Frequently asked questions
Custom Embroidery & Company Apparel FAQs
The questions we get asked most about embroidery, screen printing, DTF, artwork, garments, and delivery. If yours is not here, send it over and we will answer it plainly.
We work with businesses and organizations nationwide and ship anywhere in the country. Businesses in central North Carolina and Southern Virginia get free delivery.
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Common Questions About Custom Embroidery & Printing
Ordering Artwork & logos Methods Garments Company apparel Delivery & reorders
Ordering
How Ordering Custom Apparel Works
How do I get a quote?
Send the garment you have in mind, roughly how many you need, and your artwork or logo. If you are not sure about any of those, say so and we will work it out with you. Quotes come back within one business day.
What do you need from me to start?
Artwork, quantity, sizes, garment colors, and the date you need them by. The date matters more than people expect, because it decides which garments are realistic to order in and which are not.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes, and they are lower than most shops. Embroidery starts at 6 pieces, and they can be mixed — three polos, a cap, a sweatshirt and a jacket is a six-piece order, so you are not forced to buy six of the same thing. DTF printing has no minimum; one piece is a real order. Screen printing starts at 12 garments, because that is where the screens make sense.
How long will my order take?
Most embroidery orders ship in 7–10 business days once you approve the proof. Screen printing and DTF depend on the quantity and the garment, so you get a date with your quote rather than a guess here. Larger runs and outerwear take longer, and the clock starts when you approve the proof, not when you first email us. If you have a hard deadline, say so up front and we will tell you honestly whether we can hit it.
Can I see the design before you make it?
Always. You get a digital proof showing your artwork on the garment color you chose, and nothing goes into production until you approve it.
Can I change the order after I approve the proof?
Tell us as soon as you know. Before production begins, most changes are straightforward. Once screens are made or stitching has started, changes mean starting that part over.
Do you work with individuals, or only businesses?
Both. Businesses, teams, churches, schools, and families all order here, and a one-off gift is as welcome as a staff uniform order.
Artwork
Logos, Artwork & Digitizing Questions
What kind of artwork file do you need?
A vector file is ideal because it scales without losing quality. A high-resolution image usually works. Even a photograph of an old shirt is a starting point, and we will tell you what we can do with what you have.
I do not have a logo. Can you help?
We can prepare and clean up artwork so it works on a garment, including setting type and arranging a simple design. Send us the idea and we will tell you what is involved.
What is digitizing?
Digitizing is converting your logo into a stitch file, which decides the path the needle travels, the direction of each fill, and where fine detail has to be simplified so it stitches cleanly. It is a one-time step for each mark and size.
Do you charge a digitizing or setup fee?
Digitizing is charged once, per logo: $24 for a standard logo, $45 for complex artwork, or $10 if you already own a usable stitch file. There is no separate setup fee on top of it, and no digitizing charge on reorders — we keep your file, so the same mark at the same size comes back matching and costs nothing to prepare again.
Will my logo work as embroidery?
Most do, with judgement. Hairline strokes, very small text, and photographic shading do not survive in thread. Send the file and we will tell you what we would adjust and why, before you commit to anything.
Can you match my exact brand colors?
We match as closely as the materials allow, which is usually very close. Thread comes in a fixed palette, so with embroidery we show you the match rather than promising a number. Screen printing ink is mixed, so it can be brought closer.
Can you copy a design from a shirt I already have?
We can recreate your own logo or design. We cannot reproduce artwork, team marks, or brand logos that belong to someone else without permission.
Methods
Embroidery, Screen Printing & DTF Questions
Which method should I choose?
As a rule: embroidery for anything worn repeatedly, such as polos, caps, and outerwear. Screen printing for larger runs of one design on shirts. DTF for small orders, one-off pieces, and full-color or photographic artwork. Send us the job and we will tell you which we would use.
Do you handle names and numbers on team pieces?
Yes. A full team set with names and numbers is screen printed along with the rest of the design. DTF is for the single piece afterward, such as a replacement or a player added late.
