The Art of Hat Personalization: How to Create Your Unique Style with Custom Caps

Crafting your unique style is all about showcasing your personality, and what better way to do this than through the art of hat personalization? Custom caps offer a platform for your creativity, allowing you to stand out from the crowd while making a statement. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the vibrant world of custom cap design and the various techniques involved in achieving a tailored look. Whether you're a business looking to promote your brand, a team wanting to demonstrate unity, or an individual seeking to express your unique flair, our insights into the process and benefits of custom hat printing will be invaluable. We invite you to explore how you can leverage custom hat personalization to create a style that's unmistakably yours.


The Versatility of Embroidered Hats

Embroidered hats have become a modern fashion staple, resonating with all ages and styles, due to their unrivaled versatility and the personal touch they add to any outfit. This hat personalization technique allows for intricate designs to be sewn directly onto the hat, creating a high-quality, durable product that is equally at home or on the sports field.

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  • Durability: The embroidery process creates a design that is resistant to wear and tear, ensuring your logo or custom image remains crisp and clear even with regular use.

  • High Quality: The depth and texture of embroidery impart a premium feel to the hats, reflecting positively on your brand.

  • Versatility: From a delicate monogram to a detailed logo, embroidery can handle a range of designs, making it suitable for both personal and business use.


How Heat Pressed Hats are Made

Heat pressed hats are another popular option in the realm of hat personalization. This technique uses heat and pressure to transfer a design from a special type of paper onto the cap. Heat pressing allows for the reproduction of complex, multi-colored designs with a smooth finish that feels part of the hat fabric.

  • Speedy Production: Heat pressing is a quicker process than embroidery, making it an excellent option for bulk orders.

  • Detailed Designs: This method can reproduce intricate, multicolored designs with ease, which may be challenging with embroidery.

  • Cost-Effective: Heat pressing typically has a lower setup cost compared to embroidery, making it a budget-friendly choice for startups and small businesses.

These two custom hat techniques offer distinct advantages and can be chosen based on the specific needs and preferences of the individual or company.


Why Custom Hats are a Fan Favorite

Custom hats have become a quintessential part of band merch, providing fans with a wearable symbol of their loyalty and support. From embroidered logos to heat-pressed tour dates, custom caps offer endless possibilities for bands to connect with their fans.

  • Fan Engagement: Custom hats enable fans to show their support in a fashionable, practical way.

  • Variety of Options: With so many customization options available, each band can create merchandise that's as unique as their music.

  • Revenue Generation: Custom hats are not just a fan favorite, they're also a great source of additional income for bands, making them a win-win solution.

The Popularity of Ebbets Field Style Hats in Modern Fashion

The timeless charm of Ebbets Field style hats, with their vintage aesthetic and comfortable fit, has captured the attention of modern fashion enthusiasts. Named after the iconic ballpark, these hats mimic the style and quality found in the caps of yesteryears.

  • Historical Allure: Ebbets Field style hats are steeped in nostalgia, making them an appealing choice for those seeking a classic look.

  • Quality Craftsmanship: These hats are typically made with premium materials and high attention to detail, resulting in a comfortable, long-lasting product.

  • Versatility: From casual wear to themed events, the vintage appeal of Ebbets Field style hats allows them to fit in effortlessly wherever they are worn.

Band Merch Essential: Why Custom Hats are a Fan Favorite

hart house restaurant merch

HART HOUSE Merch Window

Custom hats have become a quintessential part of band merch, providing fans with a wearable symbol of their loyalty and support. From embroidered logos to heat-pressed tour dates, custom caps offer endless possibilities for bands to connect with their fans.

  • Fan Engagement: Custom hats enable fans to show their support in a fashionable, practical way.

  • Variety of Options: With so many customization options available, each band can create merchandise that's as unique as their music.

  • Revenue Generation: Custom hats are not just a fan favorite, they're also a great source of additional income for bands, making them a win-win solution.

