Merchandise Printing Information
Many people who run their own shops get custom merchandise done by Alibaba vendors. They tend to be very tight-lipped about their supplier. I have not done Alibaba purchasing before, but have heard that while initial printing can be quite cheap, shipping costs are often around the $60-75 rate for bulk orders. This page will not get into Alibaba bulk ordering.
An additional thing to note is that almost all metal pin manufacturing will be done in China. There are also factories in South Asia and South America. But if you're looking for Western-made products only, you're going to be out of luck in that regard. Metal pin manufacturing is similar enough to metal coin manufacturing that it's generally banned to prevent counterfeiting.
Keep in mind most sites require either .psd, .ai. or .tiff files, in 300dpi CMYK. Though check each site's requirements.
Terminology: MOQ = Minimum Order Quantity
"How-to" merchandise articles and videos:General Merchandise Services
Print Shops
These are shops that focus on contents such as:
- Business Cards
- Postcards
- Brochures
- Notepads
- Flyers
- Door-hangers
- Letterheads
- Folders
- Envelopes
- & lots more!
Beware print services, particularly budget ones. While they may do great with calligraphy or basic graphic design printing, they are not designed for art printing unless specifically noted to do it. While you can technically print, they often are not set up for it, and it won't turn out as high a quality as expected. So pay close attention before ordering art prints!