This week we’re going back to basics with a run down of the 5 most important questions you should be asking yourself before going ahead with a garment screen printing order. Answering these should not only help get your amazing design in front the right audience but also contribute to a speedy printing process and best possible finished product.

WHO am I designing for?

You may already have a loyal customer base who’s needs you understand and can cater to or you may be trying to reach an entirely new audience. Either way it’s really important to continually monitor and identify things like shared patterns of behaviour, needs and interests. If you’re still not sure what your audience wants then just ask; both Facebook and Twitter now allow you to build mini questionnaires into posts/tweets and you could even reward participation with money off their next purchase.

WHAT am I getting printed?

Sweatshirts? T-shirts? Tote bags? Your design will probably vary depending on the style and colour of garment it’s being printed on. You can easily browse best selling blank garment options on our website or if you would like more choice (and there is a lot of it) check out wholesale websites such as Continental Clothing, Bella and Canvas or American Apparel.

HOW are my garments being printed?

Now that’s not something we expect you to know necessarily but it would be helpful if you could tell us how many colours make up your artwork, the kind of finish you’re looking for and where on the garment the design will be placed. All this information will help us ascertain the best printing method to use while making sure that the finished garment is as close to what you first pictured when you dreamed it up as possible.

WHY am I doing this?

Are they for a specific event or part of a collection? Is your primary goal profit or to advertise your brand? Determining all of this should have an impact on how you market, distribute and price your items. If you’re stuck for ideas look at what your competitors are doing. Steal borrow anything that works and learn from their mistakes.

WHEN do I need my order by?

If you have a strict deadline or want to get things made for a specific event remember to allow up to 10 working days turnaround time for your order to be processed – longer if you’re having custom labels made or items re-labelled.