Howard Custom Transfers — Summer 2026
The Summer
Merch
Playbook
15 complete looks across five merchandising categories. Every blank, every transfer, every selling angle — built for decorators who want to do summer right.
Summer is the season that
sells itself — if you're ready.
The summer selling season is wide open — and the decorators who win it aren't the ones taking the most orders. They're the ones showing clients what great merch actually looks like.
Inside you'll find 15 complete looks across five merchandising categories — everyday tees, statement pieces, headwear, carry goods, and coordinated sets. Every look includes the blank, the transfer, the design logic, and the business case for why it works.
Transfer education is woven throughout: when to reach for Howard Multi-Purpose vs. colorVIBE DTF vs. Vintage Wash vs. Puff — and how to explain those decisions to clients in a way that builds trust and closes orders.
Better merch. Bigger orders. Clients who reorder. Let's build it.
15Complete looks — each with blank, transfer, design notes, and selling angle
4Transfer types covered — so you always recommend the right finish
5Core merch categories that cover the full summer selling season
1Goal: help you sell better merch and build client relationships that last
How to Use This PlaybookA guide, a sales tool,
A guide, a sales tool,
and a closer.
Read it cover to cover for inspiration. Use individual looks as conversation starters with clients. Refer to the Transfer Quick-Reference Guide at the back when choosing a finish.
And share it freely — this playbook works as a sales tool just as well as a resource. Show a client the Paradise Beach Surf Shop look and watch the conversation about garment-dyed blanks open up naturally. Point to the Cockatoo Café hat and explain why DTF handles curved seams and specialty substrates better than anything else. Let the work do the talking.
01
Core Revenue Driver
The Everyday Tee
Volume, relationships, repeat business — the everyday tee is where it all starts. But the decorators who build the best client rosters aren't just running tees. They're running the right tees. Blanks that feel good, prints that hold up, and color choices that earn a second glance. Every look in this section is built to move product and keep clients coming back.
Hover for detail
Look 01 / 01
Reflections Arbor Works
Service IndustryService brands are on the move all day — lawn crews, arborists, cleaners, contractors — and every crew member is a walking billboard driving through neighborhoods. When the apparel is sharp, the brand looks sharp. This look turns a workday tee into a marketing asset that earns its keep on every job site and every street it travels.
TransferHoward Multi-Purpose
Design NotesStrong full-chest front print with a detailed informational back print. Graphite and Sage Green inks — professional and cohesive.
Transfer Insight
Howard Multi-Purpose holds up through physical work, washing, and real-world wear. Soft hand keeps it comfortable through a long shift — no cracking, no peeling, no fading.
Decorator Tip
Price out a fleet package — same artwork, multiple sizes — and position it as a rebrandable annual order. Once you land the first run, reorders are nearly automatic.
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Look 01 / 02
Paradise Beach Surf Shop
Coastal RetailVacation retail lives and dies on the souvenir tee. Customers aren't just buying a shirt — they want something that still feels good two summers from now, still carries the memory of the trip. Soft garment-dyed color and sun-washed ink give this piece that worn-in, kept-forever quality that turns a one-time purchase into a years-long advertisement.
TransferHoward Multi-Purpose
Design NotesOversized full-front graphic. Bright Navy, Bright Blue, and Coral inks play off the pink base — vivid but never too loud.
Transfer Insight
Howard Multi-Purpose applies with a soft hand that doesn't fight the BC4810GD's garment-dyed texture. The result reads as intentional, not applied.
Decorator Tip
Offer a 'seasonal colorway' package — same artwork, new blank color each season — so clients can reorder with minimal design cost and keep the rack feeling fresh.
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Look 01 / 03
Bean and Board Coffee Shop
Café & RestaurantThe best café merch doesn't feel like merch — it feels like an extension of the shop itself. Something that regulars reach for because it actually fits their life, not because the barista talked them into it. A butter-yellow tank with warm, earthy ink hits that sweet spot between casual and considered.
TransferHoward Multi-Purpose
Design NotesOversized full-chest print. Light Brown ink against the warm Butter base — earthy, warm, perfectly on-brand for coffee culture.
