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Your Guide To Find The Perfect Custom Reflective Tape Manufacturer
Table of Contents
Reflective tape is a tape that’s made for keeping workers safe under bad light, and weather. Whether you run a company that sells safety workwear or that comprises workers, finding a reliable reflective tape supplier is vital to save your money and resources in the long run.
While there are many types of reflective fabric available today, the best reflective tape for clothing is different from elastic reflective fabric or reflective thread. It’s quite unusual from ordering a custom safety vest too. When you order from a local retailer, you pay about 300% more than what you’d pay with a reflective tape manufacturer.
On top of it, wholesalers can even create custom products exactly based on your requirements even with the logo of your brand. But working with a reflective tape manufacturer from China or around the world isn’t a cakewalk.
That’s why you need several professional pointers when hunting for the top reflective tape factory. Otherwise, you might end up with hundreds or thousands of defective or poor quality products that fail to match your needs.
Don’t waste money; instead read onto find out how to find a manufacturer for reflective tape used for clothing, specifications you should add to your order, the list of essential questions to clarify with your supplier, how to finalize the right manufacturer, and ways to check the samples thoroughly.
Where To Find A Reflective Tape Manufacturer
Buying self-adhesive reflective tape for clothing in wholesale is quite different from buying it in retail. For starters, when you buy from the manufacturer or their representatives, it’s called wholesale purchases.
In this manner, you’re buying products at wholesale prices that are lesser than the retail quotes. This is because the wholesale rate is for a bulk buy of the item, unlike retailers who add a markup on the wholesale rates to derive their own profit margins for individual items.
Go On Local Directories
An online portal like Foursquare, Yelp, Craigslist, and Yellow Book are some of the online directories where you can find local manufacturers who produce reflective tape for clothing in bulk. Manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers often create business listings on these directories with their contact details such as name, address, phone, and website details.
Visit Popular Trade Shows
Any convention or exhibition at which safety industry brands showcase their products such as reflective tape or other materials is called a trade show.
You need to look out, register, and attend these exhibitions to find reliable suppliers whether you’re looking for an oxford or retro-reflective tape manufacturer. This is where suppliers officially launch their bestsellers and new products.
Here are the nine most common trade shows for finding reflective tape wholesale manufacturers:re are the nine most common trade shows for finding reflective tape wholesale manufacturers:
● Canton Fair: Known as the China Import and Export Fair, this is the biggest trade show in China. The dates for 129th Canton Fair in 2021 are 15 to 19 April, 23 to 27 April, and 1 to 5 May and it will be held in Guangzhou.
● Première Vision Paris Fabrics Show: Expected to feature the best of the textile industry, this fair will occur digitally from 15 to 19 February in 2021. It will feature 35,000 products that can be ordered online.
● A+A Exhibition Germany: Held in Düsseldorf, A+A is an international trade fair for products related to Safety, Security, and Health at Work. It will feature a total of over 290 types of products in 2021 during the fair held from 26 to 29 October.
● Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics: This fair will be held from August 25 to 27 2021 in Shanghai and Spring Edition from March 10 to 21. This is where high-grade textile fabrics from over 20 countries will be featured by over 3,000 exhibitors. It’s typically attended by over 75,000 people.
● Fire Safety & Rescue (Vietnam): Set to happen in Ho Chi Minh city, this trade show will occur at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center in August 2021. It typically features professional products related to security and fire safety.
● EuroSafety: Postponed from 2020 to 2021, this is the International Trade Show for industrial safety, occupational health, fire protection, safety, and security held every two years. It will happen in Tampere, Finland from 18 to 20 May 2021 next.
● ISAF Safety and Health: The most popular meeting place of products related to Occupational Safety and Health, the 9th edition of ISAF is set to happen from March 4 to 21, 2021 in Istanbul, Turkey.
● AIHce EXP: Called the Advancing Worker Health and Safety Expo, this exhibition will be open to visitors offline in Dallas as well as online. It features a wide range of safety products and is expected to happen from May 24 to 26 in 2021.
● NSC Congress & Expo: The National Safety Council is an annual exhibition held since 1912. However, as it wasn’t operated in October in Indianapolis in 2020, the same was postponed to March 2021 and supposed to happen in Houston. It is in famous as the world’s largest safety event, so don’t miss it for the world if you’re right around!
Sift Through Alibaba
The next best option to find digital manufacturers for reflective tapes is via the China wholesale portal called alibaba.com. If you want to make smaller buys, log on to aliexpress.com and try manufacturers from China.
All you need to look out for are the star ratings and feedback from past customers to ensure you buy from a trusted source here. As it’s a wide net of random suppliers, there are high chances you might end up with a loss if you aren’t careful here.
Best Countries To Look Into
There are many countries that manufacture reflective tapes throughout the world. Amongst these, China offers the maximum number of reflective tape fabric manufacturers.
From scores of factories to the state of the art machinery, this is the best hub of manufacturers with competitive pricing too. The only con to ordering from Asia manufacturers for western buyers is the shipping charge and time.
