Beyond the T-shirt
Now that you’ve mastered t-shirt printing, it’s time to explore the other custom items out there. Here at Threadbird, we’ve narrowed down the list to our top picks for diversifying your brand’s offerings.
Benefits of Branching Out
There’s a strategy behind presenting a diverse range of products. It encourages your customers to browse, and the more they browse the more items they might add to their cart. Offering mixed styles and a variety of merchandise can easily take an order from $60 to $100.
One technique many online retailers use to increase additional sales is offering free shipping once an order reaches a minimum dollar amount. Offering smaller products like drinkware, pins, and stickers can encourage customers to add to their carts and hit that minimum. Think of it like the oh-so-tempting items lining the check-out queue at the store.
Consider introducing designs on a range of garments – here are some of our favorites:
Example of our Enamel Pins placed on a Custom Backpack
Hoodies and Sweatshirts
Offering warmer options helps sales stay strong during fall and winter. When the temperature drops, hoodies are a go-to wardrobe essential. With many styles and cuts, there’s a fit for every type of brand.
Long Sleeve Shirts
Besides keeping you warm, long sleeve shirts offer additional print locations that aren’t available with short sleeve t-shirts. The long sleeves provide extra space for printing and can be used with text or a design that aligns with the arm.
Sweatpants and Joggers
The athleisure and streetwear trends have grown significantly in popularity where jeans are being replaced with sweatpants and joggers. Make a comfortable pair of sweatpants your own by adding a screen printed or embroidered design and custom tags. Brands like Champion, ITC, Bella + Canvas, and Alternative Apparel are diversifying their sweatpant options so you can find the perfect fit and feel for your brand.
Tank Tops
When the sun is shining and the weather is warm tank tops are the perfect fashion choice to beat the heat. Tank tops are available in a variety of cuts and lengths, from fashion to classic flowy to cropped and can take your brand from the gym to the music festival and everywhere in between.
Jackets
Rain jackets, bombers, and jean jackets can easily be customized to represent your brand’s style in a “warmer” fashion. With a higher price per item, jackets are a great opportunity to include items with a larger profit margin in your store.
Fashion Pieces
Your favorite brands take inspiration from the latest runway fashions to create garments similar to those found in retail. The Bella + Canvas “Fast Fashion” collection is a good place to look for the latest trends. They release fashion-forward pieces on a monthly basis to keep up with the ever-changing styles of the garment industry.
Custom Knits
Cut & sew garments allow you to fully design and customize each detail of an item. Custom knits are an excellent option for the colder months. If your brand is winter focused or you’re creating a winter collection, a knit sweater, scarf, or hat would make a perfect addition to your store. This could even be your opportunity to create your own Ugly Christmas Sweater.
Sublimation
Sublimation is a unique printing process that allows you to go a step beyond screen printing by creating a fully customized cut and sew a sublimated garment. Using your own pattern, logo or design gives you the ability to make truly unique pieces for your brand.
What about the items your customers can’t wear?
Screen Printed Posters
Using a similar process to printing t-shirts, screen printed posters offer a different way to show off your art. At Threadbird our high-quality posters can be printed with a variety of paper options to complement your design.
Enamel Pins
From Disney to Festivals, pins are a fun product your brand can consider adding to your collection. Pins can be sold individually for a high margin, maximizing profits on these small products.
Drinkware
Whether your customers love coffee, water, or wine, we offer a variety of drinkware options to quench their thirst. Put your brand in front of your customers more frequently as they sip on their favorite drink while looking at your logo.
Bags
Bags come in many shapes and styles: backpacks, fanny packs, totes, duffle bags. Choosing a high-quality bag and adding your own finishings (like a hem tag and patch) can help your customers find that new bag they’ve been missing out on. Not to mention, totes are a great last-minute addition to someone shopping online and a perfect option for a freebie!
Pet Products
Why limit yourself to human customers? Keep those tails wagging by designing custom pet products. Create branded leashes, collars, dog toys, dog bowls, doggie bags, and more!
Setting Apart Your Brand
Thinking beyond the standard t-shirt can lead you to some unique product ideas and ways to expand your store. You’re creating a brand and a lifestyle that your customers will truly connect with, so give them high-quality branded products that will set you apart from the competition. With everything from apparel options to drinkware and dog products, Threadbird is here to partner with your brand and help it grow!
Hey, It's Threadbird, here to be your expert guide with printing, apparel, and merch. Our brand has been in the custom merch game for 12+ years. We know the ins and outs of all of your favorite products. We are here to help your brand fly high with our knowledge and expertise.
