Step by Step Product Approval Process

1. Access the IMC Platform

1. Go to the IMC Platform through wp-admin.
2. Click Products.
3. Select the product that needs to be reviewed.

2. Check Product Settings Before Preview

Before checking the product preview, confirm the following settings:

Setting	Required Status
IMC Exclude	Unchecked
ID Exclude	Unchecked
Sizing $	Always checked

If any of these settings are incorrect, correct them first before moving forward.

3. Open the Product Preview

1. Look below the product title.
2. Click the eye icon to open the item preview.
3. Review the product from both the internal setup and customer facing view.

4. Internal Information Review

Check the internal product details carefully. These items are considered product setup errors if incorrect and should be forwarded to prodteam for fixing.

SKU

Check if the SKU follows the correct format.

The SKU should include the print method or decoration type when applicable.

Example:

Status	SKU
Incorrect	BC3739-CS2025042826907
Correct	BC3739-EMBROIDERY-CS2025042826907

If the SKU is missing the print method or decoration type, this is an error. Do not reject the product. Forward it to prodteam.

Price

Check if the product price is accurate.

Review the price using the product catalog and confirm the following:

1. Base price is correct.
2. Base price calculation includes the base product and one print side.
3. Additional print fees are applied correctly.
4. Front and back print fees are correct.
5. Size based pricing is reflecting correctly.
6. Commissions or additional fees are included when applicable.
7. Embroidery fees are included when applicable.

For additional print placement, such as front plus back, confirm if the added fee is correct. Additional print may add $5.50.

If the price is incorrect, this is an error. Do not reject the product. Forward it to prodteam.

Preview

Check if the product preview is accurate.

Confirm the following:

1. Product colors are showing correctly.
2. Price per size is reflecting properly.
3. Product information is complete.
4. Product size guide is complete.
5. Product preview matches the expected catalog setup.

If there is a preview issue, missing product information, or incomplete size guide, this is an error. Do not reject the product. Forward it to prodteam.

Legacy Product

Check if the item is a legacy product.

A product may be considered legacy if it is:

1. Discontinued.
2. No longer offered in the catalog.
3. Using an old SKU.
4. Created from an old designer tool.

Legacy products should not be rejected as artwork issues. Forward them to prodteam for checking and fixing.

5. External Information Review

External review focuses on the artwork, printability, and policy compliance.

Artwork

Check if the artwork is printable.

Confirm whether the artwork is for:

1. DTG
2. DTF
3. Embroidery

Artwork can be approved as long as it meets the company terms and policies, does not contain prohibited content, does not violate copyright, and is printable based on the selected decoration method.

DTG Artwork Review

For DTG products, check the artwork and garment color.

Auto reject if there is white artwork on a white product because the design will not print or show properly.

DTF Artwork Review

For DTF products, check if the artwork has effects that may not print correctly.

Look out for:

1. Transparent areas.
2. Translucent effects.
3. Low opacity elements.
4. Low resolution PNG files.
5. Large artwork areas with low DPI.

Transparent, translucent, or low opacity effects may not translate well in DTF and may print as solid areas.

Low resolution PNG files may turn out blurry, especially when printed in a large area.

Design Artwork Policy Review

Artwork may be approved if:

1. It follows company terms and policies.
2. It does not contain prohibited content.
3. It does not violate copyright.
4. It is printable based on the selected print method.

Reject the product only if the issue is related to artwork printability, prohibited content, copyright, or policy violations.

Use the correct rejection notes or templates when rejecting.

6. Embroidery Review

For embroidery products, check if the artwork is already approved through Stitchvault.

If the design is unfamiliar or unclear, send a message to fulfillment to confirm if the design can be approved.

For other embroidery checks, refer to Quick Tips for Embroidery.

7. Approval, Error, and Rejection Decision

Approve the Product

Approve the product only if all checks are correct:

1. Product settings are accurate.
2. SKU format is correct.
3. Pricing is accurate.
4. Preview is displaying correctly.
5. Product information is complete.
6. Size guide is complete.
7. Artwork is printable.
8. Artwork follows company terms and policies.
9. Artwork does not contain prohibited or copyrighted content.
10. Embroidery artwork is approved or confirmed when applicable.

Forward to Prodteam for Errors

Do not reject products because of product setup issues.

Forward the product to prodteam if there are errors with:

Error Type	Action
Incorrect SKU format	Forward to prodteam
Missing print method or decoration type in SKU	Forward to prodteam
Incorrect base price	Forward to prodteam
Incorrect price per size	Attempt 1 to 2 resaves. If not fixed, forward to prodteam
Additional print fee not reflecting	Attempt 1 to 2 resaves. If not fixed, forward to prodteam
Preview not displaying correctly	Forward to prodteam
Product information missing	Forward to prodteam
Size guide missing or incomplete	Forward to prodteam
Legacy product	Forward to prodteam
Discontinued item	Forward to prodteam
Old SKU or old designer tool issue	Forward to prodteam

Reject the Product

Reject the product only for artwork, policy, copyright, or printability related concerns.

Reject if:

1. Artwork contains prohibited content.
2. Artwork violates copyright.
3. Artwork does not meet company terms and policies.
4. Artwork is not printable.
5. DTG artwork has white design elements on a white product.
6. DTF artwork has transparency, translucency, or low opacity that may not print correctly.
7. Artwork resolution is too low and may print blurry.
8. Embroidery artwork cannot be approved after checking Stitchvault or confirming with fulfillment.

Always provide the proper rejection reason using the rejection notes or templates.

8. If a Product Is Not Working

Follow this process when product setup issues are found:

Issue	Action
Price per size is not reflecting properly	Attempt 1 to 2 resaves. If not fixed, forward to prodteam
Product information is missing	Forward to prodteam
Legacy product, discontinued item, or old designer tool	Forward to prodteam
Recurring issue found in at least 3 items	Flag to admin and prodteam
404 error	Report to admin
Timeout error	Report to admin

Example of a recurring issue:

If youth products show both front and back preview on the designer tool, but back print fees are not reflecting, try to resave first. If resaving does not fix the issue and the same problem appears on at least 3 items, flag it to admin and prodteam.

9. Tracking and Monitoring

Always update the approval counts in the Approval/Rejection Sheet after processing products.

Make sure to track items correctly based on their final action:

Status	Tracking Action
Approved	Update approval count
Rejected	Update rejection count and include rejection reason
Forwarded to prodteam	Track as an error or endorsed item based on team process

Once cleared, check the following queues every 3 to 4 hours:

1. TCS
2. IM
3. Bypassed

Make sure all approved, rejected, and forwarded items are properly accounted for.