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Not so long ago, I went to my first pro soccer match. I’d been a Ted Lasso fan for years, but hadn’t gone to an actual match before. I finally got the opportunity to go and encounter the fanbase, the culture, the energy, and oh yeah, the beautiful game.
After it ended, I went into one of the team shops to look around for merchandise that I didn’t have to hold onto during the game. The shirts and other apparel were a bit overpriced for my taste, so I thought about hats. They’re great for trips to the dog park, where I’m throwing a slobber-covered ball around.
Once I gave the hats a gander, I realized they were not only a bit spendy, but also there was only one or two that I truly liked. I wanted so badly to plug in a custom hat station and create my own.
The Custom-ers
Now I understand why professional sports teams usually don’t offer this option. A lot of their merchandise is highly specific or “one-of-a-kind,” which means it might only be produced once and never made again. That creates problems for inventory planning and can increase costs.
Bulk ordering makes more sense for both the business and the buyer. It gives the company more predictable demand and easier production planning, and it gives customers better value because they’re buying in larger quantities with more consistent pricing.
Many of us know the popular cap brands (New Era, Henschel, etc.), but we don’t always associate those brands with custom or promotional caps. OTTO is a leading headwear provider in the promotional industry with over 70 years in business, with multiple distribution centers across the contiguous U.S. to service their high-quality, high-demand headwear.
The question then becomes: Where do I get this problem-solving item from? There’s a multitude of companies that use OTTO products to create their custom caps. Here’s a few that have their heads in the game, quite literally.
1. BlueCotton
The fastest racer in the derby, Kentucky-based BlueCotton, offers their OTTO caps a standard 10-day turnaround with rush options of 5, 3, or even 1-day Super Rush. How do they do this? All of their production is in-house with no middlemen. This allows for speed and quality control, in addition to lower pricing.
Every order comes with a free design check from professional artists to make sure your artwork is print-ready, plus 100% in-house production and a 9-point quality inspection before anything ships. Shipping is free to all 50 US states with guaranteed delivery dates (rhyming!).
Each order is also backed by a satisfaction guarantee, with fast reprints when needed. Customer Service reps are stationed in the same building as production, making getting a fix significantly quicker.
For inventory, BlueCotton keeps it simple and clean with four of the top-selling OTTO cap varieties and an average of over 30 colors per style, and an editor that focuses on the necessities. With a wide array of fonts, clip art, and print options for uploaded images (including distressed), the consumer has significant control over the design and process- including via the notes section where the production team can make finer edits based on your feedback, or even just giving the team an idea of what you want.
One shortcoming with the editor is that it will let you add text to the front but not the back. Additionally, if you’re doing a smaller order (such as their minimum of six (6)), it can seem like the pricing shoots up dramatically, with minimal opportunity for profit if you’re planning to sell. Lastly, global shipping is limited compared to their US distribution.
2. DTLA Print
With well-known clients like Disney, FX, and Spotify, to name a few, DTLA is one of the biggest names in the game and for a reason.
DTLA’s custom OTTO caps catalogue is as expansive as OTTO’s own website, likely stemming from OTTO’s API integration. So if they’re just an extension in this instance, what’s the difference-maker?
The difference, beyond the reputation, is versatility. Consumers can get their custom OTTO caps alongside external-branded outerwear, tote bags, and then some. So if you want an OTTO cap paired with a Nike polo (a classic business combination), DTLA is a great way to go.
Plus, with their collaboration with onetreeplanted.org, a tree is planted for every order placed. Unlike some sites, their customizing tool, while certainly limited in abilities, does allow you to use it without a subscription.
DTLA also offers single-piece orders, which, on a bulk order, could be looked at as the “shiny Pokémon” of your assortment. With free USA Ground Shipping on orders over $250 and outside the rush options available, DTLA’s standard turnaround time hovers around ten (10) days.
3. OTTO
Sometimes, going straight to the source is a very reliable way to do things. Using Otto’s website, they offer a try-before-you-buy free blank sample (with an active OTTO Cap Account).
Plus, not only can you customize the caps themselves, but you can also customize their catalogues if you’re running a wider promotion or just want to show your employees more options.
For general orders, their minimums are 24 pieces per style, color, size, and design. They also mention accepting customer-provided garments for decoration.
The variety of models and colorways is vast and potentially overwhelming. With over 300 styles, including beanies, ponytail, visors, and hat bands, to name a few, it will most likely accommodate just about any headwear needs or desires. The other side of the double-edge sword, however, is that there are so many styles that without filtering, it can be challenging to pin down an option. A given client may be better served with a more limited, precise selection elsewhere.
Another drawback with the site is that if you’re not a returning customer or willing to commit to an account, you won’t be able to use their customizing tool. This alone would probably lend itself to choosing another source.
4. CustomInk
With an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, CustomInk has built and established its reputation in the custom apparel world for over two decades.
An order of OTTO caps takes about two weeks with standard shipping or just over a week with rush options. This rush is a little slower than the previous companies, but CustomInk does promote a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, where “We’ll make it right, or we’ll make it right.” How clever, eh?
The OTTO catalogue is a little bit smaller at ten styles, but that may very well reflect the most popular selections that a business purchases- truckers, baseball, and bucket hats. With a litany of color options and combinations, there’s bound to be enough for most orders. There’s also no minimum on OTTO cap purchases.
Their customizer tool is certainly one of the better ones out there, with not only color options but text editing on par with Office-style software, as well as the ability to remove backgrounds from an uploaded image, all without needing a login. The interface will also import your design to other styles, such as tees, hoodies, and then some.
To Top it All Off
There’s no wrong way to go about custom ordering your OTTO hats for what the occasion or purpose may be. It’s trusted and reliable gear from trusted and reliable sources.
Going directly to OTTO itself allows for the most variety. For example, let’s say you’re organizing a women’s getaway and you want some unique ponytail hats, not just basic ball caps or visors (though those wouldn’t hurt, of course).
Or perhaps, if you’re comfortable enough in business and promotion that you want to establish a long-term relationship with a supplier, going directly to the source may be a solid move.
If the multi-day event would benefit from a few more items than just headwear, DTLA would fit the bill even more so, with plenty of other items, such as Nike polos, specialty bags, blankets, and backpacks, to name a few, that can all be placed on the same order with the same design. Bonus points, they almost always have a promo going on themselves.
If you’re just getting your feet wet in promotional material or custom bulk ordering, BlueCotton and CustomInk both are able to proverbially hold your hand with easy editing tools, convenient turnaround times, and highly-rated customer service to boot. Their faster turnarounds can also benefit the “ASAP as possible” scenarios.
Whatever your OTTO cap needs are, there’s a place that will meet them and rise to the occasion(s) with flying colors. Though hopefully, those colorful hats don’t fly off in the wind. Always ensure proper hat security.