Introduction
A while back I did a review of several styles of blankets available through print-on-demand suppliers. More options have since become available, including some with attached hoods. I look at the two styles currently offered by Printify as of July 2022 and evaluate their quality and features.
These two hooded blankets are very different from each other. The print results vary a lot between the two. And I think they are most useful in different applications and settings because of their respective features.
These blanket styles are essentially meant to be worn as capes, albeit without any type of closure. The addition of the hood will help keep the blankets up around your shoulders.
For those not familiar with Printify, the company does not produce the items you order. Instead, they work with a network of suppliers who do the actual printing and production. With some product styles, you have a choice of suppliers while with others you have only one option.
In this case, each custom type is available from only one supplier:
- Hooded Blanket: ArtsAdd (ships from China)
- Hooded Sherpa Fleece Blanket: MWW On Demand (ships from the USA)
Design File Requirements
As is typical with blankets, you need to submit pretty large design files. Printify doesn’t give you the file requirements in the product description – nor do they provide design templates. But you’ll get the file information as soon as you click the Start Designing button on the product page. This is true with any of their products.
I use the information shown in the design interface to create a template for that particular product. My preferred software is Adobe Photoshop, but you’ll be able to do something similar in other design tools such as Canva or Affinity Designer. Just pay attention to your units of measurement!
The print area sizes for these two styles are
- Hooded Blanket
- 50″ x 40″ size: 7500 x 5994 pixels at 150 DPI
- 80″ x 56″ size: 12,000 x 8398 pixels at 150 DPI (the size I got)
- Hooded Sherpa Fleece Blanket (one size)
10,800 x 8025 pixel at 150 DPI
I used the same abstract repeating pattern (one of my own designs) for both blankets. The layout looks slightly different on each simply because the proportions are not the same.
I chose to save my files in JPEG format at high quality. The sizes wound up as
- Hooded Fleece Blanket: 31.9MB
- Hooded Sherpa Fleece Blanket: 27.6MB
Hooded Blanket – ArtsAdd
Style and Measurements
The hood on this blanket is part of the whole meaning there’s no seam attaching the hood to the main body. The only seam is in the center of the hood to create the curved shape.
As someone who sews, it’s clear the printing and construction steps are
- Print the design on a large piece of fabric
- Cut out the shape to create the curved front edge of the hood plus the piece cut out for the one seam along the top/center of the hood
- Stitch the center hood seam
- Attach black binding around all edges
The stated measurements of 80″ x 56″ includes the height of the hood. The finished measurements after one wash/dry are 79″ x 55.5″ including the hood and 79″ x 42″ excluding it.
The black trim around the edges is slightly drawn in but not significantly. I noticed something similar in the low-loft fleece blanket I previously reviewed.
Print Results
The print results were fantastic! The colors pop and are very true to my design with crisp details. I’ve only washed it once so far, but there wasn’t a hint of fading in that one cycle.
The supplier prints the design on only one side of the fabric.
Fabric and Care
The fabric is a dense, low-loft fleece made of
- 95% Polyester
- 3% Viscose (aka, Rayon)
- 2% Spandex
While not rough in texture, the fabric is not what I would consider snugly. I would expect it to be good protection if sitting on the grass, and it dries quickly. So more practical than cozy.
The underlying fabric is a soft white (meaning that’s the color of the “interior” when wearing the blanket cape-like).
Printify’s site has a list of options for cleaning the blanket. I went with cold water machine wash with tumble dry low. It came through with no problems despite my having an apartment-size stacked washer-dryer.
Shipping
The POD provider ships from China. Shipping rates to the U.S. are very reasonable.
I received my sample 14 calendar days after placing the order. It arrived in a standard poly mailer.
Hooded Sherpa Fleece Blanket – MWW On Demand
Style and Measurements
So this is one of the more interesting construction methods I’ve seen used in POD. I had read the product description – where it clearly states “Cream-colored sherpa fleece hood” – but hadn’t really visualized what that would mean in the finished product. I clearly didn’t look closely at the sample images on the product page LOL.
With this style, it looks like the printing and construction method is
- Print design on finished, standard rectangular blanket
- Stitch pre-made, cream-colored hood at the center along one long edge of the blanket
I can see the printed design on the blanket within the seam where the hood is attached which is the giveaway for the order of construction. The latter is the same fabric as the main body – the color matches the reverse side of the blanket – just without any printing on it.
All outer edges are finished with an attractive 1″ hem. The hood seams are neatly finished.
Printify’s site lists the main body as 70.5″ x 52″, and it turned out to be 73″ x 52″. The hood is approximately 13″ tall and 10.75″ deep.
Print Results
The colors are noticeably muted as compared to the other blanket. The details are fine, but the colors are almost into pastel shades.
It still looks nice, but I was a little disappointed once I compared it to the other sample. That being said, I didn’t see any deterioration in the design after washing and drying.
The design is on only one side of the blanket. As discussed in the prior section, the hood is not printed and so is left a soft cream.
Fabric and Care
The fabric is 100% polyester. As mentioned above, both parts are made of the same fabric.
It’s soft and fuzzy and sort of heavy – noticeably heavier in weight than the other style. The right side (exterior) has a shorter pile than the wrong side (interior).
Care is easy: machine wash cold, tumble dry low. But I had to run in through a couple of dry cycles because I have a smaller-than-average machine. It really fluffed out and took up a lot of space in there!
Shipping
This style ships from the US. The shipping rates are reasonable considering the weight of it but still quite a bit more than I paid to ship the other one from China.
My package arrived 7 calendar days after I placed the order. It arrived compressed down to an impressive degree in a standard poly mailer.
The blanket was a bit crumpled when I took it out of the packaging, but it fluffed up nicely after a wash & dry cycle.
Closing Thoughts
These are both solid quality hooded blankets, so go with what works for your designs and intended use.
As always, I strongly recommend getting a sample if precise color reproduction is important to your design aesthetic.
The low-loft fleece style would be great to keep in the car and take on picnics or a football game. It just feels like it would be somewhat water- and wind-resistant, and it folds into a more compact bundle.
The “Sherpa” style option is perfect for snuggling up at home, maybe sitting out on the deck in cooler weather. I could see these being fun for a winter wedding if the venue has an outdoor space for guests to hang out. It’s cozier feeling but is pretty bulky.
The low-loft blanket is shorter from the shoulders to the hem than the “Sherpa” style but offers more length to wrap around the body.
