Apparel Branding Checklist

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

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!

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)

3. Details

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

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

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.

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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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For FAQ, check out our site!

For any inquiries, send us a message!

OR

send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com

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

How To Tie Dye: A Guide in Techniques

Summer is almost here and with 90’s fashion becoming more popular among TikTok’s Gen Zs’ creators, tie-dye is all the rage. If you’re like us and love to scroll on TikTok for hours, you’ve probably come across a couple of tutorials on how to get the perfect tie-dye t-shirt or even sneakers! In this post we’ll take you through the different techniques to get the right result for what you’re trying to achieve.

How To Tie-Dye

We’ll show you different tie-dye techniques on this article that show you how to tie dye like a pro, but here are some tie-dye basics to help set you up for success! Whether you are wondering how to tie dye a T-shirt, how to dye socks or pretty much anything else, here are the basics to get you started.

Supply List:

• Plastic Gloves

• Rubber Bands

• Easy-squeeze bottles with dye powder

• Sealable plastic bad or wrap (for storing your t-shirt while the dye sets)

• Disposable surface cover (like a large trash bag)

• Wire Rack (to avoid your creating from sitting in a pool of dye)

Step 1: Pick your Item

There’s a long list of items you can tie dye, from t-shirts, socks, and sweats to bed sheets, or even shoes! We advise your select an item that is made from 100% natural fibers such as cotton, rayon, or silk. Synthetic fibers like polyester have different fibers that are not as absorbent and this can prevent the dye from dying your items completely.

It is recommended that you wash the item before starting the tie-dying process, especially if the item is new. Some dyes will require you to presoak the fabric in soda ash but with products such as Tulip’s One-Step Dyes, which already has the soda ash mixed into it.

Pro Tip: Do not use fabric softener when pre-washing your fabric. The chemicals in fabric softeners can block dye absorption.

Step 2: Prep the Dye

Some products such as Tulip’s One-Step Dye bottles already have the powder inside, but if you’re using another type of dye, now is the time to set up. Put the powder inside of your easy-squeeze bottles, then add tap water, ensure your nozzle is tightly screwed in and that the cap is on. Shape each bottle thoroughly until the dye powder has dissolved. Wait to mix your dyes until you are ready to apply them.

Pro Tip: Dye left in bottles for more than 72 hours might lose their concentration and may not appear as vibrant after dying.

Step 3: Bind the Item

Lay your damp item or t-shirt out onto a flat surface, make sure the surface has been covered with plastic. We’ll use a t-shirt and the spiral technique as an example, you will find the center of the tee which would be down the middle of the collar, and the section directly under the sleeves. That is your center point for your spiral.

Pinch the fabric in the center and twist the fabric towards the right until the entire shirt is bunched, making a perfect swirl. Use rubber bands to hold the spiraled t-shirt in place by crisscrossing them and creating 6 wedge shapes.

Step 4: Apply the Dye

Using the metal rack, place the t-shirt on to it above a covered surface to avoid making a mess. Wearing your gloves, proceed to apply the dye colors to each wedge created by the rubber bands. Turn the t-shirt and apply the same colors on the back to match the same colors as the other side.

Pro Tip: There’s no wrong way to tie-dye!

Step 5: Let Set

This is the longest step because you will need to let your creation sit for many hours. Place your project into a sealable plastic bag or plastic wrap to keep it damp and let the dye settle. Let your project sit 6 to 8 hours or overnight if you would like to give it some extra time. It’s important for the fabric stays damp while the dye sets, so make sure it’s stored in a cool area.

Step 6: Rinse and Wash

After it has been at least 6 hours and the dye has fully processed, remove the rubber bands and rinse, wash and dry. We recommend you air dry it or follow the instructions on the t-shirt tag.

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7 Best Tie-Dye Techniques & Patterns

Besides this being a fun activity to do with your kids or your friends over some beers, it can also be highly technical with many steps, that if missed, can throw off your design completely.

The Spiral Tie Dye Pattern

This technique is one of the most commonly used and if you’re just getting started this is a good introduction to tie-dying. This technique is simple, pinch the center of the fabric and twist to create folds and then tie with rubber bands strategically then add the dye.

