Merch
Any physical items with your logo on them are considered merch! Pens, tee shirts, water bottles, backpacks, hats, stickers, sweatshirts, decals, bumper stickers, jerseys, tank tops, doggy hoodies, metal straws, branded flash drives…
Apparel
Turn your friends, family, and fans into walking, talking, billboards.
Depending on their lifestyle, a person can encounter hundreds of people in a single day. How many times have you asked someone, “excuse me, where did you get that hoodie”, because it looked comfortable, or the design was really colorful? Beyond something impersonal like a billboard or flyer, a person wearing a branded piece of clothing can explain where they got the item, the story behind it, and what they like about it.
Everyone has to wear clothes. Make sure the people you know are sporting your logo.
The trick to this is making your branded items stand out.
With over a decade of experience in the apparel industry, The Merch Girl can find the right garment and decoration combination to reflect the character of your brand, and be eye catching to those passing by.
No Minimum Order Quantity
Individual (or one-off) orders can be quick and easy to produce with certain limitations. No need to order more than you want to! Per-item prices do decrease with higher quantities. Orders under 12 may be produced with DTG instead of traditional screen printing.
Screen Printing
Screen printing is charged according to the number of colors in the design, regardless of design size (within reason). Designs with less colors will be less expensive.
Some items come with “difficult to print” charges. Bags with lots of pockets, jackets with multiple layers of fabric, and hats all will require an additional fee (I recommend embroidering these instead).
Changing ink colors to go on different colors of garments (or for any other reason) requires an additional fee. For best pricing, choose a color that works on all of your colors of items.
Embroidery
Embroidery is charged according to the number of stitches in the design, which is determined by the size and complexity of the design. To keep embroidery pricing low, choose simple designs without a lot of “filled” areas. If you do want your design to be filled with color, choose a color of garment that will look good as the fill color so it doesn’t need to be embroidered.
Patches require an additional piece of fabric and a fee to sew them down to the garment, so for pricing, direct embroidery is better.
Pricing
Apparel prices vary from month to month as inventory levels, item popularity, and manufacturing processes change. Prices will also vary from project to project depending on the decoration method used, complexity of the design, order quantity, and placement.
Some guidelines on keeping prices low:
Overall, more you buy at a time, the less expensive your order will be per item.
You can order different styles, sizes, and colors of items with the same design on them, and they will all be counted together toward your price break. For example, if your order has 72 tee shirts with an 11″ wide white screen print on the front, and that same 11″ wide white design is used on the back of 72 zip-up hoodies, those will all be counted together for a 144 item price break. However if the hoodies have a 4″ wide left chest design on the front instead, both the tees and hoodies would be charged at the 72 item price break.
All decoration methods are charged per-design, so a shirt with a design on the front and back will be more expensive than a shirt with a design only on the front or back.
Different types of apparel are going to be more expensive than others. This not only applies to tee shirts versus sweatshirts, but also brand versus brand. There are many garments that are extremely similar, but one is branded and the other is not, similar to grocery store brands. Bella&Canvas brand unisex ringspun cotton tee shirts are more expensive than District Threads, but the District version is almost exactly the same (and is a more sustainable company as well).
When making these selections, it’s a good idea to have a sample sent to you if you have time. This may cost a bit up front, but can save you a lot on your full order if you’re satisfied with the less expensive item.
Promotional Products
Branded promotional products (merch) can be a valuable part of an advertising strategy, a great way to show customers or employees that you care, or a classy touch added to the supplies used in your office (plus if your branded pen ends up in someone’s pocket, it turns into advertising).
Not sure where to start?
Give The Merch Girl some information about your company, group, or event, and your representative will make suggestions that fit with your specific situation, narrowing down the thousands of options available. Let your rep know your company values; things like sustainability, out of the box thinking, and professionalism can be incorporated into your merch choices.
Pricing
Pricing varies according to your specific project. Variables include the garment you choose, your design, order quantity, and your decoration method. Please enquire for a custom quote.
No Minimum Order Quantity
Individual (or one-off) orders can be quick and easy to produce with certain limitations. Per-item prices do decrease with higher quantities. Orders under 12 may be produced with DTG instead of traditional screen printing.
Custom Merch Stores
Custom merch stores from start to finish; from concept through design, set up, and fulfilment. End up with a creative quality product your fans or customers will be thrilled to purchase. Check out more details and options here!