Merch hoodies are not a new phenomenon. Just like t-shirts, hoodies have become classic merch.
We see a lot of cool and affordable hoodies wherever we look.
And if you’re a musician or artist of any kind, this leaves your merch with a smaller chance of standing out.
If you want to release hoodies like no other, you gotta think outside the box.
For this article, I will be talking about the four main ways you can customize your hoodie merch. And under these would be additional ways on how you can make your custom hoodie merch stand out.
Table of Contents
A) CHOOSE A COOL DESGIN
Design is everything if you want your hoodie to stand out.
Additionally, if you want it to be a good promotional item for anything you have put out or are planning to do, you better have it included in your design.
Here are the usual designs most musicians have, not just for their hoodies, but for most of their wearable merchandise.
#1. PRINT YOUR ALBUM COVER
Most musicians go this route because it’s easier as well as great for promoting a newly released album.
However, with things like this, you have to make sure that your album cover is worth printing on a hoodie. Just like Taylor’s Fearless Taylor’s Version album cover, it is something fans would want to have on their hoodie, especially since it features the artist.
It would have been better if the album title was not on top of the image but maybe below it, so think about it.
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#2. PRINT CATCHY/ FAMOUS/ MEMORABLE LYRICS
This really is not a usual design for merch from musicians, but there are a lot of hoodies with lyrics printed on them.
That’s because fans love having those printed on their hoodies.
Why not be one of those musicians that have their lyrics on their hoodie merch, I’m pretty sure fans would love to see it.
Check out custom cropped hoodie printing service
#3. ARTWORK
This is not musician’s merch nevertheless, artworks are another design that fans love to have on their hoodies.
It doesn’t have to be drawn with a pen or pencil per se, it can be another photograph of you or the band while performing and such.
You can also have those cartoony designs though, that is if you have or can have one.
#4. MUSICIAN’S NAME & LOGO
We also have the musicians’ names and/or logos.
It’s another one of those easiest designs to have. Just make sure your logo is aesthetic enough to catch the eyes.
You will also have to decide on how you place the elements of the design together to make it look cohesive and cool even if it’s simple, just like the design here.
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#5. TOUR NAME
Last is the tour name.
When you’re planning to go on a tour, you might have the urge to release merchandise. So if hoodies are part of it, you can have your tour name printed on them.
For Harry Styles’ Love on Tour, he added artwork of two bunnies against a checkered background and that makes it look stylish rather than just having the tour name on it.
B) DETERMINE THE DESIGN PLACEMENT
The placement of your design is another way to customize your hoodie.
And when you decide on a part of the hoodie to print on, bear in mind that there will be certain types of designs that would go well with the part and those that won’t
#6. CENTER
It’s the usual center so it’s kinda boring, but you can make it better with the printing technique you choose.
Or maybe you can add another design and place it at the back or on the sleeves, just to make it not so common.
#7. UPPER LEFT CORNER
Another common design placement, and just like the first one above, I recommend doing those too to avoid boring your fans with just this.
#8. OVER ZIPPER
This is a cool way to customize but it is riskier than the others.
It depends on the printing technique you choose, and if you’re going for this you better choose a great printing company.
Check out our custom full-zip hoodie printing service
#9. BACK
This is not new on hoodie merch, but it is something that’s not usually used.
If you want an elaborate design on the back, I suggest you tone it down at the front, this way your hoodie won’t look too much when worn.
#10. SLEEVES
The sleeves are another good location for your design, just make sure your design is fit for the sleeves part.
Look at the pretty pink flowers, they look like they were born to be there.
#11. HOOD
Another design location that looks cool but would look awkward if not well thought of, would be the hood.
You have to make sure that when the design is printed on the hood, it would not look weird when the hood is on the head, or else, your customers won’t like it.
C) DECIDE ON A PRINTING TECHNIQUE
Printing technique helps you decide on what type of garment you need to have to come up with the best print results as well as help you decide on the design you want to be printed on them.
When you choose a printing technique, you have to keep in mind the design you want, the money you can spend, and the time you have.
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#12. SCREEN PRINTING
For screen printing, they are best used for bulk orders since they use both time and money to set up everything needed for the print.
If you have a design with colors not more than 3, then you can choose this printing technique.
This is very cost-effective, so long as you order in bulk. The print is very durable too.
#13. DIRECT TO GARMENT PRINTING
This is more cost-effective for small orders and is great for photorealistic designs.
So if you have a photograph as your hoodies’ design, then DTG printing would be the best option.
#14. EMBOSSED PRINTING
Embossed printing is another cool way to have your design printed, though this would be ideal for words or simple logos than any other design.
If you want to have intricate designs on the same hoodie, you can have it printed just like the sample here.
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#15. EMBROIDERED
To have more popping and vibrant colors for your designs, you can have embroidery.
This can be a bit uncomfortable if the design is big and is full-on center because it will be stiff on that part.
This is good for a minimal design that would not take up a lot of space, causing the hoodie to be more structured than flowy.
D) PICK A HOODIE STYLE
The last way to customize your hoodie merch is to choose a not-so-common hoodie style.
There are a lot of the usual hoodies with those half and full-on zippers, pullovers, and more. Why not try another one that’s not usually in the merch market?
Related Article:
Merch Tip: Print Over Zippers To Achieve Kick-Ass Hoodie Designs
Check out our custom full-zip hoodies printing service
#16. 2-IN-1 HOODIE
The first style is the 2-in-1 hoodie, I’m sure many fans would love to have this, it’s a convenient one.
Also, fans get to spend less for it and already have two items, a hoodie, and a drawstring bag.
#17. CROPPED HOODIE
Cropped tops are all over the fashion industry and they aren’t going anywhere.
They’re awesome pieces of clothing that are not just stylish but also cozy, especially in the fall and winter seasons.
Just print a simple but unique design on it and you’re good to go.
Check out our custom cropped hoodie printing service
#18. OMBRE HOODIE
Ombre colored hoodie is an interesting hoodie to have on your merch table.
It is not a very common type of hoodie to have, and it will surely catch people’s attention. That dramatic change from one tone to the other will really help.
#19. TIE-DYE HOODIE
Tie-dye is a common design but on hoodies, it’s unheard of.
With tie-dye you, don’t have to have a very elaborate design prepared. You can just have your name embroidered and they’ll sell.
What you gotta think about is the color of the design, they have to go well with the color dyes.
#20. HOODIE DRESS
A hoodie dress is something many ladies would love to have on their wardrobe and so long as the design is cute, beautiful, or elegant, fans would love it.
#21. SLEEVELESS HOODIE
These sleeveless hoodies are great to wear when doing sports or working out so if you haven’t tried adding them to your merch table, how about now?
I’m pretty sure your fans would gladly wear them to the gym.
#22. PONCHO-STYLE HOODIE
This poncho-style hoodie is another one of those very rare hoodie styles that would surely make heads turn.
If you want to have this style on your custom merch, then I suggest you offer it as a limited item, this way the value is raised, and fans would treasure it.
#23. CUT-OUT ELBOW HOODIE
Last on our list is the cut-out hoodie where there is a cut-out elbow detail on the sleeves.
This style may not have been used for any merch line before so if you have it on yours, fans would be ready to get their hands on them.
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There are a lot more ways to customize your hoodie merch, but we gotta end it here.
I hope that you got some ideas on how to make your very own head-turning hoodie.
And if you need custom merch printing, click here to see your options.
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James Hill is a veteran of the music industry. He first worked at Warner Reprise Records then later joined Interscope/ Geffen Records where he managed producers and songwriters and got his first platinum record for Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is. He is now helping indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD, custom vinyl records and merch company in LA.
