The second order is where quality problems show up, because it is the first time you have something to compare against.
Six months after a perfect run, the reorder arrives and the blue is a shade off, or the shirts fit differently, or the embroidery sits a half inch lower. Nothing was done wrong. Several small things drifted at once.
What actually drifts
Dye lots. Garments are dyed in batches. Two lots of the same style in the same color, months apart, can differ slightly. Usually invisible — until someone wears both in the same room.
Ink mixing. PMS matching is a formula, but mixing is done by a person. Within tolerance, not identical.
Thread. Same drift as dye lots, plus thread brands get substituted when one is out of stock.
Garment revisions. Manufacturers quietly change fits, weights and construction between seasons. Same style number, different shirt. This one surprises people most.
Digitizing. If the stitch file was not kept, someone re-digitizes and makes different decisions about density and underlay. The logo will look subtly different.
Placement. “Left chest” without measurements is interpreted fresh every time.
Quoting a reorder
Send us your previous job number, or the blank, color, PMS and placement details, and we will quote the reorder against those exact specifications. Every quote includes a free virtual proof, and nothing goes to production until you approve it in writing.
Reply within 24 business hours · no order minimum — per-item minimums typically start around 100–250 pieces · setup charge waived above $500 in product · artwork kept on file two years, so an exact reorder carries no new setup charge
Get a quote on a reorder or browse apparel · call 1.888.452.0027, Mon–Fri 9–6 ET
What to record after every order
Keep this somewhere you will find it. It takes two minutes and saves the whole problem:
- Blank brand, style number and exact color name
- PMS numbers for every ink
- Thread brand and color codes
- Imprint dimensions
- Placement measurements — inches from collar, inches from center or placket
- Decoration method and any specialty ink
- Stitch count and the digitizer’s file name
- Your PO or job number
Better still: keep one physical sample from every run, in a bag, labeled with the date and job number. It settles any future argument instantly and costs one unit.
What your supplier should be keeping
Ask directly. A supplier who keeps your art files, stitch files, screens and full job specs makes reorders fast, consistent and often cheaper — setup is frequently waived when nothing has to be recreated.
A supplier who does not is starting from scratch every time, and you will pay for it twice: once in setup and once in drift.
We keep your art files, stitch files, screens and full job specifications for two years. Inside that window a reorder is a phone call rather than a fresh job: same screens, same stitch file, same measurements. Nothing gets re-digitized and nothing gets re-measured, which is exactly why the second run matches the first.
When exact matching really matters
For uniforms, retail programs or anything where old and new stock will be worn together, say so at the first order — not the second. It changes decisions upstream.
Options that help:
Buy the full quantity at once and store it. One dye lot, one ink mix, one run. The most reliable answer by a distance.
Ask about reserving stock. Some suppliers will hold blanks from a single dye lot against future runs. Worth asking early if old and new stock will be worn side by side.
Request the same lot on reorder. Not always possible, but worth asking.
Ask for a comparison sample before the reorder runs — new against old, side by side.
So which is it
The call we make on this one is simple. If old and new stock will be seen together, buy once and store it. If they will not, reorder freely and accept that small variation is normal in a physical product.
Variation isn’t the problem. Finding out about variation nobody warned you about is the problem.
Derek Capo, owner, CustomMark
Ready to price it? Send us the original job number or the blank brand, style number and color, plus the quantity, your in-hands date and your artwork file, and we’ll come back with real pricing on the repeat. Start a quote or call 1.888.452.0027.