Comparing Custom Hat Techniques: Embroidered vs. Heat Pressed

When it comes to choosing between embroidery and heat press for your custom hat designs, understanding the strengths of each technique can inform your decision. Here's a comparative breakdown to help:

  • Detail and Texture: Embroidery stands out with its distinct, tactile quality, which is excellent for simpler designs or logos. Heat pressing, on the other hand, is more suited to complex, multicolor designs, as it provides a smoother finish.

  • Durability: Both methods offer excellent durability, but embroidery may have a slight edge as the design is woven into the fabric, providing resistance against fading or peeling.

  • Cost and Time: Heat pressing generally has lower setup costs and faster production times, making it ideal for large orders or tighter budgets.

It's essential to consider the intended use, audience, and budget for your hats before deciding which method is the best fit.

By understanding these elements of hat personalization, you're well-equipped to start your journey into the world of custom caps. Whether you're looking to create a piece of nostalgia with an Ebbets Field style cap, craft the perfect piece of band merch, or build a brand-forward image for your business, there's a custom cap solution that fits your needs. Get creative, have fun, and watch as your unique style comes to life through the art of hat personalization.

The Strategic Use of Custom Caps in Business

A strong, brand-forward image is crucial in today's competitive business landscape. Custom caps serve as a mobile billboard, consistently putting your brand in the public eye.

  • Brand Recognition: The more your logo is seen, the more recognizable your brand becomes. Custom caps provide an opportunity for your brand to be seen in various settings.

  • Unity and Professionalism: Custom hats can also serve to unify a team at corporate events or trade shows, presenting a professional and coordinated image of your company.

  • Cost-Effective Marketing: Compared to many traditional forms of advertising, custom caps can provide considerable brand exposure for relatively little investment.

Each of these methods offers unique ways to use custom hats, whether it's for personal fashion, band merchandising, or brand promotion.

4 Benefits of Embroidered Custom Hats for Your Brand

 

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the world of hat personalization provides an abundance of opportunities for individual expression, brand-forward marketing, and creative merchandise. From the durability of embroidered hats to the detailed designs achievable with heat-pressed hats, each technique brings its unique advantages to the table. The nostalgia-evoking Ebbets Field style hats make a stylish statement, while custom caps serve as a go-to fan favorite for band merch. Whether you're a business seeking a cost-effective marketing strategy or an individual looking to express your personal style, understanding the art of hat personalization can empower you to create unique, impactful designs that truly stand out. Don't miss out on the incredible potential that custom hats offer in today's fashion and business landscapes – start exploring the world of hat customization today!

 

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Art & Merch Design with Coco Nella

In honor of Women’s History Month, we decided to interview some Los Angeles women artists, designers, and business owners. We start this series by talking to artist and designer, Coco Nella who has paved her way through the Los Angeles art scene after relocating from the Tri-State area. Coco has worked with several brands and businesses to elevate their brand with her abstract designs.


Who Is Coco Nella?

Coco Nella is a Los Angeles-based mural & custom artwork business owned by Corinne “coco” Pulsinelle. Coco hails from the east coast, where she grew up fascinated by abandoned buildings and street art. After attending SUNY Purchase Art Conservatory in New York, she was able to refine her style and scale up her designs into large murals.

Since moving to Los Angeles, Coco’s painting style has caught the attention of major corporations, interior designers, business owners, and independent clients looking to have custom artwork in their homes. Her illustrations have also been used on packaging, clothing, and merch specifically in collaboration with local breweries.



Coco’s Background

Growing up in New Jersey, Coco became interested in the arts while taking an art class at her high school. Growing up, she took a specific interest in photography and graffiti as her artistic outlet. While in high school her teacher encouraged her and helped her apply to art schools.

After relocating to Los Angeles, Coco made connections with local interior designers and she began doing large-scale paintings and home murals as well as retail and office spaces. She has been able to create these connections through the years and building a brand for herself.

Although Coco’s primary work is painting murals and graphic design, she majored in Screen Printing while at SUNY Purchase where she learned the art of printmaking. This knowledge helped her understand design and plays a big role in how she works today. Coco has been able to pivot her knowledge of design and printmaking to create artwork for beer cans and apparel.

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10 Questions with Coco Nella

We sat down with Coco to talk about her story, her inspiration for what she does, and the women in history that paved the way for her.

