Custom Apparel Design: Business Merchandise and Branded Clothing

Branded apparel serves dual purposes: team unity and marketing. When your team wears branded clothing, they represent your company professionally. When customers wear your merchandise, they advertise for you.

Design Tips for Wearable Merchandise

• Keep designs simple: Your logo, a clever tagline, or a clean graphic. Complex designs look busy on clothing.
• Consider placement: Left chest for professional (embroidered logo), full front or back for casual (screen-printed graphic).
• Choose quality blanks: People wear comfortable shirts. Cheap blanks end up as rags. Invest in Bella+Canvas, Next Level, or equivalent quality.
• Design for the garment color: Light designs on dark shirts, dark designs on light shirts. Test the combination before ordering.

Print Methods

• Screen printing: Best for large orders with 1-4 colors. Durable and cost-effective at scale. $5-$15 per shirt depending on color count and quantity.
• Direct-to-garment (DTG): Full-color printing with no minimums. Best for complex designs, photographs, or small quantities. $15-$25 per shirt.
• Embroidery: Stitched designs for a premium look. Best for polos, hats, and corporate wear. $8-$20 per item depending on stitch count.
• Heat transfer/vinyl: Good for names, numbers, and simple designs. Best for small quantities and personalization. $5-$12 per item.

Merchandise as Marketing

Give branded items at events, as customer gifts, or sell them if your brand has a following. The cost per impression for branded apparel is among the lowest in marketing -- a $15 t-shirt worn 50 times costs $0.30 per impression.

Need custom apparel design? Check our custom apparel services or contact us.