Ok, first time asker here so I hope this is detailed enough or maybe
not too detailed and broad.

Basically, I want to have clothing designed and manufactured with my
websites/companies logo on it for our users to be able to buy.

so, I need to find out how I need to go about having clothing custom
made for a business in bulk. you know, T-shirts, hats (baseball style
caps, trucker, visor, woolies (knit caps), hoodies (hooded sweat
shirts) etc... all with our logo. as well as where I need to go (what
company/companies).

I need to find a company who can design the products on demand (when
the orders come in) as well as drop ship them and invoice/bill the
customer.

basically ... I need a company who handles a bunch of styles of
clothings, not just some wholesaler that does "tees". I need them to
be able to handle screen printing & embroidery, production and
shipping.

now, also, I don't know how this is typically done. do retail stores
get their shirts like this? do they have production centers of their
own? or do they have their stuff made by these type of 3rd party
companies as well?

for instance... does Hot Topic have an outisde company make all their
stuff? do these online clothing companies have someone else print
their items? do they ever handle the merchandise? or is it all done by
wholesale companies that handle everything for the "seller"?

I just ... I don't really know where to start so I need all the
information I can get on having clothing designed with my companies logo on it
and various other things related to my website, the manufacturing &
production of said clothing, distribution, transaction process,
dropshipping etc...

I have no idea about any of this so any and all info & links is needed.

I do apologize if this seems either really broad or whatever, but
well, I'm lost on this and I need this info to be thorough and I need
it badly.

please, ask anything you'd like for further clarification.

a fat tip awaits you ;)

Hi casualty,

Well, what has made your question a challenge is that not only do you
want to order promotional products for your company "on-demand" but
you take it a step further in that the printing company must be linked
somehow into your website so that when your customers order one or
more products, the printers must be able to process the order, make
the transaction/payment, and dropship the order for you. This sounded
like a tall order to me and I wasn't very hopeful in finding a
solution when I started to research your question.
The main problem with your plan is that both screen and embroidery
printing require set-ups. This means that when a company orders 100
shirts, the printers need to set up their equipment to make the
design.  Once the 100 shirts are made, they set up to make another
design for someone else. So what you proposed sounded either very
expensive or likely unavailable (because your orders would be
sporadic). However, I was pleasantly surprised to find  "Spreadshirt"
which should work very nicely for you as long as you are willing to
abandon your plan for screen and embroidery and agree to digital
transfer printing.  Digital printing doesn't need a set up (it can
handle 1 shirt or bulk lots) and Spreadshirt's e-commerce solution
seems to be just what you have in mind (in that a customer can order
from your website and Spreadshirt will handle everything, from soup to
nuts so-to-speak). You will know how much the products will cost you
(you don't pay anything until you receive an order) and you determine
what price to set on your website for them (your commission).

You can skip down to Spreadshirt's link if you like, but it may be
helpful if you first have a look at a few websites which describe how
things normally work.

SCREEN PRINTING VS DIGITAL 

DefineNormal
Screen Printing
"Screen Printing (also known as Silk Screening) is a printing process
for use with clothing and non-clothing items. It's the standard
printing method for the T-shirt industry.  In a nut shell, ink is
passed through an affixed stencil (screen) with the use of a rubber
squeegee. To get the design in the screen, a quality black and white
positive is made of each design color. With light exposure to a
photosensitive screen, each image is burned into place. Therefore, if
any changes are to be made to a design, it should be done prior to
screen exposure"
Digital Transfer 
"Digital Transfer has really advanced over the years. More and more
screen printers are offering this service. Full color photographic
images, personalization, and 1 Day turn around are some of the reasons
why this process is so appealing. The Pros: This process requires no
setup fees if a high resolution design is submitted. There is an
unlimited number of colors to work with. Detail is even more crisp
than screen printing. Great for printing just 1 T-shirt! It's
Economical.
The Cons: Only light colored T-shirts can be printed upon. Garment
must be dried immediately after first time washing."
http://www.definenormal.net/qanda.htm

HOW THE INDUSTRY WORKS

T-Shirt Bakery Promotional Products
http://www.partypop.com/Vendors/4104560.htm

LIST OF SCREEN/EMBROIDERY COMPANIES

Promotional Apparel
http://www.business.com/directory/advertising_and_marketing/sales/sales_promotions/promotional_merchandise/apparel/

SPREADSHIRT

Spreadshirt
"We offer all functions necessary for setting up and running your shop
to you for free and without obligation. We process every order made
through your shop: from payment to production to customer services."
How your Spreadshop works...
 * Sign up for free
 * Upload your designs and create as many products as you want
 * Set commissions for your products
 * Design your shop
 * Link the shop to your website
Your customers...
 * Can buy from your shop without minimum purchase levels
 * Have their orders ready to ship in 1-2 business days
 * Receive their orders shipped directly to their address 
 * Will be guided during and after their order by our service team
Bulk Orders
Our bulk order service takes care of bulk orders (starting at 25
pieces) tailored to your needs.
http://www.spreadshirt.com/How-It-Works.114.0.html

