Questions & answers
Custom apparel FAQ
Straight answers on pricing, turnaround, artwork, team stores and shipping. If your question is not here, call (916) 232-7711 or email us — we reply within one business day.
Pricing & minimums
- Do you have order minimums?
- No. There are no order minimums on DTF printing — you can order a single shirt or a thousand. Embroidery also has no minimum, though a one-time $50 digitizing fee applies the first time we run a new logo. Prices per piece drop as quantity goes up.
- How much does custom shirt printing cost?
- Your total is the garment plus the decoration. Garments start around $3.30 for a basic tee and go up from there depending on brand and style. Decoration is priced by print size and quantity: a full-front DTF print (up to 10 inches) runs $7.75 per shirt at 24 pieces, or $6.00 per shirt at 100+, including the press fee. A small left-chest print at 24 pieces is $4.75 per shirt. Request a quote and you will see the exact total before you approve anything. Browse the catalog for live garment prices
- How much does embroidery cost?
- Embroidery is priced by stitch count and quantity. A typical 8,000-stitch left-chest logo is $9.50 per piece at 12–23 pieces, dropping to $5.50 at 144+. Caps add $2.00 per piece. New logos also carry a one-time $50 digitizing fee to convert your artwork into an embroidery file — you only pay that once per design, not per order.
- Are there setup or art fees?
- DTF printing has no setup or screen fees — that is one of its biggest advantages over screen printing. Embroidery has a one-time $50 digitizing fee per new logo. There are no separate art fees for straightforward file prep.
- How much do names and numbers cost?
- Names and numbers are priced per garment: $6.00 for a player name, $5.00 for a back number, and $4.00 for a front number. You can use any combination. Six athletic fonts and twelve fill colors are available.
- Do you offer bulk or volume discounts?
- Yes, and they are automatic — no negotiating required. Per-piece decoration pricing drops at 12, 24, 50, 100 and 250 pieces. For example, a full-front DTF print falls from $8.00 each at small quantities to $2.75 each at 250+ pieces.
Turnaround & rush orders
- How long does a custom apparel order take?
- Standard turnaround is 10–14 business days from the time your design is approved and paid. That window covers ordering blank garments from our suppliers, decorating, quality control and packing. Larger orders or multiple decoration locations can run toward the longer end.
- Do you offer rush orders?
- Yes. Anything needed in under 7 business days is a rush order and carries a 25% surcharge on production. Rush availability depends on our current schedule and whether the blank garments are in stock, so contact us before you count on it.
- When does the clock start on my turnaround?
- Production time starts once you approve the final mock-up and payment is complete — not when you first request a quote. Approving quickly and having print-ready artwork is the fastest way to keep an order on schedule.
Printing methods
- What is DTF printing?
- DTF stands for direct-to-film. We print your artwork in full color onto a special film, then heat-press it onto the garment. It reproduces photographs, gradients and unlimited colors at one price, works on cotton, polyester, blends and performance fabrics, and has no setup fees or minimums. More about DTF printing
- Should I choose DTF printing or embroidery?
- Choose DTF when your design is full color, photographic, has gradients or fine detail, or when you need a soft lightweight print on tees and performance wear — it is also the cheaper option at low quantities. Choose embroidery when you want a premium, textured, professional finish that will not wear off: polos, caps, jackets, bags and staff uniforms. Embroidery costs more per piece and works best with simpler, bolder logos, since very fine detail and small text do not stitch cleanly. More about embroidery
- Do you do screen printing?
- We specialize in DTF printing and embroidery rather than traditional screen printing. For most orders that is an advantage: DTF gives you unlimited colors with no screen setup charges and no minimum quantity, so short runs and full-color designs cost far less than they would with screens. For very large single-color runs, screen printing can still be more economical — tell us what you need and we will give you an honest answer.
- Will a DTF print crack, peel or fade?
- Not with normal care. A properly pressed DTF transfer is flexible and bonded into the fabric, and it holds up wash after wash. To maximize life, wash inside out in cold water and tumble dry low or hang dry, and avoid ironing directly on the print.
Artwork & files
- What artwork file formats do you accept?
- You can upload PNG, SVG, JPG or PDF files up to 25 MB directly in our design tool. For the sharpest results send the highest-resolution file you have — vector art such as SVG or PDF scales to any size without quality loss, and a PNG with a transparent background works well for most prints.
- What if I do not have a logo or finished artwork?
- That is fine. We offer free design help — send us what you have, whether that is a rough sketch, a photo of an old shirt, or just an idea, and we will help turn it into print-ready artwork. Contact us and we will take it from there. Get in touch
- Does my logo need to be vector for embroidery?
- It helps, but it is not required. Every embroidery logo has to be digitized — converted into a stitch file — and that is the one-time $50 fee. Clean vector art digitizes best, but we can work from a good-quality raster image too. Very small text and hairline detail may need simplifying to stitch cleanly.
Team stores
- What is an online team store?
- A team store is a private web page we host for your team, school, club or business, stocked with the exact items you approve. Every member orders and pays for their own size, name and number directly, so the coordinator does not have to collect sizes on a spreadsheet or handle anyone else’s money. The store opens and closes on dates you set, and everything is produced together after it closes. How team stores work
- Can each player order and pay individually?
- Yes — that is the point of a team store. Each person checks out separately with their own card, picks their own size, and adds their own name and number if you have enabled it. You get one consolidated production run at the end.
- Can we offer player packs or bundles?
- Yes. A player pack is a single fixed-price bundle — for example a jersey, practice tee and cap — where the buyer picks a size for each item in the pack. You set the price and decide whether names and numbers are included.
Shipping & pickup
- Do you ship, and how much does shipping cost?
- We ship nationwide. Ground shipping is free on orders over $250 in merchandise; below that you pay the live carrier rate, which you see before you pay. Expedited options are available at checkout for the difference above the free ground baseline.
- Can I pick up my order locally?
- Yes. Local pickup in Placerville is free and available by appointment — we will email you as soon as your order is finished and ready. Team stores can also offer free pickup as an option for every buyer.
- What areas do you serve?
- We are based in Placerville, California and serve all of El Dorado County and the Sacramento foothills — including Diamond Springs, Cameron Park, Pollock Pines, El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Roseville, Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. We are a by-appointment shop rather than a walk-in storefront, and we ship anywhere in the United States.
Still have a question?
Tell us what you are making and we will give you a real answer and an exact quote — no obligation.