Sometimes ordering blank samples isn’t enough for your group, and they want to see a decorated sample, or even a few! Checking the decoration quality can be an important step, especially for some products or decoration methods.
In some cases I may suggest ordering a sample if I’m unsure of how the decoration will look or hold up on a certain material or fabric texture. Ordering decorated samples is always your choice, and if you choose not to, I may recommend switching to a more common method/fabric combination to be safe. Quality and customer satisfaction are my top priorities!
This post only refers to decorated samples. If you want to check the quality of the blank garments, check out the post here.
Stock samples to check decorator quality
If you would like to see the decoration quality of the decorator(s) I use, they have many stock samples available. These are test prints of designs they’re already running, sew outs of embroidered designs they’ve done in the past, and presses of vinyl onto scrap fabric. These are usually free and can be mailed to you directly within a couple of business days.
Custom samples
Ordering custom decorated samples is not common, and is usually only done if there is a question about how a specific decoration method/fabric combination will turn out, or if your design is on the edge of what may not look good when embroidered. In some cases though, specific groups will want to see a full sample of their design on their selected garment.
Turn time
The time it takes to produce a custom sample depends on the decoration method, but is usually the same amount of time that it takes to produce a full order (because the decorator has to process, set up, and produce the single item the same way they would a full order). Typically this is 2-3 weeks (quicker turns are available for additional “rush” fees).
Cost
The cost to produce custom samples varies according to your specific project and will need to be quoted. They are usually very expensive however. The most expensive would be multi-color screen printed designs, because of the massive amount of set up cost attributed to a single item.
Custom embroidery sew-outs
Embroidery sew-outs are a kind of middle ground option if you want to see how your design will look embroidered. Your design would be embroidered on a scrap of fabric. This can be twill (similar to a hat), cotton (tee shirt scrap), or fleece (hoodie scrap). They cost ~$20-$30 depending on your design and shipping is free via USPS. Turn time is usually around one week from payment to delivery, depending on the decorator’s availability.
1 thought on “Ordering Decorated Samples for your Group Project”