Wholesale Suppliers & Live Catalog Integration

Print Life Software integrates directly with over 100 wholesale apparel and promotional distributors—including major suppliers like SanMar, S&S Activewear, AlphaBroder, Otto Cap, and dozens more—via live PromoStandards API connections. Print shops can instantly access massive live blank catalogs, inspect real-time regional warehouse inventory counts, import live colorways, and quote using their own negotiated contract wholesale prices.

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1. Feature Scope & UI Navigation

How to Access Wholesale Suppliers

To manage your distributor connections, expand Suppliers & Inventory in the main left sidebar $\rightarrow$ click Suppliers (/suppliers).

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Wholesale Suppliers Directory (`/suppliers`)                                                │
├──────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┤
│ SanMar                       │ S&S Activewear               │ AlphaBroder                    │
│ 🟢 Connected                 │ 🔵 Enabled                   │ ⚫ Not Connected               │
│ • Negotiated Contract Rates  │ • Platform Default Pricing   │ • Supplier Inactive            │
│ • Live Warehouse Stock       │ • Live Warehouse Stock       │                                │
│ [ Manage Credentials ]       │ [ Connect with Credentials ] │ [ Connect with Credentials ]   │
└──────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────┘

The Three Supplier Connection States

Each supplier card on /suppliers displays one of three operational states:

1. 🟢 Connected (Green Badge):

   • Your shop's direct PromoStandards API credentials are connected.
   • Quotes and orders display your negotiated contract wholesale rates directly from the distributor.
   • Footer action: Manage Credentials (allows updating API username, password, and account ID).

2. 🔵 Enabled (Blue Badge):

   • The supplier is active using platform default credentials.
   • Your shop accesses the entire wholesale blank catalog and live inventory at standard platform list wholesale pricing without requiring your own vendor API keys.
   • Footer action: Connect with Credentials (upgrade path to your contract pricing) and Disable.
   • Availability: Provided out-of-the-box for SanMar and S&S Activewear.

3. ⚫ Not Connected (Gray Badge):

   • The supplier is currently inactive for Live Search and automated catalog importing.
   • Click Connect with Credentials to enter your vendor account details and activate the feed.

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Live Distributor Search Across 4 Shop Surfaces

Once enabled, Live Distributor Search connects directly to supplier feeds across four primary areas:

1. Quote Builder (/quotes-invoices/[id]):
   • Click + Add Product $\rightarrow$ search styles, inspect live warehouse counts, and insert colorways and size scales directly into line items.
2. Shop Inventory (/inventory):
   • Search the live catalog to add wholesale blanks directly into shop stock tracking via Add & Track.
3. Online Merch Stores (/stores/[id]):
   • Add catalog styles and colorways directly into spirit wear pop-ups via Add to Store.
4. Public Design Lab (/design-lab/[tenantId]):
   • Prospective clients search allowed wholesale blanks to customize artwork and submit project estimates.

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2. Capabilities & Operational Boundaries

                             ┌───────────────────────────────────┐
                             │    Wholesale Catalog Integration  │
                             └─────────────────┬─────────────────┘
                                               │
         ┌─────────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┐
         │                                     │                                     │
         ▼                                     ▼                                     ▼
┌───────────────────┐               ┌────────────────────┐               ┌────────────────────┐
│ PromoStandards    │               │ Multi-Warehouse    │               │ Multi-Surface      │
│ (100+ Suppliers)  │               │ Real-Time Stock    │               │ Catalog Injection  │
├───────────────────┤               ├────────────────────┤               ├────────────────────┤
│ • SanMar, S&S     │               │ • Regional Depots  │               │ • Quote Builder    │
│ • AlphaBroder     │               │ • Live Piece Counts│               │ • Shop Inventory   │
│ • Otto Cap & 100+ │               │ • Size Availability│               │ • Merch Stores     │
│ • Contract Rates  │               │ • Exact Style Match│               │ • Design Lab       │
└───────────────────┘               └────────────────────┘               └────────────────────┘

Supported Capabilities

• Access to 100+ PromoStandards Distributors: Connect leading apparel and promotional suppliers—including SanMar, S&S Activewear, AlphaBroder, Otto Cap, and over 100 industry vendors—through modern PromoStandards endpoints.
• Live Negotiated Contract Wholesale Pricing: Connect your direct vendor account to automatically pull your shop's negotiated pricing tiers, volume breaks, and customer discounts.
• Platform Default Fallback: Shops without vendor API keys can enable platform defaults to quote catalog items immediately at standard wholesale list prices.
• Regional Warehouse Stock Breakdown: View live on-hand quantities across all distributor warehouses (e.g., Dallas, Reno, Atlanta, Robbinsville) to ensure blanks are in stock before quoting.
• Exact style # match only Filter: Restrict search results strictly to matching manufacturer style numbers (e.g., searching 5000 returns only the Gildan 5000 rather than every item with 5000 in its description).
• Automated Wholesale Purchase Orders: Transmit electronic purchase orders directly to supported distributors via PromoStandards with 1 click from /purchase-orders.

Operational Boundaries

• Distributor Discounts & Credit Terms: Print Life displays your live negotiated price tiers as returned by the supplier's API. Tier upgrades, freight terms, and line-of-credit adjustments are managed directly through your vendor representative.
• Non-Integrated Distributors: Distributors outside of PromoStandards integrations can be added as custom products or imported in bulk via CSV.

