recommend, especially after they hear about or review your design plans. Make sure you also explain your budget so you and they are on the same page regarding cost.
Choosing tie-dye clothing
The most accessible item to start with is probably t-shirts if you want to begin selling tie-dye clothing via your business. However, you can start with other things instead of t-shirts or in addition to them. It comes down to not only the tie-dye clothing items you want to sell but also what you think your customers would want to buy, whether or not they’re local. The season you’re ordering for can also influence what clothing items you buy at that time.
The type of design you want to do also matters. For example, if you want a big graphic, doing it on a pair of shorts wouldn’t be logical due to the limited space; a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or tank top would provide you with the most room for your design. On the other hand, if it’s a long vertical design, the best piece of clothing would be pants rather than a t-shirt or shorts.
Benefiting from social media
Social media is great for some things and not so much for others, but what it is often suitable for is asking for advice. Even if no one who sees your posts is currently in the fashion industry, it doesn’t mean they don’t know people who are or can’t offer you an opinion.
For example, if you need help figuring out which tie-dye pattern might be most appealing to sell, take a poll and let the people you know (and even those you don’t if you choose to make the poll public temporarily) help you make a decision. You may also be surprised how many have previously ordered custom t-shirts or other clothing from a printing company. Many of these businesses don’t only do wholesale bulk orders; some print as few as one piece or may do clothing for an event, such as a family reunion. Those who have ordered custom-printed clothing before may be able to point you in the direction (or away from) businesses they’ve already dealt with.
You’ll likely have questions before ordering your custom designs printed on tie-dye apparel. Make sure you fully understand what you’re ordering before you commit to a purchase. Whether you research, ask questions of the printing company, or do a combination of both, the more knowledge you have to work with, the better position you can be to make an ideal decision for your business and its future.
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