The club secretary's swim cap buying guide: 10 questions to ask any supplier
Ten questions to put to any cap printer before the club pays, what a straight answer sounds like, and how we answer each one with the printer we work with.
Bruno P., 2026-11-12
Buying caps is usually one person's job, and that person is usually also doing the gala entries, the membership renewals and the kit order. So the questions below are the short list. Ask them in one email to whichever printer you are considering. The useful part is less the answers themselves than how clearly they come back.
For each question I have written what a good answer sounds like, then how Swim Hat Company answers it. That is the UK printer behind every quote sent through AquaEvents, and Euro Swim Caps is its European brand. Everything I say about them comes from their own website. Where their site doesn't answer a question, I say so rather than fill the gap.
1. What is your minimum order?
A good answer is one number per material, given without hedging. A minimum that changes once you have started talking is a warning.
How our printer answers: 50 caps for silicone, long-hair silicone, suede, polyester, lycra and allover print. 100 for latex. 25 for the FVC3 competition cap.
2. Do you show a clear price, and how fast do you quote the rest?
A good answer is a clear price for the standard cap, with the quantity it's for and what it includes, and a quote for everything else within a day. You want one fixed point to check a quote against. You don't want to wait a week for the rest.
How we answer: our UK pages show one price. A standard silicone cap, one print colour on one side, is GBP 4.99 per cap at 300 to 499 caps, including 20% VAT. Everything else (another material, another quantity, more colours, a second side, express) is priced in your quote, within 24 hours. Outside the UK, ask for VAT and delivery terms in writing; for EU countries we confirm them in the quote.
3. Will I see a visual before you print?
A good answer is yes, followed by how it works: you see the design on the cap in the colours you chose, you can ask for changes, and nothing is printed until you approve.
How our printer answers: visuals are available on request, and production time is counted from artwork approval. So ask for the visual, and don't approve until it looks right. Isabella, in a Euro Swim Caps customer review: "We changed the design numerous times and nothing was ever too much trouble."
4. How do you match our club colours?
A good answer talks about Pantone references, for the cap and for the ink, and asks you for yours. "We'll get it close" is not an answer.
How our printer answers: the silicone colour chart has 29 cap colours, each matched to a Pantone. Royal blue F206H is Pantone 293C, dark navy F208 is 276C, red F203H is 179C. Logos can be printed in up to 6 colours, subject to artwork. Every request through us gets a reply asking for the Pantone references of the club colours. The Pantone guide explains why the screen version of your blue is not enough.
5. What is the lead time, counted from when?
A good answer gives a number of days or weeks and the event that starts the clock. "Two weeks" from order is a different promise from two weeks from approval.
How our printer answers: the standard is 3 weeks from artwork approval. One page words it as from approval and payment. The home page mentions 10 to 14 days, but plan on 3 weeks and treat anything faster as a bonus.
6. What if we are short of time?
A good answer names the express options and says they are quoted for your date, rather than "we'll try".
How our printer answers: there are Express and Super Express options, priced in the quote. Lindsay, in a Euro Swim Caps customer review: "Silicone hats, 2 colour print, look and feel great. We needed express delivery and they arrived as requested." Muddy, for a Pony Club Tetrathlon team, in another: "The delivery was 3 days after the order was submitted". Nice when it happens. I still wouldn't plan around it. Give the real deadline and let the quote say what's possible.
7. What does delivery cost, and who deals with customs?
A good answer states the delivery cost to your country and says plainly who handles customs if there is a border involved.
How we answer: standard delivery is free anywhere in Europe; minimum order quantities apply. The UK price includes 20% VAT. For Sweden, Denmark, Finland and other EU countries, VAT and delivery terms are confirmed in your quote. For Norway and Iceland we handle customs on our side, so the club doesn't deal with it, and prices there are quoted without VAT. The Nordic swim caps page covers those countries in more detail.
8. If we reorder next year, will the caps match?
A good answer explains what they keep on file and how the colour is specified, so the second batch is ordered the same way as the first.
How our printer answers: their site doesn't describe a reorder process, so here's what you can control. Each cap colour has a code and a Pantone, and you will have given Pantone references for the logo inks. Write down the cap code, the Pantone references and the number of print colours from your first order. Through us, every request also gets a reference like AE-2026-00001. Quote it when you reorder, and ask the printer in the same email whether your artwork is still on file.
9. What happens if the caps arrive wrong?
A good answer describes what they check before the caps leave, and what they do if a cap is misprinted or the count is short. It should come in writing, before you approve.
How our printer answers: their website doesn't spell this out, and I'm not going to paraphrase a policy I haven't seen written down. Ask it in your first email and keep the answer with the order. The best protection is earlier in the process anyway: a visual you have checked properly, Pantone references, and a quantity you have counted twice.
10. When do we pay?
A good answer tells you whether payment is due before production, on delivery or on invoice, and in which currency, so the treasurer can plan it.
How our printer answers: one of their product pages counts the lead time from approval and payment, so expect payment to be part of starting production, not the last step. The quote confirms the terms. If your club needs a committee sign-off, build that into the timeline before the 3 weeks begin.
The answers on one page
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | 50 caps (latex 100, competition 25) |
| Clear price | UK: GBP 4.99 per standard silicone cap, 300-499 caps, 1 colour, 1 side, incl. 20% VAT; everything else quoted within 24 hours |
| Visual before print | Available on request |
| Colour matching | 29 silicone colours matched to Pantone; up to 6 print colours |
| Lead time | 3 weeks from artwork approval |
| Express | Express and Super Express, priced in the quote |
| Delivery and customs | Free standard delivery in Europe; EU VAT and delivery terms confirmed in the quote; customs handled for NO, IS |
| Reorders | Not described on the site; keep cap code, Pantones and AE reference |
| Caps arrive wrong | Not described on the site; ask in writing |
| Payment | One page counts lead time from approval and payment; terms in the quote |
Two rows say "not described". I'd rather show you that than invent something. Ask the same ten questions of anyone else you are considering, and compare how complete the answers are, not just the price. If you want a broader view of the market, the European swim cap suppliers page and what custom swim caps cost are a good start, and the club caps checklist covers the order itself.
One last thing, on the cap itself. For a club that trains every week, 50 g silicone is the one the printer describes as ideal for daily users. It's hypo-allergenic, and one size fits adults and children. If you have swimmers with long hair, the long-hair silicone cap has extra room inside and a non-slip pattern, so it doesn't snag. Ask for both in the same quote if the squad is mixed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for printed silicone swim caps?
With the printer we work with, 50 caps. Latex starts at 100 and the FVC3 competition cap at 25.
How long does a printed swim cap order take?
The standard is 3 weeks from artwork approval. Express and Super Express options exist for tighter dates.
Should I see a visual before the caps are printed?
Yes. Ask for one. The printer we work with provides visuals on request, and the lead time starts when you approve the artwork.
How do I make sure a reorder matches the first batch?
Keep the cap colour code, the Pantone references for the inks and your quote reference, and send all three with the reorder.