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3. Step-by-Step Operating Procedures

Workflow 1: Connecting Direct Vendor Credentials

1. In the sidebar, expand Suppliers & Inventory $\rightarrow$ click Suppliers (/suppliers).
2. On your vendor's card (SanMar, S&S Activewear, or AlphaBroder), click Connect with Credentials (or Manage Credentials).
3. Enter your vendor credentials:
   • Account Number / Customer ID: Your account number with that distributor.
   • PromoStandards API Username & Password: Issued by your distributor's e-commerce/integration department (often different from your website login).
4. Click Test & Save Connection:
   • Studio tests the connection against the distributor's authentication endpoint.
   • Upon successful verification, the badge turns 🟢 Connected.

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Workflow 2: Enabling Suppliers with Platform Default Pricing

If you are a new shop or do not yet have PromoStandards API keys:

1. Navigate to Suppliers (/suppliers).
2. Locate the card for SanMar or S&S Activewear.
3. Click Enable.
4. The badge turns 🔵 Enabled. You can now immediately browse full wholesale catalogs, colorways, and stock levels at standard wholesale list rates.

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Workflow 3: Live Search in the Quote Builder

1. Open any quote or invoice at /quotes-invoices/[id].
2. Under Project Items & Decorations, click + Add Product.
3. In the Live Search dialog:
   • Select your supplier tab (e.g., SanMar or S&S).
   • Type your garment style (e.g., 3001 or PC54).
   • Check the Exact style # match only checkbox to filter out irrelevant keyword matches.
4. Select the garment from the results list.
5. In the colorway selector, click any color swatch to preview the garment photo and inspect inventory.
6. Click Size, Inventory & Pricing to view real-time wholesale costs and warehouse stock.
7. Click Add to Project to insert the garment line item.

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Workflow 4: Inspecting Regional Warehouse Inventory

1. In the Live Search dialog, select your garment and colorway.
2. Expand the Size, Inventory & Pricing table:
   • Each size row (XS through 5XL) displays the unit wholesale price and total available stock.
   • Hover or tap the warehouse icon to inspect inventory by facility (e.g., Dallas: 1,420 pcs, Reno: 850 pcs, Atlanta: 0 pcs).
3. Verify that your required piece count can be fulfilled from regional warehouses to guarantee on-time shipping.

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Workflow 5: Adding Supplier Blanks to Shop Inventory Tracking

1. Navigate to Suppliers & Inventory $\rightarrow$ Inventory (/inventory).
2. Click + Add Inventory Item.
3. Switch to the Distributor Search tab.
4. Search and select the blank style and colorway.
5. Enter your starting shelf quantity, bin location (e.g., Shelf B-12), and reorder threshold.
6. Click Add & Track. Studio creates the inventory item linked directly to the supplier's catalog data.

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4. Business Logic & Pricing Structures

Contract Pricing vs. Platform Default Pricing

Feature	🟢 Connected (Custom Credentials)	🔵 Enabled (Platform Defaults)
Wholesale Price Source	Your shop's direct negotiated contract tiers	Standard distributor wholesale list price
Volume Price Breaks	Case and Dozen discounts applied automatically	Standard single-piece wholesale price
Live Stock Levels	Real-time regional warehouse inventory	Real-time regional warehouse inventory
Electronic PO Dispatch	1-click PromoStandards EDI purchase orders	Manual PO creation / website ordering
Setup Requirements	Distributor PromoStandards API credentials	Zero setup (1-click enable)

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5. Troubleshooting & Diagnostic Matrix

Symptom / Question	Root Cause	Exact Remediation Step
Supplier card shows "Disconnected" or Red	Invalid PromoStandards API username, password, or account ID.	Click Manage Credentials on /suppliers, re-enter your vendor credentials, and click Test & Save.
Garment search returns too many results	Search query matched general descriptions across hundreds of products.	Check the box for Exact style # match only (e.g., searching 3001 will isolate Bella+Canvas 3001).
Wholesale pricing appears higher than expected	Supplier is using platform default credentials rather than your contract account.	Go to /suppliers $\rightarrow$ click Connect with Credentials on the vendor card $\rightarrow$ enter your shop's direct vendor API keys.
Warehouse inventory displays 0 stock	The selected colorway or size is out of stock across all regional depots.	Expand the Size, Inventory & Pricing table to see regional depot breakdowns, or select an alternative colorway.
Where do I get PromoStandards API keys?	Account credentials needed from distributor.	Contact your distributor's customer service or e-commerce integration team (SanMar, S&S, or AlphaBroder) and request your PromoStandards API credentials.

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6. Frequently Asked Questions & Action Prompts

Where do I connect my SanMar, S&S Activewear, or AlphaBroder accounts?

1. Expand Suppliers & Inventory in the left sidebar $\rightarrow$ click Suppliers (/suppliers).
2. Locate your vendor card and click Connect with Credentials.
3. Enter your account number and PromoStandards API keys, then click Test & Save Connection to unlock live contract pricing!

[How do I get PromoStandards credentials?](chat:How do I get PromoStandards credentials from my supplier?) • [Show me Suppliers](chat:Show me the Suppliers page)

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Can I use wholesale catalogs if I don't have supplier API keys yet?

Yes! On /suppliers, click Enable on SanMar or S&S Activewear to access standard platform wholesale pricing immediately. You can upgrade to your negotiated contract rates anytime by clicking Connect with Credentials.

[Show me Suppliers](chat:Show me the Suppliers page)

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How do I search and add wholesale blanks to a quote?

1. Open any quote at /quotes-invoices/[id].
2. Under Project Items & Decorations, click + Add Product.
3. Search for your style number (e.g., 5000 or 3001).
4. Select your garment, pick your colors, check live warehouse inventory, and click Add to Project!

[How does Live Search work in quotes?](chat:How does Live Search work in quotes?)