Peppex Sports: a 3D configurator with print automation across production sites

At Peppex Sports, a customer design needs to go beyond the screen. It must reach production as a print file, use the appropriate colour values there and remain available for repeat orders later.

That connection was central to the move to the 3D Designer by 3ddesigner.io. Peppex Sports wanted to further standardize its business and production processes. Today, the company uses WooCommerce integration, automatic print files, colour management, Facility Management and the customer portal to support that goal.

Peppex Sports: custom sportswear with in-house production

Peppex Sports↗ (Opens in a new tab) is an owner-managed supplier specializing in sports textiles since 2008. Its in-house production in Germany includes graphic design, printing and sewing. Its range↗ (Opens in a new tab) covers customizable clothing for sports, corporate runs and teams, as well as textiles and promotional products.

The multiple production sites are particularly relevant to this project. A design needs to move through the business with the requirements of the site where it will be manufactured. The configurator is part of a wider process involving the store, internal administration and production.

Why the previous configurator no longer fitted

Peppex Sports already used a configurator from a provider in England. From the customer's perspective, the interface had become dated. Products could be configured, but the appearance and usability no longer met its expectations of a modern solution.

Limited integration and customization options were an even greater concern. Peppex Sports needs support for individual workflows and software that fits into its business. In the customer's view, the previous provider did not offer the required flexibility in support and customization.

There was also a bottleneck after the enquiry: the team still had to create production print files manually for every order. Each additional order brought more manual work. This was not a sustainable basis for the company's planned growth.

Connecting the store, business processes and production

Peppex Sports uses WooCommerce and an ERP system. The requirement for the new designer was clear: it needed to fit into the existing environment. Communication with the ERP and custom processes are part of that requirement.

Our WooCommerce integration connects the designer to the existing ordering process. Automatic print file generation and site-specific colour management support production preparation.

ERP communication and custom workflows depend on the systems and business processes involved. For Peppex Sports, being able to address these requirements in the collaboration was an important part of the decision.

Turning customer designs into print files automatically

With automatic print file generation, the production file is created directly from the customer's design. The team no longer needs to rebuild each order's artwork as a print file in graphics software.

The automatically generated print files are placed directly on a server at the production site. The production team simply accesses the folder to find all the information and print files it needs. This also removes the manual forwarding step: production has the files available where they are needed.

This removes a recurring manual task. More individual designs no longer mean that every one of them must be prepared for production separately by hand. It supports Peppex Sports in standardizing its process and handling more orders.

The correct colours are also part of a production-ready file. Alongside file generation, Peppex Sports therefore uses colour management and its connection to the production sites.

Managing colours centrally and defining print values

Colour management provides a central place to maintain colours. They can be named, grouped into sets and assigned to products or individual pattern pieces. The team can control which colours customers can choose when designing.

A colour has a value for its appearance in the designer and can also have defined CMYK values for printing. The browser displays it using a hex value. When a print-ready PDF is generated, the stored CMYK values are used.

Peppex Sports can therefore represent its production requirements in the software. The print colour values do not need to be entered into each order's file manually.

Facility Management: the appropriate CMYK values for each site

Peppex Sports operates multiple sites with their own CMYK values. There is a practical reason for this: different printers, inks and materials can produce different results from the same CMYK code.

In Facility Management, a site is set up as a facility. Individual printers or production lines can also be represented this way. Each colour can have individual CMYK values for each facility.

The target facility is selected when generating the print file. The software then applies its colour values to the print PDF. Peppex Sports can prepare the same customer design according to the requirements of the relevant site.

This capability was missing from the previous solution. It is particularly valuable for the planned standardization: site-specific values are maintained centrally and reused during file generation.

Repeat orders through the customer portal

Custom sportswear is often needed again when a team grows or needs additional items. Peppex Sports uses the customer portal for this.

Customers can access their saved drafts and past orders with the associated designs. An existing design can be reopened and ordered again. If a sponsor logo has changed, for example, the artwork can be updated before reordering.

The work invested in the original design remains useful. A repeat order starts with the existing artwork and returns to the configured ordering and production process.

A configurator as part of the production process

For Peppex Sports, switching was about the whole process: a modern design experience for customers, a connection to the WooCommerce store, automatically generated print files with defined colour values for multiple sites and direct delivery to the server at production.

The 3D Designer supports the goal of standardizing workflows and reducing recurring manual work. The customer portal extends this process to the reuse of previously designed products.

Want a configurator like Peppex Sports?

The 3D Designer by 3ddesigner.io is ready-to-use software. WooCommerce integration, print automation and optional features for colour values, production sites and customer accounts can support your own workflow. We discuss individual ERP requirements and custom processes based on your existing systems.

Explore the 3D Designer or discover Facility Management for multiple production sites.

Questions about the project

Which 3D configurator does Peppex Sports use?

Peppex Sports uses the 3D Designer by 3ddesigner.io with WooCommerce integration, automatic print file generation, colour management, Facility Management and the customer portal. These connect online design with preparation for multiple production sites and make repeat orders easier.

How does Peppex Sports automate print file generation?

The 3D Designer automatically generates the print file from the customer's design. Peppex Sports no longer has to rebuild each order's artwork as a production file in graphics software. The print-ready PDF uses the CMYK values stored in colour management for the selected facility.

How do print files reach production at Peppex Sports?

Print files are generated automatically and placed directly on a server at the production site. The production team can access the folder and find all the information and print files it needs. There is no need to create and then forward the files manually.

What does Facility Management do for multiple production sites?

Facility Management in 3ddesigner.io lets you create facilities representing production sites, printers or production lines. Each facility can have its own CMYK values for every colour. The target facility is selected when generating the print file so that it receives the corresponding colour values. Peppex Sports uses this for its different production sites.

Why does the same colour need different CMYK values?

The printed result depends on factors such as the printer, ink and material. The same numerical values can therefore look different at different sites. Peppex Sports stores individual CMYK values for its production sites. The designer uses a hex value for the screen preview and the selected facility's stored values for the print PDF.

Can the designer connect to WooCommerce and existing business processes?

Yes. At Peppex Sports, the WooCommerce integration connects the 3D Designer to the existing store. Requirements also include communication with the existing ERP system and custom processes. These requirements are considered in the context of the specific system and workflow.

How do Peppex Sports customers order an existing design again?

Peppex Sports uses the customer portal by 3ddesigner.io. Customers can access saved drafts and their order history, reopen an existing design and order it again. They can also edit the design first, for example to update a sponsor logo.

How can I get a configurator like Peppex Sports?

The 3D Designer by 3ddesigner.io is ready-to-use software with WooCommerce integration. Print automation, colour management, Facility Management and the customer portal support different workflows. We can discuss individual ERP requirements or custom processes based on your existing systems.