Can you mix methods on one order?
Yes, and it is common. Embroidered caps and polos for staff alongside screen printed shirts for an event, quoted together as a single order.
Why does screen printing get cheaper in larger quantities?
Most of the work happens before the first shirt is printed: separating artwork, burning a screen for each color, and mixing ink. That effort is the same whether you order a few or a great many, so spreading it across more shirts lowers what each one costs.
Can you print on the back and the sleeve as well as the front?
Yes. Each additional print location adds to the cost, so we will show you what the difference is before you decide.
Garments
Garments, Sizes & Brands
What garments can you decorate?
T-shirts, polos, woven button-downs, sweatshirts and hoodies, jackets and vests, caps and beanies, bags, aprons, towels, and blankets. If you have something else in mind, ask.
Can I supply my own garments?
Frequently, yes. Customer-supplied pieces carry a risk we will explain up front, because a garment damaged during decoration cannot be replaced out of our stock the way one of ours can.
Can one order include different garments or colors?
Yes. A staff order might be polos in two colors plus a few jackets, all carrying the same mark.
Do you carry extended sizes?
Most styles run through extended sizes, though the range depends on the garment. Larger sizes sometimes carry an upcharge from the manufacturer, and we show that clearly on the quote.
Which brands can I choose from?
A wide range, from everyday workhorse garments through to recognizable retail brands. We will usually put two or three options in front of you at different price points rather than deciding for you.
Can I order garments without decoration?
Yes, blanks can be ordered alongside a decorated order.
Company apparel
Company Apparel, Personalization & Programs
Can each employee's name and title be different?
Yes, and it is one of the most common things we do. The company logo is set up once and stays identical on every piece; the name, title, or credentials are a separate element that changes per garment. Send a list and you will see the layout on a proof before anything is stitched.
Can we reorder the same apparel later, and do you keep our embroidery file?
Yes to both. We keep the approved embroidery file, the thread colors, the placement and sizing for each garment type, and the garment details themselves. A reorder of the same mark carries no digitizing charge and no setup work, so it comes back matching the first order.
Can we mix men's and women's styles?
Yes. Most polo and layer programs are built on a men's cut and a women's cut of the same style, in the same fabric and color, so the two read as one uniform. Mixed cuts count together toward the six-piece embroidery minimum.
Do you ship nationwide?
Yes. We work with businesses and organizations across the country, handle artwork and proofs by email, and ship finished orders anywhere in the United States.
Can you handle multiple company locations?
Yes. One order can ship to more than one address, which is how we handle practices with two offices or companies whose staff are not all in one building. Tell us the split and we will box and label each destination separately.
When should we choose embroidery instead of screen printing?
Embroidery suits structured company apparel worn week after week: polos, caps, jackets, workwear, and uniforms. Screen printing suits larger runs of one design on shirts, particularly events and team apparel. If the garment is part of how your staff present themselves daily, embroidery is usually the answer.
When is DTF a good option?
When the artwork is full color, gradient, or highly detailed, when the quantity is small, or when you need a single piece such as a replacement or a late addition. DTF has no minimum at all.
Delivery
Delivery, Shipping & Reorders
Do you deliver?
Yes. Delivery is free to businesses in central North Carolina and Southern Virginia, and we ship orders anywhere in the country.
Do you offer pickup?
No. Every order is either delivered or shipped to you.
How long will my order take?
It depends on the garments, the method, and the size of the run. We give you a realistic date with your quote rather than a number that sounds good and then slips.
I have a hard deadline. Can you work to it?
Tell us the date at the start. If it is achievable we will say so, and if it is not we will tell you that too, along with what could be changed to make it work.
How do reorders work?
Tell us what you ordered before and how many you need. Your artwork is already on file, so reorders of the same mark come back matching the originals.
How should the garments be cared for?
Wash inside out in cold water and avoid high heat in the dryer. That applies to embroidery and print alike, and it is the single biggest thing that decides how long a decorated garment keeps looking new.