Transfer Insight
Howard Multi-Purpose bonds well with Comfort Colors' ring-spun texture, giving a print that feels embedded in the garment rather than applied to it — important for café merch where authenticity is part of the sell.
Decorator Tip
Position tanks as staff uniforms that double as retail product — the shop buys them for the team, customers ask where to get one. One order, two revenue streams. Bring a sample to any client reordering a standard tee and let the print quality open the conversation.
"The tee that sells itself — because it looks like it cost three times what it did."
Everyday tees powered by the right transfer aren't a commodity. They're your highest-volume, most reorderable product. A great print on a clean blank equals a customer who comes back every season.
02
Margin Builder
The Statement Piece
Every great merch program has a piece that stops people cold. Not because it's loud — because it's different. Statement pieces drive conversation, command higher price points, and show clients what's possible when specialty finishes are in the mix. Show these, and watch the whole conversation shift.
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Look 02 / 01
Vintage Surf Shop
Surf & Coastal LifestyleHeritage graphics and lived-in color are the backbone of surf and coastal retail. The whole aesthetic is built on things that look like they've been around a while. Vintage Wash transfer gives any modern blank an instant sense of history — like it spent a summer fading in a driftwood shop window rather than coming off a press yesterday.
TransferVintage Wash
Design NotesLeft chest and full-back print. Midnight Blue Vintage Wash ink dialed in close to the garment color — naturally faded, almost sun-bleached. History built right in.
Transfer Insight
Vintage Wash replicates the look of an old screen print washed dozens of times — broken edges, subtle ink variation, naturally faded texture. The super soft hand feel sets it apart the moment a customer picks it up. Pair it with a stonewash or garment-dyed blank and the transfer becomes nearly indistinguishable from a tee that's actually been around for years.
Decorator Tip
Position Vintage Wash as a 'signature finish' option alongside a standard print quote. The difference in quality — and the justification for the price — is immediately visible.
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Look 02 / 02
Goat Yoga
Boutique FitnessBoutique fitness studios sell community as much as the workout itself. The merchandise has to reflect that — tactile, premium-feeling, something worth gifting or posting. Puff print elevates a simple crop into a piece people genuinely want, and the tone-on-tone execution keeps it sophisticated rather than showy.
TransferPuff
Design NotesFull-chest print with bold lettering built to show off height and texture. Tone-on-tone — Lilac Puff ink on Orchid base — subtle and elevated rather than loud.
Transfer Insight
Puff is the single fastest way to add perceived value to an order. The dimensional texture reads as premium at a glance — and photographs beautifully for Instagram, giving your client free marketing every time a customer posts.
Decorator Tip
Present Puff as a premium option alongside standard print pricing and let the sample do the talking. Most clients choose it once they feel the difference — genuine margin builder, no added process complexity.
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Look 02 / 03
Tennis Club Tee
Country Club & SportsPreppy, minimal, and quietly elevated — that's the sweet spot for tennis and country club merch. The customer buying this isn't looking for a bold statement. They're looking for something that fits seamlessly into an already curated wardrobe. Halftone printing is what separates this from anything else on the rack — that fine dot gradient signals craft before the customer can articulate why.
TransferHoward Multi-Purpose
Design NotesFull-chest print with a classic tennis-inspired layout. Lilac ink with halftone detailing — soft, refined, and unexpected against the Nordic Green base.
Transfer Insight
Halftone printing through Howard Multi-Purpose produces fine dot gradients that hold their detail cleanly on the PC099's soft, washed cotton surface — the result reads as sophisticated and editorial.
Decorator Tip
Country clubs and private sports clubs rarely shop on price — they shop on quality and presentation. A sample paired with a clean mockup is all you need to close this kind of order.
Specialty finishes don't just look better — they sell better.
Puff and Vintage Wash give your customers something they can feel and see from across the room. One tactile detail changes how a customer perceives the whole garment — and what they're willing to pay for it.
03
High ROI Add-On
Headwear That Hits
Hat orders are one of the fastest ways to grow average order value — and most decorators leave them on the table. High perceived value, natural pairing with any tee program, and a customer base that wears them everywhere. Treat headwear as part of the collection, not an afterthought, and watch what happens to your ticket size.