Product Assortment
Heavyweight cotton T-Shirt
American Apparel Men's Jersey Tee
Lightweight Ringer Tee
Mens Muscle T
Mens Baseball T (AA brand)
Jerzees Poloshirt
Pigment Dyed Ringer T
Men's XXXL T-Shirt
Men's Long Sleeve Hanes Tee
Lightweight cotton T-Shirt
Women Spaghetti Strap Tank
Ladies Heavyweight T-Shirt	
American Apparel Junior's Jersey T	
Junior's Contrast Stitch Tee	
Junior's Camisole	
Yoga Top	
Juniors Ringer Tee	
Junior's Ringer Gym T (AA Brand)	
Junior's Cap Sleeve Tee	
Junior's Baseball T-Shirt
Junior's Long Sleeve Hoodie	
Junior's Long Sleeve Tee
Jackets	
Ladies Zipper Hoodie
Men's Zipper Hoodie
Baby Bib
Children's T-Shirt
Sweatshirts	
Junior's Distressed Hoodie	
Hooded Sweatshirt
Underwear	
Shorties Hip Hugger Underwear	
String Thong
Accessories
Large Cinch Sack
Messenger Bag
Large Buttons
Small Buttons
Caps
Otto Flex Pro Style Baseball Cap
Gifts
Coffee and Tea Mug
Coasters
Mousepad
http://www.spreadshirt.com/Product-Assortment.3.0.html

FAQ
http://www.spreadshirt.com/FAQ.66.0.html

ADDITIONAL LINKS OF INTEREST

Branders.com
http://www.branders.com/s/logo-clothing.htm

ShowYourLogo
http://www.showyourlogo.com/custom-apparel.htm

HOT TOPIC, INC.
http://secfilings.nasdaq.com/edgar_conv_html%2f2006%2f03%2f22%2f0001193125-06-060796.html#FIS_BUSINESS

Co-op America's Retailer Scorecard
"With sweatshop abuses spanning the globe, and with more and more
giant corporations subcontracting their manufacturing to third
parties, making an informed choice about where to shop for
sweatshop-free products can be daunting. That's why we've created
Co-op America's "Retailer Scorecard", as an at-a-glance reference to
help you choose where to shop. "
http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/scorecard.cfm

I was very glad to find Spreadshirt for you, I hope you like it. If
you have any questions or if I've misunderstood your question, please
post a clarification request and wait for me to respond before
closing/rating my answer.

Thank you,
hummer

Google Search Terms Used: promotional company logo clothes screening
embroidered digital

---

Request for Answer Clarification by casualty-ga on 21 Oct 2006 18:30 PDT

I apologize for the delay in my reply but I haven't had time to get on here. 

That is an excellent answer and I did like the idea of spreadshirt and
I did look over their site, however, the light color only thing can be
a problem.

I did some searching of my own and found that "starting your own
clothing line" returns the best results for exactly what I'm looking
for.

so if you could, for clarification purposes, could you please find me
all the resource info you can on starting my own clothing line.
Starting from design, to supplies to manufacturing to shipping. As
many links and resources as possible for each category.

As I can see, I was a little all inclusive in my question which
resulted in a great answer, but one that will limit my choices. I do
apologize for not being a little more broad lol, but like I said, I
have no knowledge of any of this right now.

Thank you, you've been a huge help so far and I hope you have the time
for the broad follow up I'm looking for.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by casualty-ga on 21 Oct 2006 18:41 PDT

Crap, I apologize but I missed the tip jar on the clarification page.
this is my first time "google answering" so will I be able to tip on
the clarification???

Thanks!

---

Clarification of Answer by hummer-ga on 22 Oct 2006 07:06 PDT

Dear casualty,

Hmm, thank you for your kind words and nice rating but I believe I
misunderstood your question. My answer pertains to a company wanting
to produce clothing with their logo on it ("I need all the information
I can get on having clothing designed with my companies logo on it")
rather than how to start a new clothing line. I'm still not 100% sure
I know what you have in mind. For example, "a new clothing line"
usually means that you have at least a crude idea of a new design,
perhaps some sketches or even a portfolio of designs. Contrary to
that, you mentioned, "I need to find out how I need to go about having
clothing custom
made for a business in bulk. you know, T-shirts, hats (baseball style
caps, trucker, visor, woolies (knit caps), hoodies (hooded
sweatshirts)", which suggests that you aren't interested in designing
clothes but rather you need a logo design for promotional material.
I will surely try to find you relevant links but please let me know
exactly what you have in mind before I do. I don't want to make a
wrong assumption and go off in the wrong direction again! :)
Regarding a tip, I'm afraid that the only chance you have to post one
is when you rate the answer. The only thing that is possible now is to
post a new $2.00 question with "For hummer-ga" in the subject line,
and then post a tip there.
I appreciate your enthusiasm with my answer and I hope I can zero in
on exactly what you need. Perhaps one way we could start would be to
this: You said you like Spreadshirt but the light color rule is a
problem. Well, pretending that the light color rule doesn't exist,
would Spreadshirt meet your needs?  Is that what you are looking for
(your logo on ready-made clothes sold on your website) or are you
really interested in designing clothes?

Sorry if I'm being dense about this!
Sincerely,
hummer

Answer was very thorough and provided me with great links as well. Was
well worth the $200