accessories

Custom Merch: A Guide to Screen Printing, Embroidery, and Beyond

Custom merchandise has become a powerful tool in the world of branding and marketing. It allows businesses to create a unique and memorable brand identity, connect with their audience on a personal level, and leave a lasting impression. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the various methods of custom merchandising and how they can elevate your brand.


The Art of High-End Screen Printing

High-end screen printing is a popular method for creating custom apparel. It involves transferring a design onto a fabric using a mesh screen and ink. The benefits of this method are numerous:

  • Quality: Screen printing produces designs that are not only vibrant but also sharp and clear. This is especially important for intricate designs or when a high level of detail is required.

  • Durability: One of the main advantages of screen printing is the durability of the prints. They are long-lasting and can withstand multiple washes without fading, making them ideal for everyday wear.

  • Versatility: Screen printing is suitable for various materials, including cotton, polyester, and blends, making it a versatile option for all types of apparel. Additionally, it can be used for intricate designs, allowing for more creative freedom.

Elevate Your Brand with Custom Embroidery

Custom embroidery is a timeless method that adds a touch of luxury and sophistication to your merch. By stitching a design onto fabric, you create a textured and premium look that can elevate your brand image. The benefits of custom embroidery include:

  • Appeal: Embroidery exudes quality and professionalism, ideal for corporate wear and high-end promotional items. The raised texture of the stitches adds depth and dimension to your designs, creating a more tactile and luxurious feel.

  • Applications: It's perfect for logos on uniforms, monograms on personal items, or intricate designs on promotional merchandise.

Sublimation: The Future of Full-Color Printing

Sublimation is a cutting-edge printing technique that allows for vibrant, full-color designs. It involves turning solid ink into gas and transferring it onto fabric, resulting in a seamless and long-lasting print. The benefits of sublimation include:

  • Advantages: Sublimation produces high-definition prints that won't peel or fade, making it ideal for detailed and colorful designs. The ink becomes part of the fabric, resulting in a smooth and durable print that can withstand repeated washing.

  • Suitability: Sublimation works on various materials, including polyester, ceramic, and metal, allowing for a wide range of custom products. It's especially popular for sportswear and promotional items, where vibrant and eye-catching designs are essential.


Specialty Printing: Beyond Apparel

Custom merch isn't limited to apparel. Specialty printing allows you to create unique promotional items that stand out and leave a lasting impression on your audience. The benefits of specialty printing include:

  • Accessories: Customize everyday items like cups, socks, and hats to create memorable and functional merch. These items are often used daily, increasing brand visibility and recall.

  • Potential: Specialty printing offers endless possibilities for creative branding. From quirky designs to innovative printing styles such as puff ink printing, you can create promotional items that resonate with your audience and make your brand memorable.

Custom Tags: The Finishing Touch

Custom tags add a professional touch to your apparel and provide valuable information. They enhance branding, offer sizing and care instructions, and can even tell your brand's story. The benefits of custom tags include:

  • Benefits: Custom tags enhance branding by adding a personal touch to your apparel. They can include your logo, contact details, or a personalized message, making your merch truly unique.

  • Options: Custom tags offer a range of options for adding information to your apparel. From sizing and care instructions to a brief brand story, you can use custom tags to communicate important information to your customers.


Crafting a Cohesive Brand Identity with Custom Merch

Custom merch can significantly enhance brand recognition and loyalty. By creating a consistent and memorable brand image, you can leave a lasting impression on your audience. Successful brands like Nike and Coca-Cola have used custom merch to create a strong brand identity and connect with their audience on a personal level.

Tips for Designing Effective Custom Merch

Creating impactful custom merch requires careful consideration of design elements. Use colors that align with your brand identity and resonate with your audience. Position your logo prominently but tastefully to enhance brand visibility. Keep designs simple, relatable, and relevant to your brand message.

  • Color Choices: Use colors that align with your brand identity and resonate with your audience.

  • Logo Placement: Position your logo prominently but tastefully to enhance brand visibility.

  • Design Considerations: Keep designs simple, relatable, and relevant to your brand message.


Choosing the Right Custom Merch Partner

Selecting a reliable and experienced merch printing agency is crucial for achieving high-quality results. Ensure the agency uses high-quality materials and printing techniques. Choose a partner that can meet your deadlines without compromising on quality. Work with an agency that understands your needs and offers excellent support.

  • Quality: Ensure the agency uses high-quality materials and printing techniques.