The Reverse Techniques (a.k.a Bleach Tie Dye)

This technique is called reverse or bleach because you’ll need a 100% cotton black fabric and bleach. For this technique, you’ll need to leave your shirt dry and crumple into a tight mound with the rubber bands. There’s no specific pattern to follow, this method is a little looser. Then, mix the bleach in an easy-squeeze bottle to then apply to your fabric. Rotate the fabric as needed while squeezing the bleach into it. Watch as the bleach begins to strip the color of the fabric and gradually remove the rubber bands to then immediately rinse and wash according to instructions.

Once the fabric has been washed, leave it damp and lay it flat on your workstation which should be covered with plastic to avoid making a mess. Then apply the chosen dye colors randomly over the fabric, especially in the lightened sections that were created from the bleach. Once done, put the fabric into a resealable plastic bag and leave it in a cool dry place for 6 to 8 hours. Then rinse and dry.

The Shibori Tie Dye Pattern

This technique is all in the way the fabric is folded. For this technique, we will use a t-shirt as an example. Accordion fold the t-shirt from the bottom edge up towards the collar of the shirt in even folds. Once folded up, starting on the end of the folded shirt, accordion fold it again towards the opposite direction until you reach the other end. Wrap the rubber bands tightly around the folded shirt in each direction, crisscrossing the rubber bands.

Place the folded t-shirt on the rack and begin to squeeze the dye into the fabric on each side. For this technique, indigo blue color dye is usually used. Place the shirt in a sealable plastic bag for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Once the dye is fully processed, cut away the rubber bands and rinse, wash and dry according to your instruction guide.

The Ice Dye Technique

This technique requires literal ice. The pattern from this technique is very recognizable as it’s one of the most popular. The first step is to damp your fabric in soda ash or the Tulip One-Step tie-dye, then lay your damp fabric out flat on your covered work surface. For this technique, the crumple tie-dye pattern is the most commonly used and worst great, but you can experiment with other patterns you want. After using the rubber bands to bind the fabric, place it on a rack (over a bucket or a bowl is recommended to catch the dye as the ice melts). Then cover the fabric with ice, make sure all of it is covered, the more the better.

After covering the project in ice, sprinkle the dye powder randomly over the ice. The ice will melt and help the dye absorb into the fabric. Depending on where you live and the weather temperature, it could take a while for the ice to melt or not much time at all. If the ice melts quickly, you can then place your project into a sealable bag and allow the dye to set for 6 to 8 hours. If it takes about this long for the ice to melt, it’s time to skip the bag and move on to the next tie-dye step which is rinsing and drying.

The Spider Tie Dye Pattern

For this technique, you will start with a damp fabric and then fold it in half. Pinch the fabric where you would like the center of the spiral to be, then twist until the entire fabric is spiraled. Bind the spiral with three intersecting rubber bands to create six wedge shapes. Apply a different color of dye onto each wedge shape and then carefully flip spiral over and apply the same colors on that side.

Apply black dye to one side of the spiral, completely covering the other colors. Cover with a plastic wrap to keep damp and let it sit for 6 to 8 hours. Then rinse thoroughly and wash separately.

The Kaleidoscope Technique

For this kaleidoscope pattern, you will start with a damp fabric and fold it in half, if using a t-shirt, fold it in half lengthwise and press flat on a tabletop. Pinch the fabric where you would like the center of your first spiral to be, then twist the fabric a few times to create a small spiral.

Maintain the first spiral while pinching another section of the fabric and twist several times to create a second spiral. Then crumble the remaining fabric towards the spirals. Bind the fabric with rubber bands to hold securely. Then make a paper ring to fit around the bound fabric and this will help keep the ice in place when dying.

Instead of adding water to dye bottles to mix, squeeze dye powder of a few colors on top of the ice, then let the ice melt and remove the paper ring. Flip the shirt over and repeat the process on the backside with additional dye powders. Once the backside has been dyed, cut off the rubber bands, then launder according to instructions.

The Firecracker Pattern

Scrunch damp fabric into a tube shape and wrap a rubber band around it at about a third of the way down from the top. Repeat on the bottom third. Add the dye to the top third of the fabric above the rubber bands. Then add Blue dye onto the bottom third of the fabric below the rubber band. Then wrap with plastic and let sit, then rinse and wash accordingly.

