About once a year we get someone that didn’t look at their proof, and ended up unhappy with their order. Maybe their company’s name was misspelled, or the print was in the wrong location. Simple user errors, but easily sorted out and corrected if you look at the proof. Normally, people only make this mistake once, and we always deal with it in the most reasonable way we know how.

Let’s say you don’t want to make that mistake though.
Or maybe you’ve ordered custom printed merch before and you know a thing or two.
First, let’s talk about where you’d find a proof.

Once your order is paid for, you will receive an email that will look like this…

Click on the blue invoice button and it will take you to the invoice.
If you’ve already paid, you have already seen this page, but double check that the quantities and the shipping address are correct.
Now is a great time to ask questions or make any changes.
Once the proof is approved, it may be too late!

The post What should I look for when approving a proof? first appeared on Barrel Maker.

Screen printers call it different things. Underbase, base, underlay, base layer, an extra layer, and I’m sure other things. It all stems from the same thing. Screen printing ink isn’t always 100% opaque, and it needs a layer underneath it to keep the prints vibrant. If there is white in the design, some may think that you can just use that white as the underbase, but in reality, the “base” white, and the top white (sometimes called “bump white”), need to be done at different points in the printing process.

First, there would be a layer of white underneath everything that is printed on the shirt. This is going to be the layer that the final print sits on, and none of this print will be visible if done right. It will be used like a primer, if you’ve ever painted model cars or painted a room, you may have used primer before. If your print looks uneven in the end, it may be your base layer.

Next up, yellow. This is going to be pretty straight forward. The only thing you want to look out for is the underbase peeking out where it shouldn’t. Sometimes people will “choke” the underbase or bring in the edges. The amount of choke is really going to depend on your screen tolerances.

The post All your underbase are belong to us. first appeared on Barrel Maker.

Doesn’t it feel like you could have paid for a day of recording or a tank of gas if you had some shirts to sell? That’s because it’s true.

Whether you are between shows or stuck woodshedding in your practice space, downtime is an awesome time to figure out your merch situation. An online store to sell your merch might be a great idea, especially if you don’t have the money to buy a bunch of merch, or you aren’t playing physical shows because of you know….the apocalypse. 

You choose your design and shirt type, we post your design, you promote the shit out of it and we will print and ship your merch to your fans directly! No risks, no guessing on shirt sizes, etc.
Once you are playing shows again, you can sell the merch you have on hand, or put an iPad on the merch table and let people pay with cards. We can ship them their shirt or tote bag in a few days!

Hit us up to discuss the deets. 

The post Band Merch: Managed, Printed and Fulfilled by Barrel Maker! first appeared on Barrel Maker.

Barrel Maker: Hi Melissa, you’ve put in a lot of orders with us! (Hey thanks for that!) Primarily, what do you use these shirts for? Are they client gifts, employee gifts, or for events of some kind?

Sprout Social: We love working with Barrel Maker! Our largest order consists of Sprout and Bambu shirts, which are used both internally and externally. When new hires start at Sprout, they have both shirts waiting for them on their desks to help them represent our team and our products from day one. We also give the shirts to our customers when they attend events so they’re able to show their #SproutLove too! From time to time, we’ll order one-off shirts that are either connected to an employee event, marketing campaign, or a feature launch as well.

The design above is one of our favorites. The t-shirt was created for our team participation in the 2017 Chase Corporate Challenge. Since this was a race, we wanted to find a unique way to represent running and being the fastest on the field, which is where the Pegasus idea came from.

The “Made It So” shirt was created for a team that worked on our Message Approval launch in 2015. The design played off of their many Captain Picard references, making the shirt a great surprise and celebration for all their hard work. Also last year, our sales team had a strong focus on teamwork and bringing home wins (illustrated by the “W” from the Chicago Cubs victory flag), which made for a great shirt.

BM: What do you think makes a good company shirt? Is it garment type? A bright design? Do you have any advice for other companies after making so many shirts?

