At Fleeke we do both, because we make the garments ourselves in our own unit in India. This guide explains the difference, what each choice costs, and when each is the right answer. If you are choosing the cloth itself, start with choosing t-shirt fabric.
What is a logo on a blank?
A blank is a finished garment in a stock colour. The decoration is the only custom part: a print on the chest, an embroidered logo, a name on the back. Everything else (the fabric, the cut, the collar, the colour of every panel) is whatever the blank came with.
That is not a criticism. A good blank with a well-placed logo is the right answer for most event tees and a lot of team kit. It is quick, it is the cheapest per piece, and it works for one person as well as for five hundred. A Classic Crewneck with an A6 print is from ₹465 + GST for a single piece.
What does building the garment mean?
In the Lab, the garment is the design. These are the choices our builder offers today:
| Choice | T-shirt | Polo | Hoodie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabric | Classic or Signature Crewneck, three oversized grades | Classic Polo (230 GSM cotton), Heavy Polo (270 GSM), Active Polo (200 GSM polyester) | Classic Hoodie (300 GSM cotton fleece), Zipper Hoodie, Oversized Hoodie (350 GSM poly-cotton fleece) |
| Parts in a contrast colour | Neck rib, sleeves, sleeve cuffs | Collar, sleeve cuffs, placket, inner placket | Hood, hood lining, cuffs and waistband, pocket |
| Collar style | Not applicable | Flat knit, single tipped, double tipped, jacquard, self-fabric | Not applicable |
| Body colour | Core, extended or your Pantone | Core, extended or your Pantone | Core, extended or your Pantone |
Then the decoration goes on top: print or embroidery, on the front, back or sleeves, priced by size.
The difference shows. A navy polo with a white tipped collar, a contrast inner placket and a small embroidered mark reads as your company's polo. The same logo on a plain navy blank reads as a polo with your logo on it.
Which colours can the body be?
- Core colours are kept in cloth and work from one piece: White, Off White, Light Beige, Grey Melange, Charcoal Melange, Black, Navy, Blue, Royal Blue, Lavender, Lilac, Red, Maroon, Bottle Green and Pista Green.
- Extended colours are dyed to order from 75 pieces: Aluminium, Beige, Charcoal, Steel Blue, Sky Blue, Ice Green, Pine Green, Yellow, Woody Orange, Arrow Red, Wine and Heather Rose.
- Your Pantone is matched and dyed for you from 300 pieces.
The dyed minimums are set per garment by how much cloth it uses, so the quote states the exact number for yours. Our guide to why colour minimums differ explains the dyeing behind them.
What does each choice cost in time?
Every option that is made to order adds time, and the builder tells you why as you choose:
| Your order | Dispatch from mockup approval |
|---|---|
| Core colour, matching parts, DTF or embroidery, up to 50 pieces | From 4 days |
| Contrast parts, a tipped, jacquard or self-fabric collar, an extended colour, screen printing, or more than 50 pieces | 12 days |
| A Pantone colour dyed for you | 30 days |
The date is confirmed in writing on the mockup, so you know before you commit. We do not offer same-day.
What does it cost in quantity?
The decoration and most builder options start from one piece. Three choices have a minimum, because they are made in batches:
- A jacquard collar, which is knitted with a pattern: from 50 pieces.
- An extended body colour: from 75 pieces.
- A Pantone body colour: from 300 pieces.
That leaves a lot of room for a small team. Twelve people can have a polo in a core colour with a contrast collar, contrast cuffs and a tipped edge, without a dye minimum anywhere.
When is a blank the better choice?
- The date is close. A core colour blank with DTF or embroidery is the fastest thing we make.
- The shirt is for one day. A fest, a run or a launch does not need a built collar.
- The order is small and mixed. A handful of pieces across several garments is simplest on blanks.
- The logo is the point. Some designs are meant to be the whole shirt.
When is building it worth it?
- People will wear it for years. Staff uniforms and client-facing polos are worn several days a week; the details are what make them look looked-after.
- Your brand colour matters more than your logo. A body in your shade, or your colour in the collar and cuffs, lets the logo stay small.
- You are dressing a team that meets customers. A front desk in matching built polos looks like a decision, not a purchase.
- You will reorder. A built specification is saved, so the next person who joins gets the same garment.
What does it look like in practice?
Three builds we would recommend to a company starting out:
1. The quiet one. Classic Polo in Navy, flat knit collar in the body colour, left chest embroidery in white. From one piece, from 4 days. 2. The brand one. Classic Polo in White, double tipped collar in your two brand colours, inner placket in the darker one, logo embroidered to match. From one piece, 12 days. 3. The signature one. Heavy Polo dyed to your Pantone, jacquard collar with your name knitted in. From 300 pieces, 30 days.
Our guide to choosing a company polo covers the fabric and fit side of the same decision.
How do I start?
Open the builder, choose the garment and work through it part by part: build your garment in the Lab. It shows the minimum and the dispatch time for every option as you pick it. Every build comes back to you as a mockup and a quote before anything is made, and our guide to checking a mockup tells you what to look for.
Quick answers
What is a blank in custom apparel?
A finished stock garment in a stock colour, such as a plain t-shirt or polo, onto which a logo is printed or embroidered. The decoration is the only custom part; the fabric, cut, collar and panel colours are whatever the blank came with.
Can I choose the colour of each part of a polo?
Yes. In the Lab builder the collar, sleeve cuffs, placket and inner placket can each take a contrast colour, and the collar can be flat knit, single tipped, double tipped, jacquard or self-fabric.
What is the minimum order for a garment in my brand colour?
A core colour body works from one piece. An extended colour is dyed to order from 75 pieces, and your own Pantone from 300. The exact number is set per garment by how much cloth it uses.
How long does a brand-built garment take?
From 4 days for a core colour with matching parts, up to 50 pieces. Contrast parts, a tipped, jacquard or self-fabric collar or an extended colour make it 12 days. A Pantone colour takes 30 days. The date is on the mockup.
Is a built garment worth it for a small team?
Often, yes. Most builder options start from one piece, so a small team can have contrast collars, cuffs and tipping in a core colour body without any dye minimum. Only jacquard, extended and Pantone colours need larger runs.
