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Inventory - Average colors

1997 Views 12 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  Solmu
Hi All,
There have been threads on here about the average t-shirt sizes to stock for initial inventory but what about colors? For those who are printing, do you stock certain colors or do you wait until you get an order before you order the specific type of color?

Thanks!
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Are you talking about selling your original designs (like via a website)?

If so, then you could just narrow down which colors you have available via your website and then keep just those colors in stock.

Depending on your market, it may not be necessary to have lots of different colors available. From the research that I've done, the top 3 most popular t-shirt colors are:

Black
White
Ash Gray
Rodney said:
Depending on your market, it may not be necessary to have lots of different colors available. From the research that I've done, the top 3 most popular t-shirt colors are:

Black
White
Ash Gray
I'd say if you market is more the Threadless-style demographic, the white may be out, and pastel blues, olive greens, maroons, and chocolates are in.
I'd say if you market is more the Threadless-style demographic, the white may be out, and pastel blues, olive greens, maroons, and chocolates are in.
Yep, my "research" was aimed more at the overall "general" t-shirt market (which does include some threadless type buyers as well).

You definitely should know your market though. It will help narrow down the color issue so you don't have to stock as much inventory.
Or just go avant gaude, and print everything on luminous Safety Yellow.
Oops, yea I should have clarified.
My question was aimed more toward the screen printers I guess. What are the average colors your customers are requesting?

Thanks guys!
Screenprinters print on everything, depending what the order/own design run is! :)

Are you printing for customers? Or your own designs? If you're printing requests, I'd have though you'd buy as needed (with more to Rodney's colours if you're printing for schools, events, etc).
kelly green and chocolate are hot fire right now, at least with my designs. but then again, you have to see if particular colors go good with your designs, so to say what is popular would be difficult. i also agree w/ monkey lantern about the non-white t shirt colors, try something not white/black/grey and see if it works well with your designs.
For a screen printer, I wouldn't carry too much stock. You can just buy wholesale at the time your customer orders from you. That way you only have what you need (although you could order a little extra for misprints or to have a little stock on hand for testing, etc)
yeah it's always nice to have extra on hand for the inevitable screw ups.
Thanks all.

I will be printing my own designs, but also printing for customers as well. So it sounds like it's best to get the correct color / style at the time of the order instead of trying to stock.
I'll probably just keep white / black and Ash gray on hand as suggested.
I wouldnt discount brown as well. Apparently 'brown is the new black.'
hongkongdmz said:
Apparently 'brown is the new black.'

Things that are the new black.
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