How we analyse products

1. What we do, and what we don't

We analyse products and say which uses they work for and which they don't. We don't sell them and we don't print them: anyone who reads a product sheet orders wherever they prefer.

Our judgement is not for sale. No manufacturer can pay for a higher rating or to have a limitation removed: every product sheet states at least one use the product is not suited to.

2. Where the data comes from

Technical data comes from the manufacturers: their feeds and catalogues, technical sheets and product pages. From these we take composition, fabric weight, colours, sizes, measurements and the customisation techniques they allow.

When two sources disagree, the most recent one wins, usually the manufacturer's current page. We do not infer data the sources don't give: we state it as missing, or we leave it out.

3. How the ratings are made

Every product sheet rates eight customisation techniques and twenty use cases, from 0 to 100. The rating starts from the fibre, then is adjusted for fabric weight and for what the manufacturer states. When the manufacturer does not list a technique, the note says so and the judgement is ours.

The rating sets the label, always on the same scale:

• 85 to 100: Excellent for techniques, Ideal for use cases
• 65 to 84: Very good
• 45 to 64: Sufficient
• 20 to 44: Not optimal
• 1 to 19: Not suitable
• 0: Not compatible, when the technique cannot work on that fibre

4. Our thresholds

Some judgements rest on thresholds of our own, which we show next to what the manufacturer states. The most important concerns fabric weight, which decides whether embroidery or a patch will hold without distorting the garment:

• T-shirts: below 170 g/m² we advise against embroidery and recommend printing; patches from 180 g/m²
• polo shirts: flat embroidery from 170–180 g/m², raised embroidery from 220–240 g/m² and only for small logos, patches from 200–220 g/m²
• sweatshirts: flat embroidery from 260–280 g/m², raised embroidery and patches from 280–320 g/m²

5. How we check certifications

A certification appears on a product sheet only if we have read it in the manufacturer's document for that model. We state what it covers, with the certifying body and number when the manufacturer gives them.

We don't use words like “sustainable” or “eco-friendly”: they say little and cannot be checked. Performance claims, such as “breathable”, are always attributed to the manufacturer.

6. What an analysis is not

Our analyses are based on the data manufacturers declare and on Custoomy's criteria. They are not laboratory tests, nor wear or wash tests: we do not measure or wash the garments.

The configurator previews show how a customisation will look, but they remain simulations: the final result depends on the printer.

7. When we update product sheets

Every product sheet shows the date of the latest update to its analysis. It changes only when the judgement changes: the text, a rating, a note. It does not change when we update a photo or a colour.

When a manufacturer changes its data, such as available colours or sizes, we bring the product sheet in line with the most recent source.

8. Who writes the product sheets

Product sheets are written and reviewed by the Custoomy editorial team, following written editorial rules: language anyone can understand, a clear line between what the manufacturer states and what we recommend, at least one use advised against for every product, and no data the sources do not give.

Every product sheet goes through a quality check before publication: length, consistency between ratings and text, and no sentences repeated across similar products.