How AI is Changing the Custom Apparel Industry
Published by: Siobhan Ingram
Date: 06-03-2025
Not long ago, if you wanted custom merch, you needed a graphic designer, a production manager, and a lot of time.
Today?
AI is rewriting the rules.
From design generation to print production, artificial intelligence is speeding up processes, sparking creativity, and reshaping what’s possible for businesses of every size.
At FCE, we’ve seen AI tools that can suggest layout ideas, auto-generate font pairings, and even create color palettes based on a brand’s mood or audience.
It’s not about replacing creativity—it’s about amplifying it.
Giving non-designers a starting point. Helping busy teams bring ideas to life faster.
On the production side, AI is making supply chains smarter. Predicting inventory needs, automating online store management, reducing waste.
It’s turning the complex back-end of merch into something scalable, even for small businesses.
Of course, AI isn’t magic.
A robot can suggest a trendy design, but it can’t feel what your audience loves. It can’t understand the pride in a school hoodie, the nostalgia of a festival tee, the loyalty in a volunteer jacket.
That’s where human touch still matters most.
One tech startup we worked with recently used AI to sketch their first hoodie designs—but trusted our team to refine, adjust, and print them into wearable art.
The result? Fast concepting, real craftsmanship, and a merch launch that felt alive, not automated.
AI is here to stay.
And at its best, it doesn’t replace the creative process—it makes it bigger, faster, and even more fun.