Mockup · Art · Palette · Position · Approval
Visual mockup template for corporate merch
The structure we use to present a visual merch mockup before production. The template includes the art specification, colour palette with CMYK and RGB values, mark position and dimensions, fabric type, decoration technique, approval criteria and review flow.
How a professional mockup is built
A professional mockup is built in three layers. The first layer is the product photograph under normalised conditions — D65 light, white background, calibrated camera. The second layer is the mark rendering faithful to the process — screen printing, DTF, embroidery, sublimation, laser engraving. The third layer is the colour reference with measured values from the customer's palette.
When the customer submits vector art in AI, PDF, EPS or SVG format, we open it in Illustrator or Affinity Designer and overlay it on the product photograph. When the customer submits bitmap art — JPG, PNG, TIFF — we verify the minimum resolution of three hundred DPI at print size. When the customer has no art yet, we design it based on their brand manual and deliver options to choose from.
Art specifications
The mockup carries the art specifications. Art file name and version — for example logo_corp_2026_v3.ai. Art type — vector, bitmap, mixed. Art dimensions in millimetres before applying to the product. Colour palette with CMYK and RGB values — for each declared colour — and where applicable the equivalent Pantone number. Typography with font name and weight.
For art with repeated elements — a background pattern, a mosaic, a texture — repeat and direction are specified. For art with three-dimensional elements — volumetric embroidery, sewn label — thickness, height and material are specified. For art with metallic elements — foil, hot-stamping — foil colour is specified — gold, silver, copper, holographic.
Mark position and dimensions
Mark position is specified on the product with reference to seams, openings and accessories. For t-shirts, left chest eight centimetres from the neck and five centimetres from the side seam is the standard position. For jackets, position changes by model — left chest with brand logo, back with large logo, sleeve with second logo. For tote bags, front centre ten centimetres from the top edge.
Mark dimensions are specified in centimetres or inches per the customer. For embroidery, the maximum hoop area is specified — for example eight by five centimetres for chest — and the number of thread colours. For screen printing, the print area and number of colours are specified. For DTF, area and resolution are specified.
Fabric type and decoration technique
Fabric type is specified with composition — 100% cotton, 50/50 cotton-polyester, 100% polyester, denim — and gram weight in GSM. For textured fabrics — piqué, french terry, polar — the texture is specified because it affects the mark's appearance. For dark fabrics, it is specified whether they require a white base layer before colour.
The decoration technique is specified with the technical name and the commercial reference. Screen printing with plastisol or water-based. DTF with hot-melt adhesive. Computerised embroidery with 40 wt polyester thread. Sublimation with sublimation ink. Laser engraving with 60W CO₂. Hot-stamping with metallic foil. Each technique has different colour, detail and area tolerances.
Application examples and variants
The professional mockup includes application examples on the actual product. For t-shirts, the mockup shows the front with the logo and the back with the full composition. For jackets, the mockup shows the chest, the back and the sleeve. For tote bags, the mockup shows the front, the back and the inside when the mark is on the inside.
For runs with variants — garment colour, mark colour, size — the mockup includes the combination mosaic. For runs with multiple product lines, the mockup shows each line separately and, where applicable, the composition of several lines in a single presentation. The presentation is delivered as PDF for approval and, when the customer requires it, as JPG for preview.
Approval criteria and signature
Mockup approval is signed in writing — email, PDF signature or approval platform — and becomes the basis for production. When the customer requires adjustments, we request them in writing and we issue a new mockup version. Versioning is kept in the project repository with the date and the person responsible for the change.
Once the mockup is signed, any subsequent change is quoted as adjustment — position change, colour change, technique change. Major changes — product change, art change at the last minute — are quoted as a new order. The traceability of the signed mockup is kept for the project's lifetime plus three years.
Editable template and delivery
The editable template is delivered as PDF with editable layers in Illustrator or Affinity Designer. The customer can update art, palette and position based on the template. The edited version is returned to the workshop so we validate technical feasibility — resolution, reproducible palette, viable position.
For customers with in-house design teams, we deliver the template with a usage manual — layers, typography, palette, naming conventions. For customers who prefer to delegate design to the workshop, we deliver a turnkey mockup from the customer's brief. Delivery is by email with a copy to the customer portal when the customer has SSO configured.
Request the editable mockup template
If your marketing or design team needs an editable template to build professional merch mockups, let's talk. We deliver the template in your format with a usage manual.
The mockup template is referential. Print tolerances, maximum areas and actual colours are confirmed against the fabric supplier and the specific decoration technique of each programme. Corp-Merch.MX is a Mexican workshop for corporate merch; we operate independently.