Elevate Your T-shirts with Custom Tags
BY MATTHEW RICHARDSON
Elevate Your T-shirts with Custom Tags
Have you thought about thoughtful ways that you can elevate the basic T-shirt to appeal to a wide range of customers and end-buyers? You can do it easily by offering custom T-shirts with custom tags.
Relentless Merch is a screen-printing shop that primarily focuses on custom clothing lines—and has had a lot of success pitching custom T-shirts with custom tags. In addition to screen printing artwork on the front of the T-shirt, you add a custom tag inside the shirt, and one or more on the exterior.
Here are six ways to elevate your T-shirts with custom shirt tags—and make a great profit for your shop.
1. You can charge more for custom shirt tags.
When you add branded tags in strategic locations on a T-shirt, you create the perception of higher-valued retail apparel or private label garments. If you replace a supplier sizing tag inside the collar with a branded woven label, and then match it with a similar custom tag on the hem, sleeve or even the pocket, you greatly increase the value to buyers and end-users. You can also combine a softer-hand screen print on a premium or eco-friendly T-shirt front with the custom shirt tags. Today, people want a little more, and they could wear this elevated tee alone or with a blazer for a more professional look.
2. Target the right markets for custom shirt tags.
Pitch clients the idea of tying their brand identity into a recognizable clothing line via custom T-shirts with custom tags. For example, tech firms, marketing companies, restaurants and breweries might want these elevated business casual tees for uniform pieces, especially for customer-facing interactions. Schools, churches and sports teams can give out or sell tees to their students, congregants and players. Musicians or other individuals starting an apparel or merch line would also be drawn to these custom shirt tags on their tees.
3. Choose your custom shirt tag vendor.
You can research vendors online and ask for samples. Ask other decorators for recommendations as well. You’ll need to provide the vendor with the artwork or text to appear on the custom shirt tags for the T-shirt label printing. For clients that want multiple shirt tags you can do different takes on their logo or their message.
4. Maximize your exposure with custom shirt tags.
For example, on the front of the inside custom sizing tag, you can include the company’s logo or message and the size. On the back, for example, you can include an additional message or tagline like, “Thanks for being a friend,” or even the name of your print shop if you’re a local name. Then, we often add a hem tag at the T-shirt bottom and do a front screen print. You can also add these tags on the edge of the sleeve or pocket.
5. Pitch an online merch store with these tees.
When you help a business, a band, an athletic team or a musician create a branded apparel line with custom shirt labels, the next step is building an online merch store. Since COVID-19 hit, with the huge uptick in online shopping, everyone expects to be able to get company uniforms and merch in cyberspace. Your shop handles taking the orders; producing the custom tees; and then sending them directly to the end-user, so it’s a huge help for your customer. Plus, when your client starts with logoed tees with custom tags, they can branch out into specialty tees with different messaging for specific events or occasions.
6. Don’t forget online gatherings for personalized shirt tags.
Virtual events—whether it’s a corporate trade show, online music festival or bike-a-thon for a nonprofit—are another great avenue for tees with custom shirt tags, for attendees, staff, presenters and performers. Your shop can set up the merch store, receive the orders, print the tees, and then drop-ship the tees to each individual person. That’s a huge burden off your client, and sets you up even more as an online solutions provider. Each event also helps build an online community, and your custom branded tees are part of that.
Since 2020 has been the year of the statement T-shirt, now is a great time to uplevel these ubiquitous garments with custom shirt tags. We’re pretty sure your customers will love them.