Promotional Items. Using Embroidery and Heat Transfers in Promotional Clothing
What is promotional clothing?
Promotional clothing is a form of marketing and advertising where companies can advertise their products by using subtle patches on clothing. This does not have to be anything extravagant, but it does require some time, skill, and effort. Plus you will get the added benefit of making a "hand-crafted" garment.
Why should I use embroidery or heat transfers in my promotional items?
Embroidery and heat transfers are two very effective ways to promote your company through personalised items as they are both slow to wear out and affordable. You can take your design and add it onto a garment, once that is done all you have to do is replace the garment for a new one when the old one wears out. This means that you can be guaranteed to wear your design for a very long time (I know I would be wearing the same shirt for years if I had a cool t-shirt or polo shirt with my logo on it).
What garments should I use?
Any garments will do, there are many options from t-shirts to polos and even bags. The type of garment that you should use depends on what your designing your logo for (e.g., target audience), so you should consider what will be most appropriate for your company.
What size should my embroidery be?
The size of the embroidery or heat transfer depends on the type of garment you use and how much space you have. I would say that a small logo (100mm long by 50mm high) would be fine with most garments, but remember that your design will get smaller when embroidered onto clothing.
This is why it is important to make sure that you keep your logo simple, because if it is too detailed then it may be hard to recognise or unsuitable for clothing.
Where can I get a garment embroidered?
You can custom make your own shirts, t-shirts, hoodies, sweaters and much more using these two methods. You can even buy pre-made clothing that has been embroidered or heat transferred (i.e. you won't have to do the work).
How long will my design stay on?
This depends on a few factors such as how much care you take of the garment and what materials you are using (i.e., threads vs non-worn fleece). The general rule of thumb is that most vinyl type heat transfers last at least 10 years, while sewing tends to last 3-5 years.
What do I put my design on?
You have many options on what garments you can put your design onto and it depends on your budget. You can have your design printed onto a shirt or t-shirt (this is usually less expensive, but also has less durability than sewing), you can have it embroidered onto a polo shirt, sweatshirt, or any other kind of clothing that you want. And lastly you can use heat transfers to transfer your logo directly onto clothing (this tends to be the most expensive option, but also has the longest durability).
How do I start?
There are two ways to start - either you can design your own logo and get it printed onto the clothing or you can use pre-made clothing that has been embroidered. If you want to design your own logo, then the first thing that you need to do is get a design idea of what you want it to look like and make sure that it does not have any copyright or trademark issues. If that is fine, then you should decide what kind of garment you would like and where to get a sample product made. You will also need a person who knows how to embroider or transfer onto clothing, so check out their work before hand.
NOTE: NEVER GET A LOGO PRINTED ON A T-SHIRT/CUTTING CORNER T-SHIRT, IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK.
If you decide to buy pre-made clothing, then locate where the manufacturer is and get a quote. Then once you have made your mind up on what design you want, find your favourite embroidery shop or transfer shop and get samples made to show them what it will look like. Ask them where they do their work and if they can embroider onto any kind of material. When that is finished then once again ask how much it will cost to embroider/transfer onto your chosen garments and if there are any additional fees (i.e. freight). You will want to do this as there are many embroidery and transfer shops that offer free samples, so it is important to ask in advance.
What to expect?
Once you have decided where it will be done, then you need to order a sample before hand. When the sample is finally ready you need to have your garment ready for the embroidery or transfer. It is best if you keep the garment somewhere safe (i.e., in a lingerie bag) because if there is anything wrong with it then you won't get your money back (with most embroidery shops). When it has been finished the shop will let you know, so all you need to do is wait for it.
Where can I get my garment printed/embroidery done?
There are many shops that offer services for embroidery and heat transfers, so check out the yellow pages or online to find one in your area. You can also ask any of your friends if they know of a shop in their area. Also some shops will offer more than one service (i.e., printer and embroidery), so make sure that before you buy the clothes that they offer both services that you desire.
http://www.embroideryandheattransfer.com/guide/thread-transfer
http://pattywilsontaylor.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-embroider-on-shirts.html
http://www.crossroadsprojectwear.co.uk
http://www.diyatablogs.com/blog/?p=1003
https://www.facebook.com/pages/How-does-heat-transferring-work/1314986501126671?sk=wall
https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_transfer_screening
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_transfer
http://www.control-online.com/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embroidery
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_disciplines:_sewing_and_weaving
https://www.google.ca/+%7CGoogle%2BCanada
http://www.google.ca/+%7CGoogle%2BCanada
http://smile-tattoo-artists-uk-reviews-from-experienced-tattooists .
Conclusion
This section is meant to show the reader what they should expect after going through all this information. After looking at all the different things that need to be considered when designing a logo, you will now have a better understanding about how difficult it can be to design your own logo. After reading this section you should also understand why it is important for businesses to work with professional designers who have experience creating logos. You should also be able to identify some of the risks involved in creating your own logo and how you can minimize these risks. It is important that you gain experience in this area so that one day if you have too, then you will have an idea of what to do and what not to do when designing your own logos (e.