Decoration Methods Overview

A decoration method is the technique used to apply artwork to a garment — how the design actually gets onto the shirt, hat, or bag. Drip Merch uses decoration methods to drive pricing, the Design Studio's behavior, quote and invoice details, and your production workflow. Setting them up correctly is the foundation of accurate quotes and clean production.

Built-in methods

Drip Merch ships with the well-known industry techniques:

Screen Printing — priced by number of colors.
Embroidery — priced by stitch count.
DTF (direct-to-film) — priced by print area.
DTG (direct-to-garment) — priced by print area.
HTV (heat-transfer vinyl).
Sublimation.
Vinyl.

Each method has different constraints — color counts, maximum print area, accepted file types — and its own pricing structure.

What a method controls

The decoration method a product or design uses affects several parts of the platform:

Pricing — the tier structure a design is priced against (per color, per stitch, per square inch, or a flat fee).

Design Studio behavior — such as the print-area size indicator and color-reduction prompts.

Quotes and invoices — the decoration specs shown on line items.

Production workflow — the stages an order moves through for that method.

Custom methods

Beyond the built-ins, you can create your own custom methods for techniques your shop offers that aren't on the standard list (for example, laser engraving or rhinestone). Custom methods are configured the same way — you choose how they price and what constraints they carry.

Where to manage methods

Decoration methods live under Settings → Decoration Methods. From there you can see your active methods, open one to configure its pricing and constraints, and add new methods.

Tips

Match each method's constraints (max colors, print size) to what your equipment can actually produce.
Choose the right pricing dimension per method so quotes come out right.
Keep only the methods you truly offer active, to keep the picker clean for staff and customers.