An Introduction to Customizable Products
When it comes to product decoration, screen printing is king. Just because screen printing takes up such a large market share, however, does not mean it is the end-all, be-all of the product decoration world. Few businesses thrive by offering a single product. Of course you can offer different types of screen printed products, but being able to meet more of your customers’ diverse needs without overextending your business will help to attract new customers, and keep existing ones. It is common for a sports team to need jerseys printed, hats sewn, a team banner to hang at games, a plaque to give to their sponsors, and awards to hand out at the end of a season. It may not be possible to produce all of your customer’s needs, but understanding how to insource or outsource them strategically can lead to more business and happier customers.
The Decoration Processes
Screen printing is the primary decoration method for apparel and other products, but screen print transfers are quickly and quietly taking over the garment decoration industry. Screen print transfers give decoration businesses the ability to print on-demand while having traditional screen printing’s low unit costs. Screen print transfers only require a quality heat press that can deliver consistent time, temperature, and pressure. For the screen printer, a different type of ink and transfer paper would be the only difference from their typical process, as they could still use their existing equipment to print transfers. There are other garment decoration processes to consider as well, and this leads us to an important point. The decoration process you use is dictated by the quantity, quantity of colors, and the material of the product being decorated.
+Screen printers typically print up to 6 colors, and can print on most garments. Screen printing machines are extremely efficient, and therefore capable of printing vast quantities of garments.
+Direct-to-garment (DTG) printers can print full-color, photo-quality images, but only on cotton and certain cotton blends. DTG printers are also best served printing small runs or individual garments. This is because they are not terribly fast and the ink is much more expensive than screen printing ink.
+Sublimation Printers can print transfers to be heat applied to polyester materials that can later be cut and sewn together to create finished products. The true potential of sublimation printing, however, is in the production of photo gifts like mugs, plaques, and awards. It does not take much for a product decorator to offer sublimation printing. In fact, a sublimation printer, ink, paper, and a heat press is all that is needed. Some products, like mugs, require a product-specific heat press, but they are worth the investment. Photo gifts have a high perceived value due to their full color and customization. This means a decoration business can charge more for them, and therefore make more money from them.
+Embroidery is another garment decoration process that you should consider. It also has a high perceived value and can expand your product offerings to match customers’ needs. The most common embroidery products include polos, hats, jackets and bags. Embroidery machines can be a bit expensive and take awhile to master. So, for most product decorators, outsourcing embroidery is common. However, the cost of embroidery supplies beyond the equipment are tiny, which means that a decoration businesses can have large margins in embroidered products.
+Wide format prints, like banners, wall clings, and canvas are another great way to offer not just variety, but desirable products that can make you a “one-stop-shop” for your customers. Customers often have artwork that they would like seen printed onto apparel, and specialty media like stickers and banners as well. All it takes to offer wide format products is a wide format printer, making it one of the easier decoration processes to master.
Substitute & Complementary Products
When approaching the market, a product can be introduced as either a replacement for an existing product or as a counterpart/enhancement of an existing product. Complementary products are sold separately, but are typically used together. So, each creates a demand for the other. For example, if a baseball team wanted a decoration shop to print their jerseys, then the shop could also offer to embroider their hats as well. A substitute product is a replacement product that is the same as, or similar to, an existing product. Substitute products can be either direct substitutes (like a new type of t-shirt) or indirect substitutes (like an embroidered polo vs. a screen printed t-shirt). By having a variety of products to offer customers, product decorators increase their odds of both making a single sale and of retaining their customers’ business over time.
Premium vs. Discount Apparel Products
When deciding what type of product decoration business to start, or new product to launch, one major consideration will be whether the brand or product will compete on price or on quality. Discount products are marketed as being less-expensive, and yet comparable in quality to similar products in the market. Premium products are marketed as being superior in quality compared to what is available in the market, and therefore are more expensive. For product decorators, discount t-shirts are quite inexpensive. Contrastingly, the high-end, blended shirts can be two or three times the price. There is a significant difference in the quality, feel, and weight of discount and premium t-shirts.
A business’s target market will likely have an effect on whether their product is marketed as a discount product or a premium product. If a business attempts to market a premium product in a market where people are not willing to pay more for a premium, then it is unlikely the business will find success. Many decoration businesses create multiple brands in order to compete both as a premium and discount product provider. It is good to offer customers a variety of products, but offering too much variety can be an issue. There are countless brands, sizes, fits, and styles of apparel for decoration businesses and their customers to choose from. That is why it is best for a decoration business to narrow their focus and lean towards either premium or discount products.
Insourcing vs. Outsourcing
Now, just because all these product decoration processes and products are out there it does not mean you need to master them all yourself, or even offer them. If you can find a quality embroiderer, wide format printer, or sublimation printer that you can outsource to while still making a profit, then you should jump at the chance. Not only will your customers come to you for those products, but, armed with the knowledge that you offer even more options, they are more likely to return to you to fulfill future needs. It is important to note, if you do not offer quality products or the right products across the board, then that bump you might receive from expanded offerings is all for naught. This is why it is crucial to at least understand each decoration process and all the products you offer, even if you are not the one actually doing the printing or sewing.
How to Organize Your Product Line
When it comes to decorated products, variety is an important selling point. However, because there are almost countless options to choose from variety can also easily become a hindrance. The goal of developing a product line should be to offer variety without overwhelming customers. For instance, there are a multitude of options when it comes to blank apparel for product decoration. There are different sizes, different fits, different colors, different fabrics, and more. A product decorator must know the differences between these options and be able to explain them to their customers. The easiest way to break it down is to first choose products that fit into 4 major categories: adult, ladies & juniors, youth, and accessories. These products should be ones that can be decorated and that are in-demand in the market. Having multiple options within each of these categories is also important. One way to create more options is to offer good, better, and best options for each type of blank apparel product. So, for an adult t-shirt, a product decorator could offer a regular cotton t-shirt (good), a blended cotton t-shirt (better), and a soft tri-blend t-shirt (best). This is an excellent way to increase the size of a product line without complicating it too much, and can be applied for almost all products.
Other Thoughts
Once you have the various decoration processes figured out, you need to research the available products to decide which products to offer. Do not get caught in the trap of offering too much, or you might overwhelm your customers. Offer only brands that you trust (or that are recommended by the companies you outsource to) and fits and colors that you know will take decoration well. Never allow customers to bring products to you to be decorated. Not only might they be unfamiliar (and therefore unreliable to decorate), you will be liable for what happens to their product should something go awry in the decoration process. If you have samples (which you can either create yourself or get from suppliers, usually for heavily discounted prices), then your customers can be better informed about their purchase before making their decision.
Conclusion
When it comes to product decoration, the amount of variables that go into determining what to print and how to print it can be overwhelming. Once you understand these decoration processes and products, you can determine what you want to offer, what you can do yourself, and what to outsource. Your business can then set itself apart by becoming a one-stop-shop for all your customers’ product decoration needs.