SS: At Sprout, there are a few factors that we believe contribute to a good company shirt. First, it needs to appeal to the masses. We also learned early on that comfortable material and a forgiving fit were the most important factors to consider. Once we had a brand and style that our team liked, we were able to exercise more creativity with colors and designs. Depending on the use and audience, designs that remind people of a specific event or launch tend to be fan favorites. Celebrating these special moments not only strengthens a sense of belonging, but encourages people to wear their company swag with pride in and out of the office.

BM: Can you give us a little more info about why you do the Great Sproutdoors retreats, what they’re about, and why you choose to make tees for the event? How does this all tie in to Sprout’s company culture?

SS: The Great Sproutdoors is a Sprout Social tradition where we take one Friday off in the summer to canoe down the Fox River in Ottawa, IL—and this year we’re adding a Sproutdoors event on the West Coast for our Seattle and SF teams, as well! Inclusion and open communication are two of our core beliefs, and the Great Sproutdoors is a unique event that encourages team members to get out of the office, connect, and build relationships. As we continue to grow, it’s a great opportunity to enjoy a day of sun, canoeing and getting to know our co-workers outside of work a little better. Having a shirt and theme to go along with the event each year is really special to us. The shirt design ties in with other event materials we create and is a great piece of memorabilia from the day that keeps the memories alive year-round.

BM: I feel like everyone struggles with this one from time to time – how do you decide on size breakdowns?

SS: Tough question, haha. Our events team generally takes the lead on this. We typically do 40% M, 40% L and then 20% S, XL, XXL. That seems to work best for us.

BM: Do your employees ever vote on designs? Or is everything created in one team?

SS: That’s a really cool idea! We’ve never voted on designs at Sprout, although that is definitely something we could do in the future. While we often have ideas that originate from other departments, our design team takes the lead on submitting orders and giving a final sign off.

BM: Do you have any advice on how companies can find a good printing partner and what they should expect? Have you worked with a few other companies before you found the right fit?

SS: Finding a good printer can be tough. One of the many reasons why we love Barrel Maker is because it’s local. Having a printer nearby is a huge benefit since we can check out a new design in-person before approving a full run of shirts. Another thing that we love about you guys is how responsive and personal you are. Each order is carefully handled and you make sure that every detail is taken into consideration. Having a reliable and knowledgeable printer eases the process and we love the relationship we’ve built with Barrel Maker as a result. The biggest piece of advice we have for other companies is to take the time to be sure the printer is a good fit and will be a good partner with their best interests at heart.

The post Client Spotlights – Sprout Social first appeared on Barrel Maker.

Let’s take a basic white print on a Black Next Level Tee.

Example 1 – 10 Shirts:

So for ten shirts, you’re paying $4.84 for the blank shirt + $4.33 a piece if you want a white print and a white base coat, plus $20 for each screen since you are doing under 24 pieces. That comes out to $111.70 for 10 pieces

Example 2 – 36 pieces:

But for 36 shirts, you’re paying $4.84 for the blank shirt + $2.20 a piece because you hit a lower price bracket, plus no pesky set up fees! And while the cost is higher at $253.44, you get almost 4 times the amount of product to sell!

In example one, If you sell the shirts for $20, you need to sell 6 shirts in order to make your money back, and in example two you would need to sell 13 shirts to make your money back. At first glance, example one seems to make more sense, but think about the pieces you have left after you’ve made your money back. In example one, you will have 4 shirts left over. That will make you $80 which won’t even cover another design.

In example 2, you will have 23 extra shirts which will make you $460 to play with. So, if you sell 36 shirts, you will have enough to buy 36 more in a second design, and STILL pay yourself $206.56!

Ok cool, I get it – so how do I know which design to order?

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is your design awesome?
2. Is your design an inside joke only you and a few friends understand or is it something that appeals to people who have never met you?
3. Is it in reference to something that is going to fade out in popularity super quickly?*
4. Will people spend their money on it?**

If your design is awesome, current, and you think people will spend their money on it, next up is execution.

