This article explains how to create apparel customer products in GelatoConnect. The apparel product model has been streamlined to make it quick and easy to set up products for your customers using pre-configured substrates from major suppliers like S&S Activewear, SanMar, and RALAWISE.
Overview
Creating apparel customer products involves two main components:
Substrate: The blank apparel item (e.g., Gildan 64000 T-shirt, Bella Canvas 3001)
Print Area: Where the design will be printed (e.g., Front DTG, Back DTF, Inner Neck Label)
GelatoConnect has integrated with major blank apparel suppliers and imported their complete catalogs. This means you get pre-configured product dimensions, sizes, and colors automatically—significantly reducing the setup time compared to creating custom product models from scratch.
Steps to Create Apparel Customer Products
Step 1: Navigate to the Product Models page
Go to Product Models in GelatoConnect Workflow.
Locate the apparel product model (e.g., de_demo_apparel or “tenant_name_apparel”)
Click on Customer Products to begin creating a new customer product.
Step 2: Import Products from Procurement
Click on Import from Procurement.
You will see two options:
GCP Inventory: Shows SKUs already added to your inventory.
Show Entire Catalog: Displays the complete catalog from all integrated suppliers.
Note: If you want to offer a product that is not currently in your inventory, click Show Entire Catalog to access all available blank apparel catalogs in GCP.
Step 3: Select the Blank Apparel
Use the search bar to find specific products (e.g., type "18000" for Gildan 18000 or "3001" for Bella Canvas 3001).
Select the desired product from the search results.
Click Continue to proceed.
Example: To add Gildan 18000 sweatshirts, type "18000" in the search field and select "Gildan 18000" from the results.
Step 4: Choose Colors and Sizes
The system displays all available color variants for the selected product.
Select or deselect colors based on what you want to offer:
Click Unselect All to start fresh.
Check the boxes for specific colors (e.g., Black, White, Navy).
Select the sizes you want to offer:
Uncheck sizes you don't want to include (e.g., 4XL, 5XL).
Keep sizes like S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL as needed.
Tip: Only select the colors and sizes you plan to offer to keep your catalog manageable.
Step 5: Assign to Customers
In the Select Customers section, choose which customers can access this product:
Select All Customers to make it available to everyone.
Or select specific customers from the dropdown list.
Enter a unique Product Name for the customer product.
Important: The customer product name must be unique. If you use a name that already exists, it will override the existing customer product and will not create a new Customer product.
Example: "Gildan 18000 Black White - Sandbox Customer"
Step 6: Select Print Methods and Areas
Choose the print technologies you want to offer (e.g., DTG, DTF, Embroidery).
Select the print areas available for this product:
Front DTG / Front DTF - Large front print area
Back DTG / Back DTF - Large back print area
Inner Neck Label - For branded labels
Outer Neck Label - External neck printing
Front Embroidery / Back Embroidery - For embroidered designs
Click Continue after making your selections.
Note: Print areas include pre-configured height and width dimensions. If you need different print area sizes for specific customers, you can create custom values in the product model's attribute Print area.
Step 7: Review and Save
Review the summary showing:
Selected blank apparel
Chosen colors and sizes
Selected print locations
Click Save to create the customer product.
The system will generate Product UIDs for all variants. This process may take a moment, depending on the number of variants created.
After Creating the Customer Product
Dimensions
Navigate to the Dimensions tab to view product dimensions.
Dimensions are automatically imported from supplier data.
These dimensions flow directly to GelatoConnect Logistics (GCL) for accurate shipping calculations.
Tip: You do not need to manually enter dimensions—they are pre-configured from supplier catalogs.
Previews
Go to the Previews section.
For products already available in Gelato Create, previews are automatically generated.
For new products not in Gelato Create:
Click Generate Preview.
Upload an image of the blank apparel (a simple product photo works).
The system uses AI to create previews and identify print areas.
Adjust preview markers by clicking on them and selecting the appropriate print area (e.g., Back DTG, Front DTF).
Click Save Configuration to apply changes.
Catalog Management
To make the customer product visible in your store link:
Go to Catalog Management.
Navigate to the appropriate category (e.g., Men's Clothing > Sweatshirts).
Click Add Product.
Select your newly created customer product from the list.
Click Add Selected Products.
Click Publish to make it live.
Your storefront customers will now see the product with only the colors, sizes, and print areas you configured.
Inventory Integration
When you create a customer product from the entire catalog (not from your existing inventory):
The blank SKUs are automatically added to your GCP Inventory.
New items are set as Just-in-Time by default.
You can change items from Just-in-Time to On-Site if you want to stock them.
To change stock type:
Go to GCP Inventory.
Find the SKU and click Edit SKU.
Change from Just-in-Time to On-Site.
Set Min Stock and Max Stock levels as needed.
Click Update SKU.
Workflow Setup
After creating your customer product, set up a production workflow:
Navigate to the product model.
Click Add Workflow.
Select Start from Template and choose Apparel.
The template includes pre-configured steps for:
Stock reservation
Stock consumption
Batching
Job ticket generation
Customize batching rules and job ticket settings as needed.
Save and publish the workflow.
Benefits of the Streamlined Apparel Flow
Pre-configured substrates: No need to manually define blank apparel attributes.
Automatic dimensions: Supplier data flows directly to logistics.
Single attribute: Only need to configure print areas instead of 9+ attributes.
Quick setup: Create customer products in 1-2 minutes.
Inventory integration: Products automatically added to GCP inventory.
Flexible pricing: Offer different print areas at different price points to customers.
FAQs
Q: Can I offer different print area sizes to different customers?
A: Yes, you can create custom print area values in the product model's attribute settings and assign them to specific customer products.
Q: What if the blank apparel I need is not in the catalog?
A: Contact your GelatoConnect support team to request additions to the catalog, or create a custom product model if needed.
Q: Do I need to enter dimensions manually?
A: No, dimensions are automatically imported from supplier catalogs. You can view and verify them in the Dimensions tab.
Q: Can I change a product from Just-in-Time to On-Site later?
A: Yes, you can change the stock type in GCP Inventory at any time by editing the SKU.