Q: How do you think learning the art of Printmaking in college influences your art today?

Coco: Printmaking is a cool knowledge base to come from because it is process-heavy and I am better at setting up a project overall because of it. For example, I approach murals by having a completely planned-out design first and pay close attention to things like color order as you would in printmaking. The heavy focus on design and image layering is definitely something I think is evident across my work.

Q: Growing up, who were the women that you looked up to as inspiration for making art?

Coco: I have always been inspired by strong women in general, especially those who are accomplished in male-dominated industries or have overcome very big challenges. I can’t pinpoint a particular idol in the art world, but I will say that seeing my grandma react to the drawings I was doing as a kid for example made me feel like maybe I had something worth pursuing. So maybe I didn’t know all of the art icons & hadn’t been to many galleries, but I had strong women around me who I looked up to and wanted to make proud.

Q: How do you help brands develop their visual assets?

Coco: My approach to working with brands is based on making a personal connection and understanding the ethos of the company and who their customer is. Developing color schemes, fonts, and images. Those are all tools we can utilize to communicate. Sometimes I feel like a translator, taking what it is a company wants to express and simply putting that into the language of design. I am not short on unconventional ideas and I value freshness and originality while keeping things approachable.

Q: What is your process when designing merch for a business?

Coco: On a technical level, it’s important for me to understand what the design is going to be used for. An image that translates well on a digitally printed t-shirt might not work on an embroidered hat for example. Once that part is sorted out, I really just focus on making the merch look eye-catching and awesome. People often buy merch because it’s nostalgic… you had a great time at a new brewery and there’s an awesome t-shirt hanging in front of you that you can wear and remember that awesome time. It’s built into the experience for the customer, but it’s also built into the advertising of the business. It’s a proper win-win scenario that should be treated as a fun and enjoyable creative process.  

Q: What do you enjoy about working with local breweries?

Coco: Local breweries are often down-to-earth social environments where things behind the scenes are often very creative and experimental. I feel like my goal as a visual artist to bring people together parallels the goal of many brewers that I have met, and that alignment allows for really cool artwork to happen.

Q: How important do you think it is for breweries to have label art for their cans?

Coco: Label art on almost any product is an integral part of creating/product brand awareness and making sales. A lot of people like myself will engage with a new product almost exclusively because I like how it looks, after all that’s often all you know about the product until you’ve tried it.

Q: What is the best part of working with a local business?

Coco: The best part of working with a local business is that I am also a local business and we speak the same language, a lot of times as far as understanding the hustle, the highs, and lows. I come at those projects from a place of support and I really appreciate the support in return.

Q: What do you like most about designing beer can labels?

Coco: Craft beer is specifically cool to make art for because oftentimes the customer will sip on a beer and have a rare moment of pause where they can actually look at the can. I like to bring a lot of detail into these labels and give people lots to look at, it’s just fun and part of the whole experience of unwinding with a good beer. Plus I’ve seen people either collect or turn the can into planters so that’s been a meaningful and unexpected demonstration of how people respond to the work I’m putting out.

Q: What is the most challenging part of designing merch?

Coco: The most challenging part of designing merch for me is creating the best strategy ahead of time so that whatever artwork I send to the printer will translate really well onto whatever product we are making. At the same time, I want to create artwork that is versatile for my client, so if they decide in the future to turn the same image into a patch or a pin I need to hit that sweet spot of having visually interesting details, but not so many details that they get lost on the item or can’t be made at all. It’s not always possible but that is often a challenge I face being in between the client and the printer.

Q: What inspires your creativity when designing merch?

Coco: When I design merch, I am always on the lookout for unconventional sources of inspiration that can bring freshness and originality. I don’t look at other merch as much as I might look at old photos, advertisements, and even just cool color combinations that I might notice while I’m out on a walk. 


Designed by Coco Nella for the 2020 Los Angeles Brewers Guild

Designed by Coco Nella for the 2020 Los Angeles Brewers Guild

Beer label designs

Coco has worked with some Los Angeles County-based breweries such as Lucky Luke Brewing and Pacific Plate Brewing designing their cans. She has been able to bring a brighter concept and an out-of-the-box approach to label design.

