AI design tools are making it easier for customers to create their own apparel concepts. A sports team, for example, can generate an image of a custom uniform with its preferred colors, graphics, and styles, then bring that idea to a manufacturer.
For apparel manufacturers, turning customer ideas into finished products is nothing new. What’s changing is how easily customers can create unique designs that go beyond the options available in a standard product catalog. This is something we’ve heard more about in conversations with apparel businesses at recent industry trade shows.
The challenge: Preparing customer designs for production
AI-generated apparel concepts typically arrive as front and back images rather than editable artwork. For manufacturers producing sublimated teamwear, turning those images into production files can involve considerable manual work.
Designers may need to recreate or separate graphics, position artwork on flat garment pattern pieces, check alignment across seams, and prepare the necessary print files. While these are familiar production tasks, moving between design applications, product mockups, and manufacturing files adds time to the process.
How Embodee simplifies the workflow
Embodee Enterprise’s “Create Your Own” workflow allows designers to adapt customer-provided artwork directly on an existing 3D garment.
Because the manufacturer is working with an established product, its garment patterns and production setup can already be configured in Embodee. Rather than manually positioning every new design on flat pattern pieces, designers can upload prepared artwork, adjust its placement on the 3D product, and see how it looks on the garment.
Customers can then review the design in an interactive 360-degree environment, leave comments, and collaborate with the designer on adjustments.
Once approved, Embodee can generate print-ready files using the garment’s configured production layouts, reducing the need to recreate the customized design in separate applications.
Learn more about how 3D design customization connects to apparel production.
See the “Create Your Own” workflow in action
In the video below, Ben Sosinski, Embodee’s VP of Product & Technology, demonstrates how a customer-generated teamwear concept can be adapted to an existing 3D garment and prepared for production using Embodee Enterprise.
For another example, see how a global sportswear brand reduced manual production preparation using Embodee Enterprise.
For manufacturers, this means they can accommodate more unique customer requests while continuing to use their existing garment styles, patterns, and production processes, with less manual work between design and manufacturing.
Learn more about Embodee Enterprise and how it connects 3D product customization with production.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can AI-generated apparel designs be used for manufacturing?
AI-generated images can serve as a reference for custom apparel designs, but they typically require additional artwork preparation before manufacturing. For sublimated garments, graphics need to be adapted to the garment’s actual pattern pieces and prepared as print-ready files.
2. How does Embodee help designers work with customer-provided artwork?
Embodee Enterprise allows designers to upload prepared artwork onto an existing 3D garment and adjust its placement directly on the product. This helps reduce the manual work involved in translating designs between flat garment patterns, product mockups, and production files.
3. Can customers review and approve custom apparel designs in Embodee?
Yes. Customers can view their designs in an interactive 360-degree environment, leave comments, and collaborate with designers on changes. Once approved, Embodee can generate print-ready files using the garment’s configured production setup.
Ben Sosinski | VP of Product & Technology
Ben has more than 20 years of experience developing software and digital products. Before joining Embodee, he spent a decade leading global technology teams and contributing to digital product experiences for brands including Nike.