I have these shirts, now what?

Social media! Get the shirts out there in front of as many people as possible. Facebook ads, Google ads, buy one for your friend who has a billion friends – but only give them away if it really makes sense. You remember how many you need to sell to make your money back, right?

Boutiques! Walk in to a bunch of shops that sell shirts that look like yours. If you have your shirts on you, tell them who you are and what your shirts are about and ask them if they have time to talk to you. If they do, awesome! If they don’t, ask them for a better time and then come back. If they don’t want to talk to you, don’t worry about it. A lot of people won’t want to talk to you, and when you are super successful, you are going to be the same way, just remember your roots.

Online Shops! Feel free to email shops or shoot them a message on Facebook. Just make sure you sound professional and that you are double checking everything you write.

Starting your own online store! Check out Squarespace. They make starting a website super easy. They will host your domain and you can easily build a site through them. Though I always highly recommend researching a ton of options before you go forward with any one option.

Remember, there are no miracle cures or instant success guarantees, but if you go about it the right way, you can maximize your potential.

Suggested Reading: https://www.amazon.com/High-Probability-Selling-ebook/dp/B0052MMX1A

*This isn’t a problem once you have reach and you can sell a lot at one time, but if you are going to hold inventory this might cause you to have some dead stock.

**Don’t ask your mom, sister, friend, aunt, or someone who likes you. Ask a stranger. See if you can sell one to someone who shits on all of your ideas. If you can, you have a keeper.

The post Why Buy More? Let Us Tell You Why! first appeared on Barrel Maker.

With all this in mind, don’t you think it’s time to push the boundaries and think beyond the normal company t-shirt? Now, we’re not saying that people don’t appreciate a good t-shirt (we are shirt printers, after all). But, if you want to make a big splash and a great impression on your employees, why not consider something a little different? Just a few changes can make a big difference.

You know what everyone uses at the office? Sweaters! Whether it’s hoodies, zip ups, or a classic crewneck sweater, there are always days when you need some reprieve from the office AC. Some of our favorite options? Basically anything from Bella+ Canvas. They’re super soft (both inside lining and outside shell), they have very vibrant fabric options available, and best of all, they won’t bust your budget!

Another out of the box option is a tote or duffel bag. A larger beach bag may also be a fun option if it’s a summer event or if your business is in at beachfront area. Your employees are guaranteed to use a large durable bag way more than a t-shirt. Some of our recommendations are Q-tees totes, a Liberty Bag duffel, or a HYP beach bag! Or if you really want to jump out of the box, there are so many things you can customize. Towels, hats, blankets, sweat pants! Just take a step back and think about what your employees would really use.

But finally, if you want to stick with a shirt— we won’t stop you! Get your employees a company a t-shirt. But make it fun! One of the simplest ways to make a t-shirt a hit, is to spring for something that doesn’t feel boxy or scratchy. One of our best recommendations is the Bella+Canvas 3001 – it’s unisex, it’s soft, and it’s a great price. You should also consider mixing it up with some specialty inks, or just a new style your employees may not expect. Try a burnout style, v-necks for the ladies, or just something in a bold color. And think outside the box of just your company logo. Ask your employees to weigh in with ideas, that way you’re sure to create something they’ll love.

The post Death to the Boring Company T-Shirt first appeared on Barrel Maker.

Trust us, we’ve been there before and we’ve seen the worry in our customers’ eyes when they were faced with this decision. We don’t like being here any more than you do.  

But have no fear, we’re here to help. 

We’ve been making shirts for over ten years. We can make this decision easy for you.

Ever since we started printing custom shirts for different organizations, we have been helping our customers choose the best size distribution for their buik t-shirt orders. Our customers come from all types of industries – breweries, retail brands, music, tech companies, small businesses, and agencies, among others. 