Parts of Asian hubs like Vietnam and India are also good for finding reflective tape manufacturers. However, keep in mind the cost of production in places other than China will always be higher. Additional places to find reflective tape suppliers are U.S.A, U.K, and South Africa.
Work Directly With YGM
One of the best ways to avoid getting duped, paying for low-quality products, or bearing with poor customer service or limited production issues when ordering such tapes is by working with a reliable manufacturer such as YGM.
We have nearly two decades of experience in this industry and hence, have come across all types of specifications, certifications, and high standards of Quality Control. With more than 30 production lines and selling in over 50 countries, YGM has made strides of impact in the industry in the last 16 years of our service. Some of our certificates include Oeko-Tex 100, ANSI107, ENISO20471, EN11469， ISO9001, CCC, IATF16949:2016, and ISO14001.
Features To Add On Your Reflective Tape Order
When you’re ordering reflective tape directly from the manufacturer, it’s crucial you make use of all the services at hand to create the best product.
Take a look at all the things to keep in mind when doing so below.
● Color: You can select from color options such as Silver, Grey, Red, Green, Orange, Yellow, and White for the hi-vis tape for clothing. Another choice is to combine multiple colors to create your own unique combination.
● Logo: Advice or give instructions to the manufacturer on where you want the logo of your business or construction company on the safety apparel you’re ordering. Called branding services, you can often get your logo embroidered, sewn, or stitched on the reflective tape roll of choice.
● Backing Fabric: Also ensure that you have a clear idea of the backing fabric used on the reflective tape. Most often, you can choose one or more fabric from options such as 100% Polyester, TC, PES, TPU, cotton, aramid, and stretchable fabric based on your requirements.
● Dimensions and size: This is one of the most important parts of customizing your own reflective tape. Make sure to request the width and length of the tape as per your needs too.
● Reflectivity: This is the photoluminescence capability of the tape to reflect light so that the wearer is easily visible from the source of the light. For example, silver reflective tape come with up to 400CPL, grey reflective tape with 380CPL, and so on.
● Washing Performance: Looking for tapes that meet ISO6330 household washing standards, ISO15797 industrial washing standards and ISO3175 dry cleaning standards.
● Attachment Type: Also specify the way you want the reflective webbing tape to attach to the material you’re planning to add it on. Some options include adhesive, sew-on, heat transfer vinyl, and so on. For a clear idea, talk directly with the manufacturer today.
What Questions To Ask A Reflective Tape Supplier
Once you’re ready to order the product from your choice of manufacturer, the next step is to get all the details about the reflective tape clarified. Instead of signing up for a surprise, you can ask the supplier about many things so that the end-product matches your needs accurately.
Quality Control
Inquire about the quality control measures employed by the manufacturer in their factory from production to packaging and shipping first. Watch out for industry jargon and request proof of the processes too.
Certifications
To ensure that you’re actually getting the reflective tape that you’ve ordered, it’s essential that the factory that you’re ordering from follows standard procedures. One way to ensure this is by checking the certifications that the factory has.
The most important certifications to look out for are:
1. ANSI/ISEA 107 by the American National Standards Institute offers three Classes from one to three based on the visibility quotient
2. Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is a standard that checks for harmful things in textile products
3. EN ISO 20471 is an international standard of high visibility that dictates the placement of reflective material
4. UL is a laboratory that tests for Flame retardant reflective fabric since 1894
5. ISO 9001 is a quality management standard based on regulations
6. CCC is -China Compulsory Certificate issued on products that are exported from China based on the safety and quality of the same.
Quality Control
Ask the manufacturer about the additional range of services they offer such as designing, customization options, white-labeling, branding, etcetera so that you can get the maximum bang for your buck.
Services
Ask the manufacturer about the additional range of services they offer such as designing, customization options, white-labeling, branding, etcetera so that you can get the maximum bang for your buck.
Lead time
This is the total amount of time taken by the manufacturer to produce your product. While some suppliers may take 20 days, others may take 30 or 60. In order to ensure a seamless supply of reflective tape, you need to figure out a supplier who can produce reflective tape at a consistent rate without delays.
How to Scale
The options using which you can grow your own business with the help of the supplier is referred to as scaling. In order to ensure smooth scaling, you need to have a clear idea about the capacity of the factory, minimum to maximum lead time, and the return policy of the China reflective tape manufacturer.
Customer Service
Finally, if you don’t get the help you need once you receive the products, you can’t work long-term with the same manufacturer. Hunting for a new manufacturer every few months isn’t a viable option for any business.
That’s why it’s important to assess the quality of the customer service team right from their language proficiency, responsiveness score, and knowledge about the topic. If they fare poorly, you’ll end up with a long list of problems sooner than later.
How To Shortlist Manufacturers For Reflective Tapes
Now that you know where to find manufacturers and what to ask them, the final process in the step is to pick them. The following checklist is all you need to order custom reflective tape without hassles from a reliable manufacturer at the best costs.