  • Turnaround Time: Choose a partner that can meet your deadlines without compromising on quality.

  • Customer Service: Work with an agency that understands your needs and offers excellent support.

Conclusion:

Custom merch is a powerful tool for building a strong brand identity and connecting with your audience. By incorporating high-quality printing techniques, thoughtful design, and a cohesive brand message, you can create memorable and impactful merchandise that resonates with your audience. Explore the potential of custom merch for your business and unlock the power of effective branding.


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Merch Consumer Trends of 2023

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Branded merch has become more and more of a necessity for brands and other service providers. This type of marketing is especially lucrative for online influencers and personalities.

In 2020, we saw a very big dip in overall sales of products such as clothing and footwear. According to ResearchandMarkets, the general merchandise market saw a decline from $1,843.6 billion in 2019 to $1,810 billion in 2020 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -1.9 percent. The decline is mainly due to economic hardships from the pandemic.

With the economy starting to revamp in 2021, we have seen great opportunities for smaller brands that took the time to grow their audience in the past year, to offer new and exciting merch. This is in part due to the fact that most consumer sales are being driven by the ability to connect with ones core values.


What are your

Brands’ Values?

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According to Faire’s survey data, the most purchased brand value tags were Women Owned, Made in the USA, and Handmade. Consumer purchasing patterns have become more about how they value a brand rather than the actual product itself. Most retailers shopped by brand value in order to find products that resonated with their customers.

Check Out Core Brand Values Examples: Why They Are Key to Differentiating Your Brand

A brand mission statement is important to clearly communicate the brand's purpose, objectives and how it plans to serve its audience. A clear mission allows the consumer to see their own values in your brand and make more on emotional connection. This builds brand loyalty and brand pride.


Trends By Categories

More and more businesses are shifting to remote work and this has opened up the potential to offer a variety of merch that otherwise would not be suitable for certain brands before the pandemic. It is important to do your research and find your audience to then gear your promotional products or branded merch towards their specific interests.

Read about How The Pandemic Changed The Way People Shop

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Pet Merch

As the pandemic begin extending in 2020, more and more people began adopting pets to help them cope with worldwide lockdowns. With pet adoptions on the rise, pet merch saw an increase of 1 Billion dollars annually.

According to the 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 70% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to 90.5 millions homes. This is a market that is worth looking at if you are thinking of dropping merch. Pet people love to buy toys and clothing for their dogs.

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Apparel

Big clothing brands such as H&M and Zara saw a sharp decline in sales at the begging of 2020 but quickly bounced back better than ever in 2021. Despite the losses in 2020, apparel and accessories sales in the United States are expected to reach $495 Billion in 2023.

Athleisure and activewear brands suffered less of a sales decline in 2020 compared to other apparel categories, decreasing by just 2-3% vs 2019. Consumer interest in health and wellness will continue beyond the pandemic, so demand for athleisure and activewear is expected to be strong in 2021.

Although screen printing on athletic clothing can be challenging, there are ways to work around this and get the perfect print for your athletic merch.

Check Out Apparel Ecommerce Market Size in the US from 2016 to 2021

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Health & Wellness

Wellness products saw a 10% increase in sales during 2020 and is predicted to increase an additional 15% in 2021 with a big push toward the end of the year. Wellness items have been on the rise for a few years now but it is predicted to hit all-time highs in 2021.

As global consumers are beginning to focus more on their wellness, products such as yoga mats and candles are among the highest sold items. These are products that can easily be manufactured and printed with your logo, they make great promotional merch!

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Tech Gadgets & Accessories

Gadget such as wireless phone charges, wireless headphones, and speakers have been on top of the tech chain when it comes to consumerism. In 2021, it is projected that most people will opt for wireless EVERYTHING.

Charger pads can be a great promotional product to display your company logo or brand name. Brand artwork can be laser printed unto these types of surfaces, making it easy, fast, and affordable.


The New Normal

Brands and retailers will need to consider how consumer behavior has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many consumers invested time and money in purchasing and learning to use equipment to facilitate fitness, cooking, working, and entertaining from home.

This means that many of the industries that thrived in 2020 could remain elevated above pre-pandemic levels, and at the same time, industries that struggled last year may find their industries have been changed permanently.

Increased remote work may lead to more travel and mobility, and business travel may ramp up, benefiting accessories like luggage and backpacks. The casualization trend that took hold in apparel and footwear last year is likely to remain.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator


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For any inquiries, send us a message!

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send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com