Colorful and eye-catching beer label designs have recently become a very integral part of the craft beer business in Los Angeles. Having a well-thought-out, colorful and fun design on a beer label has proven to increase sales, and breweries all around the country are beginning to notice that combining art and beer is a good way to create brand awareness and loyalty.

Check out The 20 best beer label designs of 2020

Read How to design a beer label: The ultimate guide for craft brewers


Merch Design

Having a well-thought-out design printed on a t-shirt or stickers can get you noticed. Coco has created some very cool designs to establish a brand visual asset for some of her clients such as Leo & Mamas, which is a women-owned lifestyle brand and shop in Lancaster, California, and a cool bandana collab with Lady Luck Print Co. which is a women-owned print shop located in Carlsbad, California.

As a business with regular customers, selling t-shirts, mugs, or stickers at your events or establishment creates a beautiful flywheel effect: the more merch you sell, the more money you make, and the more your brand gets promoted by your regular customers. A nice mention on their social media also helps promote your brand and gets you noticed by orders in a way that is fast and easy.

Read 8 Reasons why your company needs branded merchandise

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator


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5 Influencer Merch Ideas To Help Launch Your Store

As an influencer you’re constantly selling other brands’ products, however, when it comes to selling yourself, we think there is a lot of missed opportunities; especially when you have a large following that is active in engaging with your content. So how do you get started? We’ll take you through some ideas to help you launch your own merch store.


Why Do Influencers Need Merch?

Merch is a great way to earn money without damaging your image. While major brands are always looking for influencers with a large and dedicated following, it's likely that you will only have so many opportunities to partner with them on sponsored posts or ads. With merch, however, you have another five or ten ways to earn money without ever having to discuss any subject matter that may not resonate with your audience. If you're considering expanding your earnings as an influencer, this could be the perfect solution.

But merch isn't just another way to make extra money—it's also a great way to get additional exposure on social media. Influencers who create and sell their own products can use their channels to promote them in new and interesting ways.

For example, they might post pictures of themselves wearing the product in various locations around the world; they might even host giveaways for fans who purchase it! And when influencers take advantage of opportunities like this one (which is often given away at conferences), it results in lots more likes and comments on Instagram. In fact, some studies show that each new product sold through social media gets its creator about $5 worth of free advertising—not bad considering they don't even have spend any money upfront!

Check Out The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark Report

Brand Awareness

While influencer merchandise is a product, it’s also a conversation starter. As an influencer, you can use your commercial products to connect with your audience and share who you are outside of the confines of social media.

For example, you can use the notes section on your Shopify store to chat directly with customers and offer them inside information about the brand. Similarly, fans can share their own story by posting pictures of themselves using or wearing your merch.

The result: Influencers have built communities around their unique brands and stories, but their merchandise is more than just another way to audiences to show support. It gives fans the opportunity to interact in meaningful ways outside of the digital world while continuing to build strong connections and leads to loyalty and sales down the line.

Read More 9 Instagram Growth Strategies to Grow Your Following

Loyalty

Here’s a scenario: You post on social media telling your followers all the placed they can buy merch, and it would be nice to see photos of them wearing their new purchases. In addition to getting your followers excited about the products you’re selling, this exercised will get them more involved with you and your brand. These interactions will strengthen your relationship with your audience and lead to more people wanting to buy merch from you down the road.

Read More How Promotional Merch Cultivates Brand Loyalty

Gather User Data

Influencer merch will help you gather vita user data by giving you a crucial contact and payment information. This gives brands opportunities to upsell.

Influencer merch is a relatively new space in e-commerce that allows influencers to create custom products for their followers. These product can be designed and sold directly through the influencer’s social pages and websites, using merch print shops such as Family Industries.

Collecting data can help you determine who your users are and what they want from your brand. Use this information to better target products for your niche audience. It doesn’t matter how much data you collect if you don’t use it properly.

Active Revenue Stream

Merch is a great way to earn money without damaging your image. While major brands are always looking for influencers with a large and dedicated following, it's likely that you will only have so many opportunities to partner with them on sponsored posts or ads. With merch, however, you have another five or ten ways to earn money without ever having to discuss any subject matter that may not resonate with your audience. If you're considering expanding your earnings as an influencer, this could be the perfect solution.


