Custom Vs Catalog Products

Drip Merch supports two main sources of products, and knowing the difference helps you decide how to add each item to your shop. Catalog products come from a connected supplier; custom products are ones you define yourself.

Catalog products

Catalog products are synced from an integrated apparel supplier (such as S&S Activewear or SanMar):

The supplier provides the style, colors, sizes, images, wholesale cost, and part numbers.
Variants (each color-and-size combination) come with real SKUs and supplier data.
You add them to your shop by importing from the catalog, then apply your markup.
Style images and per-variant photos come from the supplier's synced media.

Catalog products are the fastest way to stock proven, in-stock apparel without photographing or pricing anything yourself.

Custom products

Custom products are ones you create from scratch in Drip Merch:

You enter the name, description, category, colors, sizes, images, cost, and price.
Variants are generated from the colors and sizes you define.
SKUs are auto-generated from the product name and variant.
Images you upload become the product photos and the Design Studio underlay.

Custom products are the way to sell items a supplier catalog doesn't carry — your own blanks, specialty goods, or anything you source and stock yourself.

Which should you use?

Reach for catalog when the item exists in a connected supplier and you want supplier data and inventory.
Reach for custom when you're sourcing the product yourself or the catalog doesn't have it.

Tips

Both types can be made customizable in the Design Studio — the source doesn't limit decoration.
Give custom products complete color, size, and image data so the storefront and designer render them fully.
Set your markup on catalog products right after importing so pricing is correct from day one.