Starting to look for a garment factory two weeks before the event is usually not as simple as “not doing it”, but “how many choices do you have to sacrifice to catch up”. Therefore, when it comes to how to arrange the delivery date of the event, the key is never just to ask the supplier how many days to deliver, but to push back every decision point from the event date to reserve time for revision, receipt size, confirmation quantity, and handling emergencies. This is what is called stability.
How to arrange the delivery date of the event tee so that you don’t get chased all the way
Many groups order tees, and the most common mistake is to use “single day” as a starting point. In fact, what really affects the delivery time is often the period before the order is placed. Because you may not be able to get the same size, batch design, and color and printing method on the same day. Especially in societies, class meetings, company activities or competition teams, it usually takes a few people to make a decision.
If you want to make it work, it’s best to start preparing at least 3 to 4 weeks in advance on the day of the event. This time is not reserved for production, but for the entire process. Simple printing of the basic model of the logo, the time can be shorter; However, if it involves special fabrics, contrasting colors, independent opening, embroidery, jersey numbers, and each name tag, the delivery time will naturally be longer.
To put it bluntly, the delivery date is not a straight line, but a combination of periods. If you miss one of them, you will end up feeling that the supplier is “suddenly in a hurry.” It wasn’t sudden, it was just that there was no line up in front of it.
A practical timetable: arranged by the countdown to the event day
The safest way to arrange is to take the entire customization process apart. Assuming the event is held on a Saturday, it is best to collect all the goods 2 to 3 days before the event, so don’t take advantage of the last day. Because when it comes to the distribution stage, there is a chance that the size is misassigned, the quantity needs to be supplemented, or someone temporarily adds an order.
Pushing forward from the receipt date to the point where it can be understood. The production period is usually the most talked about period, but the confirmation of manuscripts and quantities often takes the same amount of time. Basic event tees, if the style is simple, the printing position is clear, the quantity is concentrated, and the size chart is handed over quickly, the production period can be relatively short. But if the design is changed back and forth two or three times, or today it is said to be black and white, and tomorrow it will be changed to a white shirt color print.
A more practical approach is to start searching, asking for prices, and negotiating methods 4 weeks before the event; Confirm the design direction, quantity, and size within the first 3 weeks; Complete the order and approve the draft in the first 2 to 3 weeks; After that, it will enter formal production. This arrangement is safe for most school events, company team days, and club events. If it is a large-scale competition, orientation camp, exhibition, anniversary event, and the clothes themselves have more customization requirements, it is recommended to do it a week earlier.
It’s not just the factory that affects the delivery time
Many people ask “how soon will it be available”, but there are usually four factors that really determine whether the delivery date is stable.
The first is style complexity. Crew neck T-shirts are monochrome printed, of course, faster than patchwork jerseys, windbreakers, and hooded sweatshirts. Because the latter involves more materials, patterns, and sewing procedures.
The second is the printing method. Silk screen printing, digital printing, embroidery, and hot painting all have different processes and preparation times. It’s not about which one is necessarily faster, but it depends on the content, quantity, and location of the pattern. Sometimes the pursuit of effect in design will result in longer preparation time, which needs to be balanced early.
The third is the distribution of quantities and sizes. 100 pieces is not necessarily slower than 30 pieces, but if 100 pieces are concentrated in a few sizes, it will be easier to handle; On the contrary, the quantity is not large, but each size is fragmentary, plus children’s clothing, plus size, and special cut, the overall arrangement may not be easy.
The fourth is the speed of customer confirmation. This is the most underestimated. Quotations can be fast, and designs can be followed, but if a dozen or so people in the group keep giving opinions and making changes, the delivery time will definitely be stretched. Suppliers are not afraid to do it quickly, but the most fearful thing is that you are undecided.
If you really need it, which seats can change speed
Some activities are really sudden, such as temporary camps, sudden competitions, and company promotions. In this case, how to arrange the delivery date of the event is not the pursuit of the ideal, but the pursuit of the most feasible.
To meet the deadline, you usually have to make trade-offs. In terms of style, choosing a ready-made basic tee will be faster than a fully customized model. In terms of design, reducing the printing position, reducing the number of colors, and avoiding personalized information on each piece can help reduce time. In terms of process, it is best to have a person in charge collect opinions uniformly, and do not let many people review it separately, otherwise a message will be slow for half a day, and the entire schedule will be moved.
But rushing to order comes at a price. You may not be able to choose the perfect color, the ideal fabric, or you may not be able to try on several versions. This does not mean that the quality is necessarily poor, but that the choice space will be smaller. Therefore, if the dress is the façade of a brand event, or if you want to take photos, go on stage, or wear it for a long time, it is best to leave a little time and don’t force it to end up with just “do what you can”.
How to spend time with suppliers is much more efficient
It is important to submit the information on time, not to keep urging, but to submit the information from the beginning. The sooner you clarify your purpose, the easier it will be for the supplier to help you find the right solution. For example, if you have already stated from the beginning that it is an orientation camp, the day of the event, how many pieces to expect, what style you want, and whether you have a logo file, the other party can quickly decide what style to use, what printing method, and whether you can rush.
On the contrary, if you just ask “how much and how long to print 50 pieces”, there is actually a lot of information in between. The style is not decided, the pattern is not yet decided, and the pre-print and post-print are not discussed, and the quotation and delivery date can only be very rough. Just because you see that time seems to be flying quickly, it doesn’t really mean you can do it in the end.
The most efficient way to communicate is usually to submit a few basic information at once: event date, product type, estimated quantity, print content, size range, and whether there are any special requirements. As long as the core information is complete, the whole process will be much faster and there will be less back-and-forth confirmation.
Schools, companies, and teams have different deadlines
Different groups order activity tees, and the most reserved time slots are different. The biggest problems with schools and student organizations are mostly not the lack of time from suppliers, but the slow internal closing of the system, slow meetings, and slow voting on design changes. The most important thing for this type of order is to set the deadline as early as possible, and it will not be changed after the time has passed.
The approval process for corporate clients is usually more formal. HR, marketing, procurement, and department heads may all read the draft, so the most important thing to reserve is the approval time. Especially if the clothes involve brand colors, event visuals, or external exposure, don’t assume “send tonight, tomorrow morning will definitely be released”.
As for teams, running clubs, or competition groups, the most common ones are more personalized requests, such as numbers, names, and different cuts. This type of project is most afraid of being added, transferred, or spelled at the last minute. As long as the personal information is undecided, it is difficult to really run smoothly.
If you want to have a stable delivery date, what can you do in advance
If you want to reduce leakage, the simplest thing is to do three things first. First, internally decide on a final decision-maker. Second, gather the sizes and lists in advance, and don’t wait for the design to be completed before asking people. Third, advance the “latest delivery date” before the event day by two days.
These three steps may seem basic, but they will really help you meet deadlines. Because the biggest fear of custom-made clothes is not the big problem, but the small part that drags on time. Wait for a logo file today, wait for a size table tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow someone wants to add a slogan, but every day is just a little different, and in the end, it will become a rush for everything.
If you already know that your team is slow to make decisions, then don’t just look at the number of days in the factory. What really matters is how many days it takes your team to make a decision. This estimate is accurate, and the delivery date will be accurate.
For most group buyers, the safest way to order an event tee is not to wait until the deadline to ask if it can be expedited, but to reverse the event date from the beginning, treating design, approval, production, and receipt as an equally important part. You give the process of time, and the process will naturally give you the choice. When it comes to placing an order, you will feel that the whole thing is in your own hands, rather than chasing time. Free Point has always followed this logic to help customers arrange orders, because fast can be an advantage, but a stable schedule will really help you.