Influencer Marketing Industry is set to grow to approximately $16.4 Billion in 2022
— The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark Report

5 Influencer Merch Ideas

Before you establish a line of merch item, make sure you have a logo, a font, and brand colors established. Some logos may not work with certain items so it’s important you have a good idea of what you want your branding to look like whether it’s your name or your Instagram handle make sure you have the right dimensions and file type.

Check Out MERCH IDEAS FOR STREAMERS AND YOUTUBERS

  1. Apparel

Avani 'YOUISBEBE' Tie Dye Sweatpants

Anything that can be worn is a staple in every merch store. T-shirts, and sweatshirts or hoodies are essential and a great way to promote yourself or a project.

To ensure success, it’s best to not only use your name or social medial handle but include some type of graphic, like a logo. If you don’t have a distinctive logo or graphic, we suggest to work with your merch agency or a graphic designer to develop one that best represents you.

Printed sweat pants have now become a popular item for most merch stores in 2022 as well as sweat shorts with the same graphics. You can have sweats screen printed with your logo and other designs. Be creative!

2. Hats

Middle Kid logo bucket hat

Once again, hats are a staple for merch stores - however, beanies may sell best during the winter and other hats like bucket hats sell better in the summer.

Seasonality is something you should consider with merch that is wearable. This way, if you plan accordingly you’re always ahead and you avoid overstock of certain items.

3. Bags & Backpacks

Jake Paul Backpack


Bags not only serve a purpose, but can be the best canvas for your logo and other branding attributes. The possibilities of what you can print on a bag such as a tote bag or backpack provides an opportunity to get very creative.

Using a lot of colors and fun graphics is recommended, you want to have your bag stand out.





4. Tech / Lifestyle

Addison Ray iPhone Case

Phone cases are affordable merch items and one of the most popular items among the Gen Z audience. If your demographics fall within the ages of 14 through 25, a phone case is a great option.

Tech accessories are also less hassle to sell as there are no sizing requirements and returns tend to be low for items like this.




5. Accessories

As a content creator, it’s important to have a merch item that directly speaks to your audience and correlates with the type of content you are creating.

For example, if you’re a fitness influencer, a cool yoga mat or stretch bands with your logo would be ideal. Sport merch items such as balls are good if you’re a sports content creator.

Lifestyle creators have a bigger list of merch items to choose from especially when it comes to accessories. For lifestyle brands you can go anywhere from drinkware to loungewear, making it easier to build a solid merch line that covers all aspects of everyday life.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator


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Our showroom at 2755 Fruitdale Street, Los Angeles, CA 90039 is open by appointment only from 10 am - 4 pm Monday through Friday.


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How Can Branding Costs Be Capitalized

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When starting your own business, your first step should be establishing a brand identity and doing this can be costly, from hiring a graphic designer for your logo, to paying a fee to register your brand name. We’ll take you through some of the ways it pays off to spend the money on your branding.


Is Having a brand an asset?

Yes, having a brand is in fact an asset, an intangible asset. Like any asset, brands require long term investment and will render profit over time. Brands have value and can be bought and sold. Brands are best used when they service the strategic vision of the company.

What Are Brand Assets?

Here are a few well-known examples of brand assets to help clarify the concept.

  • Color schemes

  • Packaging

  • Logos

  • Jingles

  • Company name

  • Slogan

  • Songs/sounds

Check Out How To Start Your Own Brand in 7 Steps

Examples Of Brand Assets

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Amazon Packaging

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All amazon orders are delivered in a box with their logo and the tape used to seal it has details about Amazon specials.

Because of the branding that is directly printed on their packaging, someone walking down the street who sees this box on a doorstep can immediately tell it’s from Amazon.

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Apple Logo

The apple with a bite taken out of the right hand upper corner is the iconic logo recognized all over the world. Anyone that sees this logo will recognize the brand and their products could never be mistaken for any other computer and/or cellphone brand.

