Top 10 Insights into the Custom Hat Creation Process
The hat is one of the most popular forms of custom merchandise businesses use to showcase their brand identity. Creating one for your brand might seem like a simple process. However, it’s a product of a series of standard steps you must carefully follow from start to finish.
In this post, we will provide valuable insights into the step-by-step process of creating custom hats from its design to distribution. Following these steps will get you a finished product that looks good, feels comfortable and achieves the desired branding purpose.
Start By Defining The Purpose Of Your Hat
There are countless reasons someone might want to create customized hats for their brand. Some people create hats as part of their employee uniform. Others use it as a marketing tool to gain more customers or as a gift for people who already do business with you. Regardless of other factors, defining the purpose of the hat is the first step in creating custom hats that effectively achieve your intended goal. Working out this first step will also affect several other decisions you’ll have to make from the style of the cap to how it will be distributed.
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Choose the Right Hat Style
Custom hats are quite versatile and there are so many style options to explore. Before you start creating your custom hat design, you’ll need to settle on a style. As mentioned above, the biggest consideration in creating custom hats is its purpose and your target audience. For instance, while a baseball hat is the go-to choice for a casual or sporty look, fitted hats or snapbacks are the classic modern streetwear option. Other custom hat options to consider include beanies, trucker hats, bucket hats and so on. Research the available options and choose the most suitable one for your audience.
Materials or Fabrics
Each custom hat style has different fabrics or materials that will be ideal for it. For instance, acrylic or wool are the standard options for beanies. Conversely, cotton and nylon are used for snapbacks and baseball caps. Your choice of fabric will also depend on how the hat will be used. 100% cotton or wool hats offer warmth, especially during cold periods. But they can get uncomfortable during hot summer periods. Poly-mesh on the other hand is quite breathable, but won’t hold up well in cold conditions. Since each fabric type has its pros and cons, you’ll have to do some thorough research at this stage of the custom hat design process.
Bill Shape and Closure
While this step does not apply to all cases, you’ll need to determine the bill shape for some hat styles. Some manufacturers only ask you to choose between a flat and a curved bill. Others allow you to specify the degree of curvature of the hat for full customization. Cap closure is another important factor to consider in hat design. It determines the fit and overall appearance of the cap. You can choose between plastic closures, buckles, and velcro, depending on your preferences.
Choose A Custom Hat Color
Colors invoke mood and emotions, which is a vital element of branding and marketing. The color of your hat is also the base canvas on which your custom design will be printed. You might also want to align the custom hat color to your brand colors for the best effects. Designers and manufacturers will often require you to choose Pantone Color codes as part of the hat design process.
Choose A Reliable Production Partner
While many of the steps of your custom hat design depend on you, the production itself depends on the production company you choose. Your production partner handles the printing, packaging and shipping of your custom hat order. Some custom hat manufacturers like THE/STUDIO will also assist you with the design phase to simplify the process. Research your options as thoroughly as possible and go for a custom hat studio that best meets your needs.
Creating Your Custom Hat Design Or Artwork
This next step is crucial. It involves customizing the hat to fit your branding and marketing purpose. To create a custom design or artwork that’ll be printed on your hat, you can either do it yourself or hire a professional graphic designer for the job.
Some custom hat manufacturers allow you to send in hand-drawn sketches. This design will subsequently get converted to digital art. Others have simple tools built into their website for creating designs from scratch or modifying existing designs to suit your needs. Regardless of the approach, it is important to focus on the essentials when creating custom hat designs. A simple, but distinguishable logo or short impactful text might be all the design you need.
Custom Hat Printing
Once you send your design to the manufacturer, the next step is to choose your desired printing method. Some of the most popular methods include screen printing, embroidery and heat transfer. Each of these has its specific benefits and downsides.
Screen printing is the traditional method used for hat customization because it is versatile and often results in durable prints. Heat transfer is the ideal option for replicating complex designs and graphics. However, it is generally not as durable as printing and may not work for certain materials.
Custom hat embroidery creates elegant textured designs and has become one of the most popular printing methods. It can be done by hand or with an embroidery machine. At the end of the day, your choice of printing method will depend on the material and design you’re working with.
Work on a Distribution Strategy
The success of your custom hat production is hinged on your distribution strategy. As a crucial part of the process, you need to work out how you’ll get the hat to the final consumers or users. You can hand out hats as gifts on every purchase, give them to loyal customers for completing specific tasks, organize a contest, distribute at an event, or collaborate with another business. Just figure out the most efficient strategy based on your target audience and the goals of your campaign.
Wrapping Up
Creating a customized hat for your brand doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By working with expert custom merch manufacturers like THE/STUDIO, you can get all the help you need to guide you through the design and printing of your custom hat. All of these steps can be completed seamlessly online by simply answering some questions or picking the most suitable option for you. Contact us to get started with your custom hat design and creation.
