Apparel, Printing & Branded Merchandise | Chicago
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A company apparel program rarely stays limited to one product.
It may begin with embroidered polos for employees.
Then another department needs jackets. An event requires printed shirts. New employees need uniforms. Marketing needs promotional products. A second location needs the same approved apparel.
At that point, the organization is no longer managing an embroidery order.
It is managing several connected purchasing requirements.
Inkdnylon Custom Apparel helps businesses and organizations coordinate custom embroidery, screen printing, apparel sourcing and branded merchandise through one purchasing relationship.
The Problem Usually Starts One Project at a Time
Most organizations do not intentionally create a fragmented custom apparel program.
It happens gradually.
One supplier produces polos. Another handles event shirts. Someone orders promotional products from another source. A department finds its own jackets. A manager needs apparel for several new employees.
Every individual decision may solve the immediate requirement.
The difficulty appears when the organization needs those separate purchases to function together.
Start With the Entire Requirement
Before selecting a production method, identify everything the organization needs.
That may include:
- Employee polos
- Caps
- Quarter-zips
- Jackets and outerwear
- Work uniforms
- Printed event apparel
- New-hire apparel
- Department apparel
- Promotional products
- Branded merchandise
Once the complete requirement is visible, products and production methods can be assigned according to what each item needs to do.
Embroidery Can Anchor the Core Apparel Program
For many organizations, embroidered polos, caps, quarter-zips and jackets form the repeatable part of the employee apparel program.
These are products employees may wear throughout the year rather than for one temporary campaign.
That makes product selection, logo placement and embroidery requirements important beyond the first order.
An approved embroidered polo can become the standard for a department. A jacket can become approved outerwear. A cap can have its own embroidery specification.
The organization is building products it can purchase again rather than treating every order as a new design project.
Screen Printing Solves a Different Requirement
Not every product belongs in the embroidery program.
An organization may need printed shirts for a company event, employee program, campaign, launch or other requirement where a larger graphic makes more sense.
The question should not be whether embroidery or screen printing is universally better.
The question is which production method fits the product, artwork, quantity and intended use.
Keeping both requirements connected allows the organization to use different production methods without creating disconnected purchasing systems.
Product Sourcing Is Part of the Production Decision
Decoration cannot correct a poor product decision.
The garment has to work for the employee, environment and intended use before the logo is applied.
An office employee, field technician and warehouse employee may all represent the same organization while requiring different apparel.
The sourcing process should account for those differences.
Fabric, fit, durability, availability, color and decoration compatibility can all influence whether a product belongs in the program.
Promotional Products Should Connect to a Purpose
Branded merchandise introduces another purchasing category.
An organization may need products for onboarding, customer programs, events, employee recognition, recruiting or promotional campaigns.
The objective should not be to add a logo to random merchandise.
Start with the recipient and the reason the