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McDonald’s Jingle

Not only are the golden arches already is recognizable logo across the world, their “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle is forever stuck in everybody’s head and instantly recognized by anyone without a hearing impairment.

Your brand isn’t just your logo. It’s how you interact with the world — from your customers to your employees — and it all stems from the brand.
— Blair Brady, Forbes Councils Member

So, how do I capitalize From My Brand?

All of these definitions accurately describe the advantages of a powerful and successful brand. But the critical aspect is that a brand today must not only look the part, it must also function as an asset – by definition that means it must be “Something valuable that an entity owns, benefits from, or has use of, in generating income.”

Must Be Tangible — The brand must offer a service or a product. If your brand offers a product, it must be branded with the brand’s logo, colors, or any other identifying characteristics.

Business Model — A successful brand requires an efficient and competitive commercial model in order to get into the market and meet demand.

Unique Branding — Outside the box ideas help differentiate brands from each other in a competitive environment.

Target The Right Audience — Targeting a specific demographic helps narrow down audience and brand must align and directly speak to that group.

Read 5 Ways To Identify The Right Target Audience For Your Brand

Marketing & Promotional Items

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If your business is a service or you’re in the food and beverage industry, you’re most likely thinking that this information is not for you. However, we think that there are plenty of ways to capitalize off of your branding which includes marketing with visual ads and promotional products such as apparel or reusable goods.

Creating merch or promotional products on top of your service allows for your to capitalize off of your branding assets by having your logo printed unto different tangible products that are appealing to your demographic.

Read What Is Branded Merchandise? Why Is It Important For Your Business?

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All branding assets can be used for profit-rendering business moves. Without a clear brand message, marketing can be a money pit. Having a good looking logo that translates your name, mission, and is clear is essential. By creating ads around your branding you are sending a concise message that triggers interest and leads to conversions.

Marketing encompasses strategies to build awareness of your company’s products and services. It also involves promoting and protecting the brand. Every message about your company is part of your marketing.


Conclusion

While it may seem like a daunting and steep road ahead, making the necessary monetary investment in your preliminary branding concepts and execution will pay off in the long run. While branding is not a linear road to 100% profit, if you develop the right imagery and brand mission it will be a gradual climb to success.

Additionally, without branding assets advertising and merchandising opportunities will be much harder to profit from. Having a clear brand mission, imagery, color pallet, and target audience is essential to any business.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator


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Apparel Branding Checklist

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Starting an apparel brand may seem easy but there are a lot of legal and practical logistics to take into consideration if you’re looking to do things the right way. In this blog, we’ll take you through the basics of how to launch a legit apparel business with insight into the details that most people miss when they are just starting out. Additionally, we’ll give you examples of what not to do.

Image and Clothing by Never Made

Image and Clothing by Never Made

  1. Artwork & Designs

Oftentimes people have great ideas for what graphics they want on their clothing but don’t have the proper copyrights to use those images. It’s imperative that any design created for your brand is owned by you and that it is not in the likeness of any other popular brand.

Copyright is a form of legal protection provided to those who create original works. the copyright owner has the exclusive right to reproduce, adapt, distribute, publicly perform and publicly display the work.

Any or all of these rights can be licensed, sold, or donated to another party.

When planning your aesthetic and working with a graphic designer, it is advised that you draft a contract to ensure you have the rights to the graphics and this way, protect yourself from any legal issues that may arise in the future.

Check out - How To Copyright a graphic design

Many make the mistake of changing the colors on artwork and think they can get away with it but it’s not recommended if you’re looking to have a legitimate apparel brand.

Make sure you also trademark your brand name. Here is how!

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2. Fonts

Fonts come in all shapes and sizes, if your design requires a cool font that fits the vibe of your apparel line, it is important that purchase licensing for them. We advise you to select 2 or 3 fonts to use throughout your items and so that you have a variety to chose from.

To learn more about licensing check out The Law on Fonts and Typefaces in Design and Marketing: Frequently Asked Questions (about commercial and non-commercial use)

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3. Details

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Clothing tags are not only an opportunity to print your logo on but they’re required when selling apparel. Many new brands make the mistake of buying t-shirts in bulk that have a generic tag of the manufacturer and don’t bother to add their logo.

