# How do you package your tees to online customers?



## Bee (Jan 7, 2007)

Any suggestions please for vendors for packaging Tees, costing etc  

Thanks,
Irene


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## Mymil (Nov 23, 2006)

I put each t-shirt in a 1-mil poly bag from Chiswick. They were $34/1000 I think, but they also offer printing on the bags if you want that. Then I ship them in TyVek bags.


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## van ink (Dec 30, 2006)

I'm not sure what you are looking for (bags, sacs, boxes?) but I was looking into the same thing and found a couple good websites.

1. papermart.com
-check out the white alligator embossed white boxes, or the Two Piece High Gloss boxes. These are the type of boxes are similar to the boxes you get from a clothing shop.

2. packagingsupplies.com
- check out the oatmeal pinstripe apparel box or the clear lid boxes.

Again, not sure what you're exactly looking for but these two sites might help you out. They have a wide variety of items to choose from. 

Hope this helps, 

dulreich


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## Bee (Jan 7, 2007)

Joe / Dulreich, thank you so much! I'm gonna check them both out now.
This helps me out heaps! 

Irene


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## van ink (Dec 30, 2006)

you're welcome Irene. Hope everything works out.

-dulreich


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

I have my shirts folded and bagged in a clear plastic bag. Then I use either a USPS Priority Tyvek envelope or a polybag from uline.


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## seibei (Mar 17, 2006)

hmmm..I've been thinking of switching to kraft paper envelopes that I could screen print on; do you think the shirts would still be good and protected if I did a kraft paper envelope (I use tyvek normally) and then put the gear inside poly plastic bags?


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

seibei said:


> hmmm..I've been thinking of switching to kraft paper envelopes that I could screen print on; do you think the shirts would still be good and protected if I did a kraft paper envelope (I use tyvek normally) and then put the gear inside poly plastic bags?


Just curious, why not screenprint the Tyvek?


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## alex63 (Mar 29, 2006)

The Tyvek holds up better. Tearproof and water resistant.

The Kraft may not hold up in shipping as well.


Alex


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

Jasonda said:


> Just curious, why not screenprint the Tyvek?


I've by no means tested extensively (I haven't yet tried screenprinting it for example), but I once did a school project that was initially meant to involve Tyvek (I did mine in brown paper instead )... it's a ***** to decorate, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's not easily done (I've seen it painted with acrylic, spraypainted, drawn on with texta, drawn on with fineliner, etc. all with hilariously bad results).

At a total guess it has a protective coating, and should ideally be printed before that is applied.


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## Jasonda (Aug 16, 2006)

Hmm, yeah I thought it might be difficult, but it does seem to be at least possible:

DuPont Tyvek® for Graphics...ideal for endless graphic challenges -- industrial to household, for indoors or out


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

I still have a sample sheet lying around here somewhere, I'll have to try it some time.


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## seibei (Mar 17, 2006)

I used to draw on them with sharpies, which worked well, but is too time consuming for the volume we do now (which isn't huge, but still too much to draw on every one). I asked my boss at the print shop about the possibility of printing onto Tyvek and he said the only thing that might work would be enamel, and that printing with that is awful and a pain. Obviously it can be printed on SOMEHOW, but it's beyond me I think.


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## BeyondHelp (Dec 10, 2006)

What size Tyvek does t shirts fit well in? Also, what if there is more than one shirt sold, do you use a larger Tyvek or a box?

Thanks,

Aaron


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## Mymil (Nov 23, 2006)

BeyondHelp said:


> What size Tyvek does t shirts fit well in? Also, what if there is more than one shirt sold, do you use a larger Tyvek or a box?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Aaron


The free ones from USPS are 11.625" X 15.125", and they work really well. I just put more t-shirts into the TyVek envelope; they're pretty flexible. Each bag will easily fit at least three t-shirts, but I've never tried more than that.


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## seibei (Mar 17, 2006)

I have stuffed at least seven t-shirts into one Tyvek envelope. It looks like a pillow.


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## Mymil (Nov 23, 2006)

I was doing some unrelated research on Tyvek when I stumbled on DuPont's own tips on printing on it: Tyvek® Envelopes: Recyclability

They also have Tyvek envelopes in different colors! Tyvek® Envelopes: Products & Services


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## zagadka (Jul 6, 2006)

we use t shirt (poly) bags from uline- so far so good.

we wrap them in tissue paper first, cram a few fun vinyl decals in, then ship it off!


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## guest5779 (Aug 8, 2006)

seibei said:


> I have stuffed at least seven t-shirts into one Tyvek envelope. It looks like a pillow.


Why not just use a flat rate box at that point? Not only is it costing you more, they fit fine into a domestic flat rate box (FRB1 I believe).