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Look 03 / 01
Fish Around and Find Trout
Outdoor & FishingOutdoor clubs, fishing guides, and hobby brands have audiences that are deeply merch-loyal. These are customers who buy the hat, the tee, the sticker, and the cooler — and wear it all unapologetically. A clean hat with the right sun-faded palette becomes the piece every member of the group ends up owning.
TransferHoward Multi-Purpose
Design NotesCentered front print. Pastel Blue, Peach Colada, and Graphite inks against warm Sahara — perfect worn-outdoors palette.
Transfer Insight
Howard Multi-Purpose is built for the structured curve of a hat front panel. Color accuracy on warm neutrals like Sahara lets soft tones like Pastel Blue read true without muddying.
Decorator Tip
Pitch hats as a natural bundle add-on to every tee order. A tee + hat package increases average order value immediately — and gives clients a more cohesive merch program.
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Look 03 / 02
Cockatoo Café and Bar
Hospitality & TourismGreat hospitality merch has souvenir energy — guests pick it up because they genuinely want it, not because it's sitting on a counter. Art on a rich maroon base elevates this from a branded giveaway to something that feels collected, like a bar you'd actually seek out.
TransfercolorVIBE DTF
Design NotesCentered front placement with a single-color lavender cockatoo graphic. The contrast against the deep maroon base stops people mid-step — simple, bold, and immediately recognizable.
Transfer Insight
This cap has a center seam running straight through the print area. colorVIBE DTF is the right call here because it applies cleanly over seams without lifting, cracking, or color distortion — a result that's difficult or impossible to achieve with other decoration methods. Any shade of purple is achievable with DTF, from the softest lavender to a deep violet.
Decorator Tip
Help clients set up a simple merch display near the point of sale and position the hat at $30–$35. At those margins, a slow Tuesday can still move product.
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Look 03 / 03
Maya Excursions
Tour & TravelTour operators need branded gear that does double duty — promotes the brand during the experience and keeps advertising long after checkout. A well-decorated hat travels with guests to every adventure that follows: trail runs, camping trips, travel days, grocery runs. It's a walking impression count with a single print.
TransfercolorVIBE DTF
Design NotesFront placement with golden earth-toned artwork — warm, grounded, and built for the outdoors. Sterling Grey base keeps the palette neutral and universally wearable.
Transfer Insight
The C920's technical ripstop fabric and wide-brim construction are built for outdoor use — which means guests are more likely to actually wear it during the tour and long afterward. colorVIBE DTF adheres cleanly to the poly/nylon substrate, and the sterling grey base keeps the palette versatile enough to pair with anything in a traveler's wardrobe.
Decorator Tip
Help tour clients think about hats as pre-season inventory they can include with booking confirmations as a branded 'welcome kit.' Retention and revenue tool in one.
"A $6 blank. A great transfer. A hat that sells for $28. Do the math."
Headwear is the easiest add-on upsell in summer merch. When it coordinates with the tee, you're not just selling a hat — you're selling the look. That's when customers buy both.
04
Underrated Revenue
Carry Goods
Large print area. Low blank cost. Used in public for years. Carry goods are the highest-ROI category most decorators never pitch — and that's an opportunity. Tote bags, cinch packs, backpacks, bottle bags: every one of these is an add-on that makes the order bigger and the client stickier. Start presenting them and you'll wonder why you waited.
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Look 04 / 01
Golden Sun Farmers Market
Community & MarketFarmers markets are built on repeat visits — the same customers showing up every Saturday, week after week. A well-designed tote becomes part of that ritual. It goes to the market, comes home full, gets washed, and goes back. Every trip is another impression in the community where the market lives.
TransferHoward Multi-Purpose
Design NotesLarge centered print with illustrated lemon botanicals. Warm yellow and sky blue inks on the Peacock base create a market-fresh palette that looks right at home next to heirloom produce.
Transfer Insight
Tote bags reward bold, graphic artwork — Howard Multi-Purpose delivers clean edge definition and vibrant color on the BG421's canvas construction. The rich Peacock colorway rewards intentional ink choices, and the result holds up through weekly wash-and-carry use.
Decorator Tip
Present totes as a low-cost, high-visibility add-on to any existing apparel order. At low blank cost and fast decoration, the margin on totes is excellent — and they reorder easily when inventory runs low.