However, we’ve found that having your company information printed on the inside of the neck increases brand recognition and adds to the overall value of your brand.

Regulations compliance is another reason why you should have neck tags. These regulations required the fabric content, country of origin, and RN number.

Check out - Brand and Clothing Labels: The Definitive Guide

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4. Website

Have your website ready to go before you begin promoting your product.

Take the time to build a website with a checkout cart that is linked to your email or a processing system to avoid all the manual work that comes with fulfillment.

A common mistake a lot of new brands make is launching their brand on Instagram or other social media platforms such as Facebook and this could cause issues with fulfillment, as it is important to have a centralized system to manage order information.

Do I need a small business website in 2021?

If fulfillment is too much of a challenge for you, a company like Family Industries which is a local print shop in Los Angeles does fulfillment for many of their clients all around the US.

Check out Family Industries fulfillment information

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5. Apparel Photography

They say we eat through our eyes and it’s the same concept when shopping. Having well-lit and consistent product photography not only looks nice but it’s extremely important.

Product photography is just as essential as lifestyle images, but keep the lifestyle images to dress up your website and social media channels; while using your nice and clean product photographs for your catalog view.

Check out Clothing & Apparel: 7 Common Mistakes

Product photography generally refers to photographing a specific item (a piece of clothing) without any other distracting objects. For clothing, we recommend you have a model and you have the images shot with a white or single color background. Additional images should show the material and the seams.


Conclusion

Check and double-check that you have copyrights to your artwork and that if you’re using fonts, that you have the correct licensing to use it. Protect yourself from any potential legal issues and provide the correct information about your garment on the tags and don’t forget to add your brand tags.

Make test purchases on your website to make sure your check-out process is smooth and it works to avoid any potential technical issues when you launch.

And always make sure you have high-quality product images, show as much detail as possible for your buyers to feel confident in their purchase.

Additionally, check on your competitors, not only can you get inspiration but you can look for ways to set yourself apart, and come up with your own style that is better, and also offer things your competitors are not already offering.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator


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A Guide To Streetwear Design

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Designing artwork for a t-shirt or a hat may seem like a simple task, but when it comes to the technical application of the design; things may get complicated. The road to starting your own streetwear brand does not have to be bumpy! we encourage you to inform yourself before investing time and money, and we will help you by taking you through the different steps to consider when creating and designing your own apparel brand.

In this article, we will walk you through efficient and economical ways to begin a streetwear clothing line as well as the technical part of apparel printing to help you avoid having to re-design your logo or any other artwork you would like to print on t-shirts, hats, or pants.

Photo and T-Shirt Design By NEVER MADE

Photo and T-Shirt Design By NEVER MADE

What Is Streetwear?

Streetwear is a casual fashion style that became popular in the 1990s. It includes comfortable yet trendy clothing such as graphic tees, hoodies, sweatpants, and sneakers. Streetwear brands are inspired by both hip-hop culture and skater style. Followers of the latest trends in streetwear are known as hypebeasts, and many go to great lengths to acquire limited-edition designer hats, hoodies, sneakers, and more.

The first streetwear brands emerged in Southern California in the 1980s, when surfers sold screen printed T-shirts to promote their hand-shaped surfboards. Inspired by the street style of LA skateboarders and surfers as well as hip-hop fashion, small skateboarding shops in NYC started creating their own designs in the 1990s.

In the 2000s, sneaker culture influenced streetwear fashion. Hypebeasts paired their graphic tees with athletic sneakers, and collaborations flourished.

In the 2010s, luxury streetwear was born. As young people and social influencers made streetwear an important part of pop culture, and the fashion industry noticed, from mainstream sportswear brands to high fashion brands, got in on the action.

The Basics

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Comfort

As mentioned, streetwear takes inspiration from the hip-hop culture as well as the skater style. When figuring out the fit of your apparel, you will first want to think about whether you’re looking to design loose and comfortable pieces or have more of a tapered look.

Streetwear is generally defined by breaking the rules of proportion by using oversize t-shirts with skinny jeans or dropped-crotch sweatpants, but as the style evolves, it is encouraged to just make cool and interesting apparel regardless of fit.

