Our Custom Process
A custom order moves through a series of decisions: define the project, assess the artwork, agree the specification, review the proof or sample, authorize production and arrange delivery. Each stage should leave a clear record for the next. The route depends on the product and project, so confirm the actual approval method, commercial requirements and estimated schedule with the team rather than assuming every order follows an identical timetable.
Your club's role is to supply accurate information and an authorized decision maker. The team's role in the discussion is to assess the requested goods, explain available options and identify what must be settled before work advances. A shared project reference keeps artwork versions, quantities and comments connected. Use this guide to understand what you should have ready and what questions belong at each handoff.
Discovery establishes the purpose and constraints
Begin with what you want to achieve, who will receive the items and how they will be used. A chapter uniform program, an anniversary presentation and merchandise for an open event may call for different materials, personalization and packing. Identify the intended product, probable quantity, destination and required receiving date. Explain which decisions are final and which need guidance so the project can be assessed without hidden assumptions.
Assign a club contact who can collect questions and coordinate answers. If a committee or separate rights holder must approve the work, identify that dependency early. Only customers authorized to use the submitted artwork may request custom production. Establishing authority and intended distribution at discovery helps prevent design work from progressing around an emblem or chapter use that the project cannot legitimately approve.
Artwork review checks the usable source
The next step is to examine the available artwork in relation to the chosen item. Send the clearest source, exact text, finished dimensions and any variant list. Review the logo preparation guidance before submission. The team may need to discuss small lettering, unclear edges, missing color references or elements that cannot reproduce well in the intended manufacturing method.
An artwork assessment should distinguish a file problem from a design decision. Replacing a blurry source is different from deliberately simplifying a detailed symbol. Where adaptation is proposed, ask what changes and why. Use design support to explore a suitable direction, then keep the agreed revision separate from old source files. File receipt or a preliminary review does not constitute acceptance of a finished production design.
Specification makes the product measurable
A specification records the intended dimensions, materials, method, finish, placement and attachments, as applicable. Clothing also needs the selected garment and size breakdown; personalized goods need a controlled variant register. State the units used for dimensions and clarify how a measurement is taken. A width across the outer edge and a width across the visible artwork can describe different things.
Connect each specification decision to use. A patch attachment should suit the intended garment, a pin fastening should suit its placement, and a flag construction should suit its display plan. For example, review the patch category when choosing construction details rather than relying entirely on a reference photograph. If an option is unavailable or unclear, resolve the alternative in the written specification before treating it as selected.
Quotation aligns scope with the order
Once enough detail is available, the quotation discussion can connect the specification with quantities, applicable charges and an estimated schedule. Refer to the quotation checklist for the required inputs. Ask which assumptions remain open and whether artwork preparation, sampling, packing or shipping is included. Confirm the payment requirements that apply before production can begin.
Keep the commercial and visual references aligned. If a quote covers one finish while the latest proof shows another, ask for correction before accepting either as final. A price discussed for a preliminary quantity may need review when member totals change. Approval of the project's cost should be based on the same version of the goods that the authorized representative expects the team to manufacture.
Proofing confirms layout and written details
A digital proof can make placement, spelling, proportions and specified dimensions easier to review. Examine it at a useful scale and read the accompanying notes rather than approving only the overall impression. Check chapter names, dates, orientation, borders and the relationship between decoration and product edges. For multiple versions, verify each one against the approved variant list.
Consolidate feedback in a single response with the proof version and the exact change requested. Separate a correction from a new preference, and ask whether the revision affects cost or timing. The approval guide explains why a screen image does not establish every physical characteristic. If texture, fit or finish remains an acceptance question, determine what additional evidence is appropriate before issuing final approval.
Sampling answers physical acceptance questions
A physical sample may be appropriate where material, construction, scale or finish needs hands-on review. Confirm whether sampling is available for the project, what the sample represents and any associated charges or schedule implications. Identify the questions it must answer, such as whether small lettering remains readable or whether the placement fits the actual garment. A sample is most useful when reviewed against a clear specification.
Record the sample reference, review conditions and required corrections. If it covers only one variant or a provisional material, do not assume it approves every other configuration. Ask how the agreed production reference will be documented. Where a revised sample or another proof is needed, confirm that step explicitly. Avoid sending a broad approval while unresolved sample notes remain in a separate conversation.
Production begins from an agreed baseline
Before the production stage, the order needs its required approvals, settled specification, quantities and applicable commercial conditions. Ask the team to confirm what remains outstanding and the current estimated schedule. Keep a final reference that identifies the accepted artwork, proof or sample and variant register. This provides a common baseline for the work and later review.
