Preparing launch merchandise

Decide what it is for

Merchandise works best with a clear job: helping a team look like one company at an event, starting conversations at a conference, thanking early customers, or welcoming new hires. Write down who will receive or wear it and what should happen when someone notices it.

QR codes that keep working

A QR code on a shirt or card is printed once and seen for years. Point it to a permanent address you control, such as a page on your own domain, rather than directly to a video file or a third-party link that might change. Then you can update the video or call to action without reprinting anything.

• Use dark modules on a light background; many scanners struggle with inverted codes.
• Keep a clear margin (quiet zone) around the code.
• Avoid seams, folds, and curved areas where the code will distort.
• Test the code on a printed proof at its real size, from a realistic distance, with several phones.
• Make sure the page it opens loads quickly on mobile and has one clear next step.

If you want to count scans, use a tracked link on your own page and say so in your privacy notice. Don’t report scan numbers unless a real tracking mechanism is in place.

Prepare the artwork

• Logos in vector format (SVG, EPS, or PDF).
• Exact brand colours, with print references if you have them.
• Any lines of text, checked for spelling and approved before proofs.
• A note of which pieces need the QR code and where it should sit.

Collect sizes and quantities early

For apparel, gather sizes from the people who will wear it before ordering, and decide how to handle extras. For kits and event giveaways, estimate quantities from the guest list or expected attendance, and decide what happens to leftovers.

Work back from the date you need it

1. BriefPurpose, audience, pieces, rough quantities, and the in-hand date.
2. DesignArtwork, QR placement, and the landing page plan.
3. Proof approvalFinal artwork, colours, and sizes approved before production.
4. Production and deliveryTiming confirmed in the quote, with a buffer before the event.

Include time to test the landing page and the QR code before anything is produced.

Plan for what comes next

If merchandise will continue after launch, such as new-hire kits or conference runs, agree how each new run is requested and approved, and keep the artwork files and size records in one place.