Ripped pants and distressed jeans are also part of the streetwear style, these details are important to the overall look. Considering what type of fit and style gives you brand identity and consolidates your audience to a specific group, which in turn, will help you narrow down your marketing efforts in the future.

Fabrics & Design

Because t-shirts are one in a million, and cool graphics are being designed and printed daily; good high-quality fabrics will set you apart from the competition and give your brand an edge. If this is something you can afford, we highly recommend going with higher quality cotton.

Cotton fabrics are premium options and ideal for long-lasting apparel. Additionally, the thicker the fabric, the better the graphics will be. The thicker fabric allows for a cleaner and nicer print, whether you’re screen printing the design or opting for a DTG print (direct to garment), a nice cotton blend is what you will need.

The design will depend on what your brand is about. Considering the name and the inspiration behind your brand as well as finding a compelling way to translate your passion for the brand into a cool graphic is key, and that same sentiment should show throughout each article of clothing and each collection thereafter.

We recommend that you stick to one logo and that logo be visible enough on all articles of clothing offered by your brand. The graphic design should be easy to read and recognizable. When designing the graphics, seek inspiration from your life, your surroundings, or the culture within your community. Having a design that directly connects to a certain lifestyle is what makes a streetwear brand successful.

Versatility

When creating your own apparel brand, especially in the streetwear category, you want each piece to be versatile. Versatility means that you can wear that article of clothing with many other pieces to allow the buyer to create their own unique look and keep their originality.

You can achieve versatility by including basic colors such as white, black, or grey. Minimal designs such as your logo embroidered small on the chest or your logo screen printed on the back of a t-shirt.

The Details

Accessories are essential to completing a look. There are simple accessories you can offer, such as hats, beanies, and bandanas to complete a unique outfit.

Screen printing a hat or a bandana is fairly easy and affordable, and are a good way to add accessories to your clothing line. Additionally, embroidering a logo on a hat or a cross-body bag is a good alternative that provides an added touch of customization and quality.

Focusing on the smaller details can make all of the difference in setting your brand apart from others, such as printing on unconventional spots like the sleeves or adding an embroidered element to the design.

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Screen Print or Direct To Garment?

There are many differences and similarities between these two methods of printing, and there are a number of criteria to be taken into consideration when making your decision. The following points will help you decide on which print method is better for your brand and more specifically what type of print method is best for your designs such as logo and other artwork you wish to display on the apparel.


  1. Quantity: Digital printing allows for a smaller quantity to be printed while screen printing will usually require a minimum.

  2. Apparel: Screen printing has more versatility when choosing your fabric. For digital printing, it is advised to print on 100% cotton or other select cotton blends and only certain colors.

  3. Design: Photographs or hyper-detailed images with a lot of colors are usually better printed digitally. However, if you have a large number of shirts you would like to print, screen printing may still be an option but it may cost you a little bit more or may require some adapting to make the design work best.


If cost is your main concern, the following criteria will dictate the best print method:

  1. Apparel: The type of apparel can range from value to premium options and depends on the style and brand.

  2. Print Locations: There is the option for 1 or 2 locations, which would be the front and/or the back (for a t-shirt or sweatshirt).

  3. Fabric Color: For screen printing on darker color fabrics, a white layer before your print is necessary and may cost a little bit more.

  4. Number of Colors: The more colors your print requires the higher the cost is for screen printing, however, if you have a large quantity, this cost may be a lot lower as you can have access to deeper discounts.

  5. Quantity: With screen printing, the number of pieces will dictate the majority of your cost. This is the most important factor that will most likely dictate the right method for you.


Streetwear Brand Spotlight:

Never Made is a Los Angeles based streetwear / lifestyle brand created by artist Francisco Reyes, Jr.

Never Made is a Los Angeles based streetwear / lifestyle brand created by artist Francisco Reyes, Jr.


Remember!

When people look at you as a “high-quality” streetwear brand, you’ll not only be able to charge more money, but you’ll be much more reputable in the process. Reputation can take you a long way in the fashion industry, especially when it comes to something as urban as streetwear.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator


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