Use Exclusive Prints to Give Your Brand an Edge

If you’re a fashion brand working with or considering working with a print designer, it’s essential to understand how exclusivity in print design works. Many brands are understandably cautious about ensuring that the prints they select for their collections remain unique and unseen by the public or other brands. This is especially true in the highly competitive world of fashion, where originality and uniqueness are key to standing out.

Here’s the truth: the prints you see on a designer’s social media or website aren’t the ones you’re buying. Let’s break it down:

Marketing Prints vs. Exclusive Prints

The designs shared by print designers on public platforms, like social media or portfolio websites, are marketing tools. These prints showcase the designer’s style, skill, and creative range—they’re a way to give potential clients an idea of the kinds of designs the designer creates. However, these prints are not for sale.

In contrast, the exclusive prints available for purchase are carefully protected. These designs:

• Have Not Been Publicly Shared: Exclusive prints are never posted on social media or included in public portfolios. They are kept private to ensure their uniqueness and exclusivity.

• Are Stored Securely: Most designers have password-protected stores or archives where their exclusive designs are kept. Access is often limited to vetted clients, ensuring that the prints remain unseen by anyone outside that circle.

• Are Watermarked for Protection: Even when you gain access to view exclusive designs, they are often watermarked to prevent unauthorized use or replication.

Why This Matters

When you purchase an exclusive print, you can rest assured that the design has not been seen by the public or by other brands. This ensures your collection remains unique, giving you a competitive edge in the market. It also helps you avoid the risk of seeing the same design used by another brand, which can dilute your brand’s distinctiveness.

What About Licensing?

It’s important to distinguish between surface pattern designers who license their work and print designers who sell exclusive designs. Surface pattern designers often share designs that are available for licensing. This means the same design could be licensed by multiple clients, leading to repetition across different products or brands.

Print designers, on the other hand, operate differently. They don’t license their designs. When you purchase an exclusive print, you own the rights to that design, and it won’t appear in another brand’s collection.

How to Assess a Print Designer

When working with a print designer, focus on the style and quality of the work they share publicly, as this gives you a sense of their creative range. However, know that the actual prints you’ll be choosing from are private, unseen, and protected until purchased.

Building Confidence in Your Print Selection

Understanding this distinction helps fashion brands confidently collaborate with print designers. You’ll know the designs you select are truly unique to your brand, unseen by the public, and exclusive to your collection.

By partnering with a designer who understands the importance of exclusivity and has systems in place to protect their designs, you can ensure that your brand stands out with prints that are as unique as your vision.