While we must admit we weren’t perfect with it in the early days, over the years we’ve honed our skills and used historical sales data to become confident in our system of choosing the right breakdown.

We always say, you have to trust the numbers. And we’ve run the numbers on thousands of orders to bring you the information we have below. The averages from those orders gets us the order size breakdown that we’ve come to rely on and trust.

What shirt sizes should you order? 

At the end of the day, you want to make sure you have a shirt for everyone that needs one. Our ratio will make it easy for you to choose the right sizes when you don’t have everyone’s info. 

Here’s our foolproof breakdown ratio to apply to all order quantities:

Adult Sizes

Small: 1
Medium: 2
Large: 2
XL: 1
2X: .5

As illustrated by this example, for a 100 quantity order for adults, the best breakdown would be:

Small: 15
Medium: 30
Large: 30
X-Large: 15
2X-Large: 10

Kids Sizes

XS: .5
Small: 2
Medium: 2.5
Large: 2.5
XL: .5
2XL: .5

As illustrated by this example, for a 100 quantity order for kids, the best breakdown would be:

XS: 10
Small: 20
Medium: 25
Large: 25
X-Large: 10
2X-Large: 10

This can be applied to any total order quantity. We print shirt orders from 100 pieces to 100,000 pieces. You can extrapolate your size distribution with these numbers. 

A few tips and tricks for choosing the right shirt sizes for your group order

Considering all audiences aren’t going to be 100% the same – it’s always important to be flexible with this ratio and keep your group’s demographic in mind. 

If your brand or event is set for a specialized audience, say body builders, you may want to increase your quantity of larger sizes to accommodate all those serious guns. Or if your brand is popular with horse jockeys, you should probably stock up on more smalls.

And last but not least, always keep track of your sales! We can’t stress this enough. 

As we mentioned above, we used historical sales data to discover this size breakdown. Even if you think this may be a one time order, there’s always the chance of a re-order, and it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. 

Be sure to note if you ran out of a particular size more quickly than the others, if you have a bunch of one size leftover, or any other kind of buying patterns you may encounter along the way. When your event is finished, get an end count of leftover sizes and compare that to what you ordered. You can learn a lot this way.

All of these details will help you adjust your breakdown later down the road.

We can help you choose the most common shirt sizes for your order!

One final tip! If you’re still unsure of what to do, contact us! 

We have been in the t-shirt business for well over a decade. This experience has provided us the expertise and knowledge to help guide you through your t-shirt creation journey. 

We have plenty of reps who are more than happy to talk through the details of your order with you. No one should have to navigate the waters of custom t-shirt ordering alone!

You can fill out the contact form on our contact page today to get started. You’ll be amazed at how quickly we respond and how helpful we can be!

Still unsure, we have over 200 reviews on Google and a 4.9 star rating! Listen to the hundreds of happy customers that have worked with us in the past. 

“One of the best customer service experiences I ever had. All the details and products were described in detail by the BM team.” – Alexander 

“Thank you Barrel Maker Printing team for providing OUTSTANDING service and quality. My project for the initial launch put me under immense pressure and it made all the difference that I could ask the questions I needed for clarity and have prompt and detailed responses.” – Kye

“We have been doing business with this company for several years now and have not had any bad experience’s ever–Great company , always made deadlines, and friendly hard working people” – Wayne

“I love my shirt I should have ordered 20 more! Thanks guys” – Kesha

“If you are looking for a printer for t-shirts look no further.  I have ordered from Barrel Maker Printing multiple times and they are second to none!  Top of the line t-shirts used and the printing is very clear and precise.  Reasonably priced and they ship quickly!  Looking forward to future business with them.” – Diane

What are you waiting for? Get your order started today!

Put your trust in Barrel Maker and never have to worry about choosing the right sizes ever again!

Contact us about your shirt order today!

The post How to Avoid the Size Breakdown Headache [Common Shirt Size Breakdown] first appeared on Barrel Maker.

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