Shortlist Ten Manufacturers
The first step in the process is to compile a list of reflective tape suppliers. It’s best to start with a list of ten.
● Compare Prices: Once you have the list of manufacturers, contact them one by one to produce a list of quotes or prices. The next step is to negotiate prices after you compare them with one another to arrive at a finalized list of pries from ten manufacturers. Also, make a note of available payment options based on what you find more comfortable.
● Compare Reviews: Check the customer testimonials and reviews about the company on places like the Yellow Book, Yelp, Google My Business, and Facebook to assess their quality from third parties.
● Compare History + Experience: You now need to compare the experience of the manufacturer in the industry in years. You can request their date of founding and check the ‘About Us’ story to know the brand even more. This will help you compare brands that are worth working together. For example, if your mission aligns with your own, then you have a winner!
● Compare Services: Make a list of all the services like designing, branding, payment options, emergency services, safety specifications, and so on offered by the ten brands in columns next to each other.
Shortlist Three Manufacturers
After completing the above step, pick the top three suppliers or wholesalers for reflective fabric tapes. Now it’s time to compare the top three suppliers to find the final winner.
Let’s begin.
● Order Samples
Ask for samples from all three manufacturers and compare the quality with respect to prices based on what you got.
● Compare Customer Service
After receiving the samples, discuss your concerns with the manufacturer’s customer service team. Do they respond well to your queries? Are they knowledgeable? How long do they take to resolve problems raised by you?
● Compare Discounts
If you received discounts on final products, compare them against each other. Keep in mind that wholesalers often provide discounts based on the minimum order quantity and it can help you in the long-run when you’re ordering hundreds and thousands of products.
● Compare Quality
The most important thing is to review the quality of the tape by subjecting it to reflectivity and washing performance. Also, try to assess the quality under extreme weather such as hot and cold conditions besides with different lights.
Shortlist Three Manufacturers
Once you note down the sample quality, customer service, and discounts received from three manufacturers, you will certainly find it easy to pick the best.
● Order Directly and Safely
After picking the final manufacturer, complete your order and sign a contract regarding the same.
● Utilize After Sales Services
Check the type of after-sales services offered by the manufacturer and utilize it to the full extent.
How To Analyze Samples From Suppliers
Once you get samples from three manufacturers in the second step above, take a look at our detailed checklist below on how to compare samples before finalizing on one supplier.
● Size and dimensions
The first thing to do is compare the size of the reflective tape you got with what you ordered. Does it match your instructions? Is the logo big enough? Is your branding in the right size?
● Reflectivity
Check the quality of the reflective surface as received. Does it fare well in low-light conditions? How does it qualify against hot and cold conditions? Can it resist natural wear and tear?
● Color
Does the color of the reflective fabric you instructed match with the one you received? Oftentimes when you say blood red, you might end up getting samples in dull red or maroon instead.
Instead of ignoring small things in your sample, make sure you get all the concerns clarified to prevent long-term problems.
● Appearance
Now comes the general appearance of the reflective tape. If you notice patches of dirt or spots on the sample tape, imagine how many meters would go to waste when you purchase 500,000 meters in bulk with many of them damaged or dirty!
That’s why it’s important to thoroughly examine the sample specimen before you place the final order.
● Backing Fabric
There are times when manufacturers say the backing fabric is 90% polyester but ends up giving you only 50% polyester or something else altogether. Go to an expert and conduct a thorough check of the material of the sample before finalizing the order. A supplier who cheats you regarding material will continue to cheat you on big things sooner than later.
● Performance
When it comes to the quality of the sample, the best way to assess is by washing the fabric at home and through an industrial machine. For flame retardant reflective fabric, You should also check it against flame retardancy by passing it through fire if that’s what you ordered.
For those who ordered Reflective Heat Transfer Vinyl, you need to check the following:
● Does the tape fold over upon hot pressing the film onto the fabric as well as its firmness?
● When you tear off the protective film, are there glass beads stuck to the protective layer?
● Is it possible to perfectly weed off any extra or leftover part of your branding material such as the logo?
Bottom Line
The first thing that you were taught in this article is where to actually find a high-quality manufacturer of reflective tapes. You could search on local directories, search engines, or Alibaba apart from attending nine popular trade shows.
We discussed why China leads the market for manufacturing reflective tapes wholesale when it comes to availability, capacity, selection, and competitive prices. The next most important thing we learned was the features you can add to reflective tapes such as choice of color, logo, backing fabric, custom dimensions, washing performance, and attachment types.
After that, the above article explained and listed all the questions about QC, certifications, services, lead time, scaling options, and customer service you need to inquire with the manufacturer. We talked in length about shortlisting the top ten manufacturers, then the top three, and finally selecting one supplier.
Don’t forget to use the above list of how to analyze the reflective tape samples you received based on size, dimensions, reflectivity, backing fabric, and performance before deciding on a manufacturer. To avoid the pitfalls of working with unreliable manufacturers, choose an experienced player such as YGM boasting over 16+ years of experience in the industry.
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