If someone requests a change after approval, communicate it immediately and ask whether it can still be accommodated. Do not assume an updated attachment stops work that has already started. The team must assess feasibility and any effect on cost or dispatch. Until a change is acknowledged and a replacement specification is agreed, an informal request should not be treated as a confirmed revision to the manufacturing order.
Quality checks refer to approved requirements
Quality review needs a defined reference: the accepted artwork, dimensions, construction, quantities and any sample notes. Relevant checks vary with the item and may concern decoration, assembly, attachment, visible finish, size identification or packing accuracy. Ask what inspection arrangements apply to your project and which characteristics need particular attention because they matter to acceptance.
Do not assume that a general quality check means every unit receives every possible test. For a larger order, discuss whether representative checks, counts or other documented inspections are appropriate. Identify high-risk differences such as personalized wording or several similar chapter variants. Where a discrepancy is found, ask how it will be assessed against the specification before dispatch, without relying on an undefined promise of perfection.
Packing preserves the distribution plan
Packing decisions should be part of the order discussion, especially when products are fragile, individually presented or divided among chapters. Confirm whether items need individual protection, grouped labels or an agreed allocation by carton. Tell the team if packaging must support direct distribution at an event. An attractive presentation format and a practical transport arrangement can serve different purposes.
Check quantities against the variant register before the dispatch details are finalized. For coordinated shipments, distinguish the purchase quantity from the amount assigned to each destination. The bulk order guide provides a way to organize these allocations. Clear identification helps receiving staff find the right chapter or size group without opening every package or relying on handwritten interpretations of an old spreadsheet.
Dispatch transfers the order into transit
Confirm the receiving address, contact details and available delivery arrangement before shipment. Production completion and carrier delivery are separate milestones. Tracking information, where available, becomes useful when the carrier records movement, but label creation alone does not establish the full transit status. Consult the shipping guide for destination considerations and the tracking page if you need to interpret shipment information.
Allow for receiving and checking the order before your event or onward member distribution. When a parcel arrives, compare the contents with the order record and note visible damage or discrepancies clearly. Retain identifying labels and relevant photographs if you need assistance. Contact the team with the order reference and specific issue so review can use the actual approved specification rather than a general recollection of the project.
Repeat orders begin with a fresh confirmation
Keep the previous order number, accepted artwork, specification, sample references and variant register. These records help establish what you want to repeat, but they do not guarantee unchanged materials, component availability or pricing. Ask the team to reconfirm the current options and identify any difference from the original run. An old photograph alone may not document the precise finish or construction.
Clearly label a reorder as unchanged or list each requested change. A new chapter name, additional size or altered event date can require artwork or production review. Confirm whether the earlier approval remains relevant and what needs new sign-off. Keeping this distinction explicit prevents a convenient reorder request from silently becoming an unreviewed new version of the club's merchandise.
Questions about moving through production
Does sending our logo start production?
No. Sending artwork begins assessment and discussion. Production depends on the agreed order requirements, specification and approvals, together with applicable payment conditions. Ask what remains outstanding at each stage so an early file submission is not confused with a complete instruction to manufacture the goods.
Can we skip a physical sample?
The appropriate review route depends on the product and what needs confirmation. Discuss whether a digital proof is sufficient for the agreed characteristics and what it cannot show. If material feel, fit or finish is essential to acceptance, understand how those questions will be addressed before deciding on the approval method.
Who should communicate our final decisions?
Choose an authorized representative who can consolidate club feedback and confirm the accepted version. Other members may review internally, but the team needs one coherent instruction. Record any separate approval needed from the rights holder so permission to use the emblem and authority to approve the order remain clear.
What if a member joins after quantities are approved?
Send the requested addition with its size and variant, then ask whether the current production stage can accommodate it. Additional units may affect grouping, price or timing. Do not assume a new member entry in your internal register automatically updates the manufacturing quantity already confirmed with the team.
How should we report a delivery discrepancy?
Provide the order reference, affected item or variant, expected quantity or specification and a clear description of what arrived. Include useful photographs of the goods and identifying packaging. Keep the materials available while the team reviews the issue and follow the relevant order-issue instructions before returning anything.
Is a reorder automatically identical to the first run?
A previous reference helps define the request, but repeat production still needs confirmation of current materials, finishes and component availability. Identify which features must match and ask about any proposed substitution. Review new wording or variants explicitly so the earlier approval is not stretched beyond the goods it originally covered.