If Tyveks were flat rate, I could see it.


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## guest5779 (Aug 8, 2006)

OP,

Domestic: 
1-2 shirts: Flat Rate Envelope EP 14-F
3-maybe 7 or so: Flat Rate Box O-FRB2 

International:
1-2 shirts: Global Flat Rate Envelope EP 15-A
3-maybe 5 or so: Global Priority Box 1099

I place (or will place) each shirt into its own individual 10x15 2-mil poly bag, then box / envelope them. With a sticker and invoice.


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## dbcom (Jan 17, 2007)

When I ordered shirts from CafePress, I was fairly disappointed in the Tyvex bag that arrived on my door step, all bunched up. It made me feel like CP could care less about my order and that they were just trying to save $, or I suppose try to save the environment.

As a result, I'm considering putting more into my packaging: oatmeal striped box with tissue paper covering the shirt, closed with a logo/sticker, all placed into a USPS Priority box. While it does add an extra dollar or two to the price, I think it sends a strong message about quality and attention to detail. Has anyone else done this?


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## BeyondHelp (Dec 10, 2006)

dbcom said:


> When I ordered shirts from CafePress, I was fairly disappointed in the Tyvex bag that arrived on my door step, all bunched up. It made me feel like CP could care less about my order and that they were just trying to save $, or I suppose try to save the environment.
> 
> As a result, I'm considering putting more into my packaging: oatmeal striped box with tissue paper covering the shirt, closed with a logo/sticker, all placed into a USPS Priority box. While it does add an extra dollar or two to the price, I think it sends a strong message about quality and attention to detail. Has anyone else done this?


Have you had positive feedback by using that method?


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## dbcom (Jan 17, 2007)

I haven't yet done it, just that I can see it two ways: either the customer will appreciate the bit of pampering or they'll wonder how much extra they paid for the packaging. But I was just curious as to what % of responses people may have gotten.


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## BeyondHelp (Dec 10, 2006)

I am not sure yet which means of shipping that I am going to be using. I am currently researching it. I will try to start a poll on another thread? Because I am also curious as to what everyone thinks about the shipping when they receive a package.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

dbcom said:


> I think it sends a strong message about quality and attention to detail.


As a customer it sends me a strong message of "I don't care about the environment, and I don't care about your wallet". Obviously not everyone will feel the same way (some people feel loved and nurtured if there's extra packaging on their product), but speaking for myself it's seriously off-putting.


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## dbcom (Jan 17, 2007)

Solmu said:


> As a customer it sends me a strong message of "I don't care about the environment, and I don't care about your wallet". Obviously not everyone will feel the same way (some people feel loved and nurtured if there's extra packaging on their product), but speaking for myself it's seriously off-putting.


So if we combine both of our thoughts, it would be:

"I don't care about the environment, and I don't care about your wallet"

vs.

"I don't care about you."

Perhaps the option for gift wrapping would be the best option then, although I'd love to come up with a packaging solution that is both environmentally friendly and yet thoughtful for the customer. I'll keep thinking about this...


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

dbcom said:


> So if we combine both of our thoughts, it would be:
> 
> "I don't care about the environment, and I don't care about your wallet"
> 
> ...


Heh, yep - I think that's fair. The worst part is some people will have both points of view - you can't please them either way. Obviously not everyone will feel either way, but I think both would be common reactions/risks.



dbcom said:


> Perhaps the option for gift wrapping would be the best option then


It might help, but it would still leave the people who like nice wrapping for their own sake without it (I assume no-one (barring a few eccentrics) buys gift wrapping for their own purchases, but maybe I'm wrong).

I tend to view more or less any packaging as extraneous. It's a t-shirt... it doesn't need protection. Presentation isn't that important because I already bought the product, I bought it for the product itself and not the tissue paper it came in. It's not a luxury purchase, so it doesn't need to look like one.



dbcom said:


> although I'd love to come up with a packaging solution that is both environmentally friendly and yet thoughtful for the customer. I'll keep thinking about this...


On eBay this is easy: you wrap the fragile thing in old newspapers, recycled packaging, etc. You re-used materials, and you got the item safely to its destination. All good. With new cosumer goods, if you re-used junk mail catalogues no-one would be pleased.

Personally I think the best middle ground is to present the t-shirt fairly naked (no tissue paper or anything of that nature, maybe a poly bag if you're worried about weather, dust from storage, etc.), but include other things that are 1) Branded (for presentation), 2) Useful (so they don't feel like a waste of resources). Stickers, etc. in other words - things that people won't stop and think "Hey! I paid an extra $2 shipping for this!" or "Great, that's going to become landfill", and likewise no-one will think "A t-shirt? That's *it*?! They could have done _something_ with this surely?"


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