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Look 04 / 02
Lake Life
Lake & Resort RetailLake towns and waterfront shops thrive on nostalgia and the promise of a slower pace. The merch has to feel like it belongs there — not like it was ordered off a website. A faded cinch bag with a washed graphic fits that world perfectly, and Vintage Wash delivers the dockside authenticity without any of the effort.
TransferVintage Wash
Design NotesCentered faded graphic with a stacked type treatment. Pastel Blue Vintage Wash ink gives the print a well-worn, sun-faded look that blends naturally into the Blue Moon base.
Transfer Insight
Vintage Wash on a bag is an underused combination that creates an immediately distinctive product — and the super soft hand feel makes the print feel like it was always part of the fabric. Tonal or light ink choices on deep bases make the graphic feel embedded in the bag rather than sitting on top of it.
Decorator Tip
Pair with a matching tee or hat in a coordinated colorway and present the set as a gift-ready package — great for resort shops and lake town boutiques heading into summer.
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Look 04 / 03
Pine Haven Camp
Camp & Youth ProgramsCamps that invest in gear beyond the tee give their campers something to carry home and keep using. A branded backpack doesn't stay at camp — it goes to school in September, on field trips in October, and on every adventure until it falls apart. That's years of brand exposure from a single decoration.
TransfercolorVIBE DTF
Design NotesCentered main panel print with an off-center secondary hit lower down. Deep blue DTF print grounds the design with an outdoorsy, woodsy tone against the warm Sahara base.
Transfer Insight
Backpacks flex and take abuse in ways flat goods don't. colorVIBE DTF holds up through the kind of wear a camp backpack sees — no peeling at the edges, no cracking through the design. Flexible, durable, made for it.
Decorator Tip
Camps are one of the best recurring clients in the decorator market — every summer, new gear, often for dozens or hundreds of kids. Lead with the backpack as a premium upgrade to the standard camp tee package.
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Look 04 / 04
Sun Souvenir Shop
Tourist & Gift RetailThe best tourist shop items are the ones nobody came in looking for. A crossbody bag in Bright Lavender is exactly that — functional, wearable, easy to throw in the cart on the way to the register. It earns its spot on the shelf by being useful, genuinely stylish, and completely unexpected.
TransfercolorVIBE DTF
Design NotesCentered front placement with a bold, graphic artwork block. Deep plum on lavender — strong contrast that reads clearly and gives the bag an editorial, design-forward feel.
Transfer Insight
The BG941's matte oxford polyester surface takes colorVIBE DTF cleanly, with sharp edge definition and rich ink saturation. The lavender base and plum artwork create the kind of color pairing that photographs well and reads as intentional — exactly what impulse-buy retail needs.
Decorator Tip
Low blank cost, quick decoration, high margin. Price them at $28–$38, treat them as impulse-buy inventory, and they become some of the fastest-turning items on the shelf.
The bag that goes everywhere becomes the brand that goes everywhere.
Carry goods are the organic marketing play inside every summer merch order. A bold tote at a farmers market, a branded cinch pack at a lake resort — these are impressions you didn't pay for. Help your customers think bigger.
05
Brand-Level Merch Thinking
The Set
Anyone can sell a tee. The decorators building real client relationships sell systems. A coordinated set tells a story, fills a rack with intention, and gives customers something to collect rather than just buy. It also naturally grows your order size, introduces clients to new blank categories, and plants the seed for the next seasonal refresh.
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Set 05 / 01
Saguaro and Soil
Plant Shop & BoutiquePlant shop merch works best when it tells a unified visual story. A matching tee and apron system does two things at once: it creates a branded staff presence that customers notice and trust, and it gives the retail rack something cohesive to sell. When staff looks like the brand, the brand feels more real — and customers buy into that.
BlanksPort Authority A900 Signature Heavy Twill Bib Apron in Sahara
Next Level NL1580 Women's Ideal Crop Top in Desert Pink
Next Level NL1580 Women's Ideal Crop Top in Desert Pink
Design NotesMatching botanical cactus artwork scaled for each piece — bib placement on the apron, full-back print on the crop top. Texas Orange, Angel Pink, and Sage Green create a warm, earthy palette across both colorways.
