Close to 50% of promotional product distributors (PPDs) have considered adding “T-shirt” decoration to their offering. Have you considered adding apparel decoration to your promotional item offering? More specifically, have you considered adding heat transfer vinyl (HTV) to your in-house production? You should. You also ought to know there is a lot more to apparel decoration than just T-shirts.

Not If, But When

The apparel category is now the top promotional product category. Ts have been the top requested promotional item for a decade, including through the COVID-19 pandemic. Having grown to include apparel other than T-shirts, the apparel category includes polo shirts, button-up shirts, performance apparel, hoodies, athleisure, and socks. If you include the caps and headwear and bags and totes categories, these three promotional item categories account for 48% of total distributor sales in 2018, and trends are showing the same through 2022.

Considering the massive share apparel and related textile goods continues to win in 2022, adding apparel decoration is no longer a question of if, but when you will take the leap.

HTV decoration is a simple, low-cost, start-up decoration technique to add to your in-house production. Simply explained, HTV is polyurethane film with a hotmelt adhesive, easily cut using a plotter or cutter, weeded, and applied to the substrate using a heat press. There are minimal set-up costs in HTV decoration, making it ideal for low-volume projects.

HTV is also an excellent large-volume option as there are printable versions of HTV, allowing for quick, full-color, high-resolution creation of logos and branding using a single product.

HTV can be the main decoration technique, or it can be used to add a last-minute sponsor’s branding to a finished project. It’s easy to learn, easy to stock, easy to use, and creates an enduring, long-lived decoration on an offering of apparel promotional items.

Tools of the Trade

What does it take to add HTV as a decoration technique to your in-house production? The task of evaluating costs, knowledge base, and technical ability can be easily broken into three segments:

• Tools and consumables
• Knowledge of HTV decoration
• Knowledge of the blanks/the promotional item

Start with the tangible items — it is easier to cost out and will take time. Education about the tangibles will also make the process of discerning knowledge base and technical ability.

To set up shop with the bare basics, tools include a computer and monitor (or tablet), a plotter or cutter, a heat press, and various miscellaneous weeding tools. A graduation to the next level of offering includes a wide-format printer capable of printing solvent, eco-solvent, latex, or UV inks. There is a big difference in start-up investment with and without a wide-format printer. Here are some quick price averages, with and without the big shop printer:

Consumables include the HTV and blanks you want to offer. Evaluation of HTV is a cautionary tale of avoiding the cheapest material available and over-stocking your offering. Make sure you settle on a high-quality, multi-function HTV from a quality brand for your core offering.

Credit: POLI-TAPE USA

HTV film can be a single color — think letters and numbers as a starting point — and transition to colorful logo designs compromised of several colors. Special effects such as glitter, holographic, reflective, and glow-in-the dark properties have a variety of results, including high visibility during day and night, fun 3D effects, or a little bling to stand out.

HTV is also available in printable versions, offering a blank canvas for design. Printable HTV is an easy, low-cost option to print logos; special event imagery; corporate branding; and to be transferred to shirts, bags, totes, hats, socks, team towels, or whatever is needed.

Best Blanks

Evaluate your core blank (promotional item) offering to determine the core of your HTV offering. Educate yourself methodically here. Start with a conversation with the decorators you already know. Find out what they decorate and why. Spend some time with them in their shops — most are happy to share their expertise. The decorator network you already have may be the place you start to contract out the first items you offer as you determine what to bring in-house.

Evaluation of the apparel items you will offer is a matter of finding a good wholesale partner or partners. The relationships with apparel blank wholesalers will give you a solid advantage if you partner with wholesalers who have thorough knowledge of their blanks. Knowledge of what you are decorating is crucial. Know the difference between a workhorse like a 100% cotton that’s easy-to decorate, and a diva such as performance polyester, which has special considerations for decorating no matter what the decoration technology.

As you gain knowledge, most likely through trial and error, you become the coveted expert in the apparel decoration field. Do not be discouraged by this important learning process; do not let it discourage you from adding HTV decoration to your in-house production. If you are not producing the decorated apparel items that account for 50% of promo item decoration, someone else is.

A final word about HTV apparel decoration: It is less expensive to start-up and feed than most people realize. HTV material is not expensive and quality HTV will last a lifetime on a T-shirt. Beyond the promo part of this service, corporate and workwear are an additional revenue source easily serviced by the same in-house apparel decoration department.

With trade shows back in full swing, now is the perfect time to visit with providers of the items you need to educate yourself and formulate a strategy to add apparel promo items to your offering. Ultimately, you will at least have gained enough knowledge to established yourself as the HTV expert for your existing customers and elevate your position on their trusted partners list.