How-To Print on Hoodie Hoods and Pockets

April 20, 2020

Printing On Hoodies

Hoodies with prints and designs on their hoods and pockets are extremely popular, spurred by brands like Bape. You may have customers who want to emulate these designs--but how do you print and fulfill these unique orders quickly and cost effectively? Brands like Bape typically produce larger quantities than up-and-coming clothing lines, like that of many of your customers. Bape's production methods often also include elements of cut-and-sew that you might not be able to provide to print the areas your customer wants.

Read on to see how you can offer printing for these trendy placements without ripping your hair out.

Skip the Stress

The right sized platen makes ALL the difference when it comes to fast and painless production. The best way to DTG print on the hood of a hoodie is with a 7in. x 8in. platen. This will allow you to skip the tape, over spray (from dropping the platen lower), and alignment nightmares.

Printing On The Hood

With a 7in. x 8in. platen, printing on the hood of a hoodie is a breeze. Simply place the hoodie on the printing tray, open the hood and slide the print surface area from one side of the platen to the other. Once the print surface area is lined up with the platen and where the artwork is suppose to print, just smooth out the print surface area and you are good to go.

Printing The Pocket

A 7in. x 8in. platen also makes printing on the front pocket of a hoodie easy, while allowing you to avoid nasty head strikes. Start by threading the hoodie on the platen and then position the pocket so that the print surface area is on top of the platen and the seams fall down to the side of the print area. Smooth out the print area and make sure everything else is below the print area. Then you are ready to print.

Hoodie Profits

There are 2 main ways that you can increase your profits with hoodies:

1. By up-selling additional hood or pocket prints on your next hoodie order you can make more money per job by printing more on the same apparel. 🤯

2. By offering hood and pocket printing placements at a premium, you can make a little more by offering more challenging placements that most printers normally refuse.

The Right Equipment Makes All the Difference

Just so you know! The 7in. x 8in. DTG Platen is included in The Ultimate Print Shop Package. So if you're looking to add this platen to your printing arsenal and would like the get the perfect sized platen to print on ladies and kids tees, save yourself some money and invest in The Ultimate Print Shop Package so you can get the most out of your DTG machine.