Custom Silk Scarves for Corporate Gifts: 20 Pieces for a Professional Association
Twenty silk twill scarves for an Australian professional association, printed on both sides and finished with a hand-rolled hem in dark green.
20 Scarves and a Date
The first message came through our website on 12 October, and it was short: “I am looking for 20 65x65cm square scarves to have for guests by 10 November 2026. Would this be possible?”
We said no. The sender was an Australian professional association planning an event, and four weeks left too little room to print, finish, check and deliver 20 scarves with any confidence. I told them we couldn’t commit to that date, and that I hoped we might work together another time.
Their reply came that afternoon. Their chief executive still wanted the scarves, possibly as a thank-you gift after the event, and the artwork was attached. With the date no longer fixed, we could say yes. We agreed to aim for mid-November, or earlier if we could manage it.
A Few Stray Lines in the Artwork
The client’s designer had drawn a wide dark green border, an ivory band with fine green lines running through it, and a field of small line-drawn motifs repeating on the diagonal. It uses very little colour, so anything out of line would show.
The client’s original artwork.
On the first check I noticed a few parts of the pattern running slightly below the wide border along the bottom edge. It looked accidental, but a designer might have meant it, so I asked. Left alone, those lines would have printed on all 20 scarves.
The designer tidied the edge and sent a new file that evening. I asked for the final version as a high-resolution PDF, and it arrived the next morning.
If you are supplying your own design, we recommend checking it at full print size before you send the final file. For this size of scarf that means 68 × 68 cm, which a hand-rolled hem brings down to about 65 × 65 cm. Zoomed out to fit a screen, a stray line at the edge is easy to miss.
Choosing the Silk: 14 Momme Twill
The scarves are 100% mulberry silk twill. Twill has a fine diagonal weave, which gives the cloth a little structure in the hand while it still drapes. Momme is the traditional measure of silk’s weight, and 14 momme, about 60 gsm, is the lightest of the three twills we print. It knots at the neck without bulk and holds a fold.
The size is our Classic square, 65 × 65 cm. It is a practical size for a gift, since nobody has to be measured for it. It folds into a triangle, knots at the side of the neck or ties onto a handbag handle, so it can go on being worn long after the event.
Printing on Both Sides
The client asked for the design on both sides of the silk, which is how we print every square in our Custom Studio. The underside of a scarf shows as soon as it is folded or tied, so a pale reverse would be noticed.
We print digitally, without a separate screen for each colour. That is part of what makes a run of 20 practical.
A Hand-Rolled Hem in Dark Green
For a hand-rolled hem, the edge of the silk is rolled by hand and secured with small stitches, which leaves a soft, rounded edge. The client chose it in dark green, so the hem and the outer border read as one colour all the way around.
We also offer a machine hem: clean, straight and consistent, and a little less expensive. It suits many projects. This client wanted the traditional edge.
From Approval to Delivery
These are the details we confirmed with the client on 13 October, one day after the first message:
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Quantity | 20 scarves |
| Finished size | Approximately 65 × 65 cm |
| Silk | 100% mulberry silk twill, 14 momme |
| Printing | Digital, on both sides |
| Finish | Traditional hand-rolled hem |
| Hem colour | Dark green |
Payment came through on 14 October, and we scheduled production the same day. The client went straight to a production run, without a finished sample. By 27 October the scarves were finished and in final quality checks. They shipped on 29 October and were delivered on 4 November: three weeks after payment, and six days before the date we had said we couldn’t commit to.
That is quicker than our usual allowance of about 3–5 weeks for a production run, plus delivery, and it isn’t a turnaround we would promise on another project. I would still give the same first answer.
The client’s note came the next morning: “Thank you so much, they have arrived and are beautiful! Very happy with the silk.” They also thanked us for getting them there so quickly, and said they expect to reorder.
If You Are Planning a Small Run
Almost everything that shaped these scarves was settled in the first two days, before any silk was printed: the date, the file, the silk and the finish. Two things from this project may help with your own, whether you are ordering for a company, an association, an event or your own label.
- Tell us what happens if the date moves. A gift that could go out after the event was the difference between no and yes here.
- Decide early whether you need a finished sample. This client went without one. Where colour or finish really matters, we recommend starting with a finished sample, which usually takes about 3–5 weeks before the production run.
Start Your Own Custom Silk Scarf Project
We work with companies, designers, artists and galleries on projects of different sizes, and you can read more about corporate gifting or see other commissions in Our Work. In our Custom Studio you can choose the silk, size and finish and see the price as you go, from a single finished sample up to 100 pieces per design. For more than 100 pieces, our team can prepare a quote.
The first email in this project ended with a question: “Would this be possible?” On 12 October the honest answer was no. Six days before the date in that email, 20 scarves were delivered.