Our Philosophy on Digital Mock Ups

When customers ask for a mock up of a custom design or colorway, we have to disappoint them by letting them know that we don’t do digital mock ups. We’ve found that digital tie dye mock ups are too far from the reality of a hand-made tie dyed garment to be a useful tool. 

Our process for Custom Designs is to dye a physical prototype for you to review. A high-quality photo of an actual tie-dyed shirt captures the true colors and how they interact as the liquid dye spreads through the fabric, providing a realistic expectation of the final product.

Here are some of the reasons that we avoid digital mock ups:

1. Color Accuracy: The colors in a Photoshopped mock-up don’t accurately represent the actual dye colors. Digital colors often look different from dyed fabric due to digital rendering limitations and non-organic spreading/melding of colors.  A photo of the actual product shows the color blends and color variation that occur naturally, ensuring customers see the true product.

2. Texture:  Digital mock-ups can't replicate the texture or weight of the fabric. The smoothness or roughness of the fabric affects how the dye appears, as well as whether the fabric is t-shirt material or thick fleece. A photo of a physical prototype shows how the dye sits on the fabric, spreads through the fabric, and how light interacts with the material, giving a more accurate representation.

3. Patterns: Photoshopped designs tend to have idealized, symmetrical patterns that don't reflect the natural, unique variations of hand-dyed shirts. The organic and often unpredictable nature of real tie-dye can't be easily simulated.  A photo of the actual product shows the unexpected shapes and patterning that occur naturally.

4. Scale and Detail:  Mock-ups can misrepresent the scale of the tie-dye patterns. The level of detail and intricacy in real tie-dye work might be lost or misrepresented in a digital design. We often receive digital mockups that take a few square inches of tie dye and expand that pattern over the entire garment…but that’s not the reality of how dye and fabric interact!

Using real images of physical prototype shirts or hoodies ensure that you’ll have a clear and accurate understanding of what you are purchasing. The sampling process helps us set realistic expectations and reduces the chance of disappointment.  We want nothing more than for you to be happy with your custom tie dye shirts!

 

Tie Dye Wholesaler - July 03, 2025