The Dip-Dye

Dip-dye (also known as tip dyeing) is a technique that involves dipping the ends of the fabric into dye. Dampen the fabric in preparation for dying then mix the dye of your choice and pour into separate plastic bins of bowls. Dip one side of the fabric into the first color, then squeeze out any excess dye back into the container. Dip the other side of the fabric into the second dye color making sure both dyes don’t touch. Lay the fabric flat on a rack and cover it in plastic wrap. Then let it sit for 6 to 8 hours. Rinse, wash, and dry.

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Brand Spotlight:

LXIX Apparel

While we at Family Industries do not do this type of customization, we have done projects with tie-dye by having help from LXIX Apparel which is a tie-dye haus located in Los Angeles and run by Brian Robert Jones, who is the guitarist for the band Vampire Weekend.

LXIX Apparel focuses on creating vibrant tie-dyed apparel from hoodies, and t-shirt, to full sweatsuits. LXIX has helped us with projects for Urban Farms LA and we have printed for their own brand as well.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

For FAQ, check out our site!

For any inquiries, send us a message!

OR

send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com

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

Guide To Product Packaging and Labeling

Consumerism is at its all-time high, standing out in a million other products similar to yours can be a real struggle. Now more than ever, brands are valuing their packaging and labeling a lot more than they did before. If you’re not pushing boundaries with the artwork and design of your product and packaging, take this as a sign to up your game and re-evaluate your approach. In this article, we’ll go over the steps you need to follow to create an eye-catching product label and package.

Product Packaging

We don’t often consider package design as a difficult creative job. Well, you might be surprised to learn that it does take quite a bit of effort! Blending colors, icons, logos, illustrations, and text on the bag to draw people’s attention is the job of a package designer. Beyond design, you also have a wide array of choices in packaging materials, such as folding carton boxes, plastic, fabric, and more.

There are three questions you must have the answer to before you start designing the packaging for a product.

Product Packaging: How Top Brands Design Memorable Unboxing Experiences to Delight Their Customers

What Is The Product?

This question may seem very basic but it’s crucial to help you determine if there are any logistical musts for your product packaging. For example, a delicate product may require more secure packaging like packing peanuts or a sturdy box. Something that is large or with odd dimensions, on the other hand, may require a custom packaging solution instead of a box, such as a fabric bag or aluminum can.

Read How to Package Odd-Shaped/Sized Objects for Shipping?

Who’s Your Customer?

The type of packaging is often dictated by who your buyer/customer is. Is the product supposed to be used by men, women, or both? Is it for children or adults? Is it geared towards people who are environmentally conscious? To those on a budget or with lots of disposable income?

Read The Effect of Versioned Packaging on Various Demographics

By answering these questions in preparation to design your packaging, you’re narrowing down things like the materials, colors, and overall design. Products for older adults may need larger text. Alternatively, items geared towards an affluent customer will need to consider materials that create a feeling of luxury.

How Are People Buying Your Product?

Is your product easily accessible? Are people exposed to your product at a supermarket, a boutique, or online?
You’re going to want to think about packaging differently if the product is going to be sold online and shipped than if it’s going to need to stand out from the competition on a big-box store shelf.

Read 10 Ways To Make Your Product Stand Out On The Shelf

If the product is being sold online, perhaps a box in which the item will be rattled or easily damaged while in transit may be a bad idea. If you’re limited on your budget, packing peanuts or wrapping the item in bubble wrap is a good alternative to other expensive materials. Those that will be on a boutique shelf will need to catch the eye of a buyer surrounded by cutesy items in cutesy packages.

Order your own branded packing and packing promotional items

Pro Tip: If printing on packaging is out of your budget, consider custom tape to use on blank boxes (applicable for online retailers) and/or stickers with your logo!

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Product Labeling

Product labeling is a part of the packaging of a product. Labeling is the written information on the packages. These written labels on the package cover important information which needs to be communicated to a customer. Product labeling is different from packaging. A product packaging might have the brand colors, the logo, and the material as well as the shape of the package, etc.

These are some of the technical details you should be considering when designing your labels.

Digital Printing: A Packaging Revolution

Colors

Following the advice above, if your product will be sold in stores then you want to use colors that will stand out and will make a statement. Additionally, when branding, you should stick to a color pallet of at least 3 colors and follow that throughout your labels and packaging. You will also need to have the CMYK values or Pantone Matching Values (PMS) colors for printing.