Transfer Insight
Scaling the same artwork across a structured twill apron and a soft fitted crop top requires consistent color accuracy regardless of substrate. Howard Multi-Purpose holds the same tones across both so the set reads as intentionally matched — the mark of a real collection.
Decorator Tip
Apron + tee sets work for any client with customer-facing staff: coffee shops, plant stores, boutiques, markets, salons. The shop buys for the team, customers ask where to get one. Two revenue streams from one pitch.
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Set 05 / 02
Palm Beach Badminton Club
Club & Studio MerchBadminton and country club merch has genuinely evolved — the best programs now feel more like lifestyle brands than logo apparel. A coordinated crewneck and sweatshort set in matching Hydrangea does that naturally: it's athletic, it's elevated, and it looks like something a boutique would actually carry rather than something from a team store.
BlanksComfort Colors 1466 Lightweight Crewneck Sweatshirt in Hydrangea
Comfort Colors 1468 Lightweight Sweatshort in Hydrangea
Comfort Colors 1468 Lightweight Sweatshort in Hydrangea
Design NotesFull-front print on the crewneck, thigh hit on the shorts. Graphite ink across both pieces — tonal enough to feel refined, graphic enough to carry the brand.
Transfer Insight
Garment-dyed Comfort Colors pieces have a subtly irregular surface that's part of their character. Howard Multi-Purpose adheres consistently across that variation, keeping the print clean on both the heavier crewneck fleece and the lighter sweatshort. Matching Graphite ink ties the set together with a single visual anchor.
Decorator Tip
Crewneck and short sets retail well above the sum of their individual parts. Present as a premium bundle at $75–$95. Sets also make the merch rack look fuller and more intentional with fewer individual SKUs.
Sell the set. Reap the rewards.
A coordinated set doesn't just grow the average order value — it changes how your clients think about merch. Once they've seen what a cohesive collection looks like, they can't unsee it. That's when the relationship gets really valuable.
Transfer Quick-Reference Guide
Use this as a reference when advising clients on the right finish for their project.
Best ForEveryday tees, tanks, bags, hats, aprons, and most standard apparel decoration.
Why It WorksSoft hand feel, excellent color accuracy, durable wash performance, and consistent adhesion across a wide range of blank types. The workhorse of the HCT lineup — reliable, versatile, and professional on any substrate.
Service Industry · Retail Merch · Café & Restaurant · Carry Goods · Headwear
Best ForFull-color artwork, heat-sensitive fabrics, placement over seams, and any design with gradients, fine detail, or complex illustration.
Why It WorksNo color limitations, no color count charges, and no minimum runs. colorVIBE DTF applies cleanly over center seams and structural stitching — a result that's difficult or impossible to achieve with other decoration methods. It also handles heat-sensitive substrates where high-temp presses aren't an option.
Hospitality & Tourism · Souvenir Shops · Headwear · Heat-Sensitive Fabrics · Full-Color Art
Best ForHeritage brands, outdoor lifestyle, surf and lake culture, any client chasing an aged or retro aesthetic.
Why It WorksEngineered to replicate the look of a screen print that's been washed for years — broken edges, subtle ink variation, and a naturally faded texture. The super soft hand feel sets Vintage Wash apart the moment a customer picks it up. Pair it with a garment-dyed or stonewash blank and the result is a piece that feels genuinely lived-in. A specialty finish that commands a premium price point.
Surf Shops · Fishing & Outdoor Brands · Lake & Resort Retail · Vintage Lifestyle
Best ForPremium merch, boutique fitness studios, gift-ready pieces, anything where tactile experience is part of the value.
Why It WorksRises dimensionally during application, creating a raised, three-dimensional texture that reads as premium before the customer even reads the design. Photographs exceptionally well and is one of the fastest ways to meaningfully increase the perceived — and actual — value of an order.
Boutique Fitness · Yoga Studios · Women's Lifestyle Brands · Gift Shops
Howard Custom Transfers — Summer 2026
Your best summer
season starts with
better merch.
You've seen what's possible. Now it's time to build it. Whether you're stocking for a single event or planning a full summer line, Howard Custom Transfers has the products, finishes, and expertise to help you create merch your customers love — and reorder.
