Every Index Score is built from five weighted factors. The weights reflect what actually matters in a production operation — not what's easiest to measure.
The overall score is set editorially — not auto-computed. Judgment informs the final number where the factors alone don't capture the full picture.
White ink opacity on dark garments, edge sharpness, colour vibrancy, wash durability after 20+ cycles. Evaluated on actual production output — not supplier spec sheets.
Consistency of output across multiple orders. Stock availability on core SKUs. Order accuracy rate. How the supplier behaves when something goes wrong.
Realistic door-to-door time from order placement to delivery — not just production time. Includes shipping to typical operator locations in the US and AU.
Whether pricing is clearly published, consistently applied, and representative of actual landed cost. Hidden fees, minimum order traps, and freight surprises all count against this score.
Responsiveness to issues. Willingness to resolve errors. Quality of documentation, file specs, and setup guidance. Evaluated on real interactions, not marketing claims.
Suppliers ordered from directly. Output tested against production standards. Applied to suppliers where I have personal, repeated experience across multiple orders.
Scores derived from aggregated operator feedback across DTF communities — cross-referenced against multiple independent sources. Applied where first-hand data isn't available.
Evaluation Pending — Some listings don't yet have a score. This means neither first-hand nor sufficient community data exists to score fairly. An honest blank is better than a fabricated number.
No supplier has paid to be listed, to receive a higher score, or to appear in a featured position. Featured listings are Operator Picks — selected on merit, not revenue.
Suppliers do not self-report scores. No survey. No form. No "claim your listing" process that influences ranking.
The Index Score is not a star-rating average from user reviews. It's an editorial score built from structured evaluation against defined criteria.
Scores are updated when meaningful new information is available — new first-hand evaluations, material changes to a supplier's operation, or significant shifts in community consensus.
163 listings across 13 categories. Scored, ranked, and indexed for operators making real purchasing decisions.