Read Psychology of Colour – How To Use It In Your Packaging Design

Fonts

The font should be legible and easy to follow throughout the label. Make sure it doesn’t clash with your logo if your logo is a typeface. Ensuring the font is the right size for the size of the product is also important, and you want to make sure that you have the rights to the font to avoid any legal issues.

Check Out How to Choose Brand Fonts for Packaging Design

Logo

Having your logo on the label is key, make sure it’s centered and represents your brand colors and aesthetics. For a smooth printing process, make sure your logo is a vector file.

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Conclusion

It’s advised to spend a good amount of time thinking about your packaging, more often than not, people chose the product that looks cool and interesting, especially on a shelf with other competition. Be strategic about choosing your colors, fonts, and artwork. It’s best to work with a designer that can execute the artwork and placement of your label, logo, and other necessary product information.

If your budget does not allow for hiring a designer, or if you’re product is sold online, for packaging we recommend getting branded packing tape, stickers, and stamps of your logo to easily brand your packaging on a budget. You can have stickers, pins, and other promo items printed by your local print shop.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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For FAQ, check out our site!

For any inquiries, send us a message!

OR

send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com

A Guide To Creating Your Own Merch

Creating a brand is a way to develop your unique business personality, connect with the consumer and establish yourself within the corporate market. Once you have solidified your brand, the next step can be creating merchandise that is exciting and viable to market to new or existing customers.

Some businesses may appear more suited for merch than others. For example, creative businesses or businesses that deal in similar merchandise may seem more well-placed to sell custom promotional products on the frontlines. However, the truth is that all businesses can benefit from creating merch for their own brand, no matter the product or service.

Creating merchandise for your own brand can give you the freedom to sell and use swag as custom products for any service. It’s a great and creative way to get your brand design out in front of other people and make some extra income while doing so.

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“Conversation is not simply a two-way process, but also a continuous process. Brand research enables brands to ask the questions and listen to their customers, allowing them to keep their finger on the pulse and adapt appropriately.”

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Research

Researching your audience whether you’re a service provider or a product retailer is a must. By identifying your customer demographics, you will be able to gear your merch products more specifically and ensure a successful launch.

When doing your research, you’ll want to follow these questions.

• How old is your audience?

• What are generally their interests?

• What is the general socioeconomic status?

• What is their employment industry?

The use of social media often can also be very revealing. Sometimes people aren’t that willing to share details over interviews or creating an account on your platform / store, or simply aren’t aware of their own habits.

Following your audience on social media can most often give you a very good idea of what they are into, this requires a lot of time but can be very rewarding.

Design

After the research phase, design becomes the focus. It may be enough to add your logo to a cool gadget or a wearable good, but if you are looking to make a profit, adding an element of design can really bump up the interest in your merch. It’s necessary to try to make a statement by either creating a clever design or creating a product with a lot of color and character.

Some companies may hire an artist to create a work of art to be printed unto their merch, which makes those pieces a little more valuable than if it was just your logo or a simple component of your branding aesthetic.

Diversify Your Merch

Not all merch is created equal, and not all merch is equally useful for everyone.

By diversifying the products offered, you’re giving the consumer a choice of products that best serves them. Your demographic according to your research may have different variants, this is when you should make the decision of creating different products for different people.

Anyone willing to buy merchandise is usually happy to browse a range of products and see what you have on offer, rather than only having the option to buy one thing. Happy merchandise consumers may also return to your online store to buy a different item next time, so having a choice is key.

Budget

Maximizing your budget can make all the difference. If you’re unable to offer a variety of products, concentrate on the product you think will perform the best according to your audience research.

Many brands will also launch a pre-order product(s) and can fund their merch production using this method as the purchase will be done upfront making it easier to increase your budget. While this works for most companies, we suggest you advise your customer of potential lead-times as printing and production times my vary.

Read more about What To Include In Your Promotional Products Budget

Fulfillment

If your budget allows it, we recommend using companies such as Family Industries for all your fulfillment needs. The good thing about this process is that you will never have to touch the product, they will be made, printed, packed, and shipped all from a single source. Fulfillment can become overwhelming if you have a large following and a healthy stream of daily orders, and services like fulfillment can be a time-saver and allow for you to focus on your overall business.

Author: Irene Floridia - Content Creator

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For FAQ, check out our site!

For any inquiries, send us a message!

OR

send us an e-mail at quotes@familyindustriesla.com