How to Order Custom Apparel Online, Anywhere in the U.S.

Ordering custom apparel from a shop three states away used to feel like a gamble. It is not anymore — but only if you know which questions to ask and what to nail down before anything goes on press.

Here is the whole process, start to finish, plus the specific things that separate an order that arrives right from one that arrives twice.

The seven steps

1. Scope the job — what garment, how many, how many print locations, how many colors, when you need it
2. Send artwork and get a quote
3. Approve a mockup with real dimensions on it
4. Confirm sizes using a size curve or a collected size list
5. Pay a deposit and lock the production slot
6. Production — garments ordered, screens burned or files digitized, printed or stitched, quality checked
7. Ship — to one address, or split to several

Step 1: Scope it before you ask for a price

A quote is only as good as the information behind it. Five things determine your price more than anything else:

• Quantity. The single biggest lever. Setup costs are fixed per design, so they spread thinner as quantity rises. Going from 24 to 72 pieces often drops the per-shirt price dramatically.
• Number of print locations. Front, back, and sleeve is three separate setups and three passes, not one job.
• Number of colors. In screen printing, each color is its own screen. In embroidery, the equivalent driver is stitch count.
• Garment choice. The blank is often the largest single line item. A Gildan and a Carhartt are not in the same universe.
• Timeline. Standard turnaround costs less than rush.

Our screen printing cost guide explains how these interact, and the cost and profit calculator lets you model it yourself before you ever contact us.

Step 2: Send artwork that will not slow you down

Best case: vector files — AI, EPS, PDF, or SVG — with fonts converted to outlines and any Pantone colors specified.

Workable: a PNG at 300 DPI at final print size. Note the emphasis: a 300 DPI image that is two inches wide is not 300 DPI when blown up to twelve inches.

Will cost you time: screenshots, images pulled off a website, low-resolution JPGs, logos embedded in a Word document, photos of a shirt. These need to be recreated, which is a real service — see graphic design services — but it adds a step.

Details on file prep, halftones, and separations are in our artwork guide. For embroidery, artwork also has to be digitized into a stitch file, which is a separate one-time step.

Step 3: Approve a mockup with numbers on it

This is where remote orders go wrong. A mockup that shows a logo floating on a shirt tells you nothing. Insist that your proof states:

• Print width in inches
• Distance from the collar seam to the top of the print
• Exact garment style number and color name
• Ink or thread colors, ideally with Pantone or thread references
• Every decoration location on the garment

Check the spelling of every word yourself. A shop will reproduce exactly what you approved, including the typo. Our placement and sizing guide gives you the standard numbers to compare against.

Step 4: Get the sizes right

Two approaches, and the right one depends on your situation.

Collect actual sizes when you have a defined group — a team, a staff, a wedding party. A shared spreadsheet or a form takes an hour and eliminates guessing.

Use a size curve when you are handing shirts to an unknown crowd. A general starting distribution for adults:

• S — 10%  |  M — 20%  |  L — 28%  |  XL — 25%  |  2XL — 12%  |  3XL — 5%

Shift larger for workwear, trades, and outdoor audiences; shift smaller for fitted retail styles and younger crowds. Also remember that brands cut differently — a Bella+Canvas Large and a Gildan Large are not the same garment, as our blank comparison covers. Ask for a size chart for the specific style you chose, not a generic one.

Step 5 and 6: Deposit and production

Most custom apparel work requires a deposit, because blanks are purchased for your specific order and screens or stitch files are made for your specific art. That is normal and it is what secures your slot in the schedule.

During production the shop orders your garments, prepares screens or digitizes your logo, runs a test, prints or stitches the run, and inspects. Ask up front how misprints are handled — a small overage allowance on large runs is standard industry practice, and a shop that tells you plainly is a shop that is being straight with you.

Step 7: Shipping anywhere in the U.S.

Distance affects transit time and freight cost. It does not affect print quality, and it should not meaningfully affect your unit price. Things worth confirming:

• Split shipping. Multi-location companies can often have boxes sent directly to each site rather than shipping to headquarters and redistributing.
• Individual fulfillment. Some jobs are better shipped one order at a time to individual employees or customers. Ask whether the shop offers pick, pack, and ship.
• Fold and bag. If you are reselling, having garments arrive folded and polybagged saves hours.
• Size-sorted boxes. Ask for boxes labeled by size and quantity. It sounds minor until you are handing out shirts at an event.

Building in enough time

The timeline that gets people in trouble is the one that only counts printing. A realistic remote order includes:

• Quote and artwork review
• Mockup rounds and your approval — usually the slowest step, because it depends on you
• Blank sourcing, which depends on supplier stock for your style, color, and full size range
• Production
• Transit

Two practical rules. First, ask for your in-hands date to be confirmed in writing, not just the ship date. Second, build a buffer of at least several days before the day you actually need the shirts — carriers have bad weeks, and a garment color can go out of stock nationally without warning. Rush production is usually available; ask what it costs before you need it.

What to ask any shop before you send a deposit

1. Is this quote all-in, including setup, screens or digitizing, and shipping?
2. What is the confirmed in-hands date, not just the ship date?
3. Will I get a mockup with print dimensions and placement measurements?
4. Will you send a photo of the first piece off the press before the full run?
5. What happens if a garment color or size goes out of stock?
6. What is your policy on misprints, shortages, and reprints?
7. Do I own the artwork and stitch files, and can I get them?
8. Are reorders cheaper because setup is already done?

Our shop evaluation checklist covers what to look for beyond price.

When "near me" actually matters

Being local helps in three situations: you need to feel the fabric before committing, you need same-week turnaround with in-person pickup, or you are running an ongoing uniform program that benefits from a face-to-face relationship.

For everything else — a merch drop, an event run, an annual company order, a brand's first production — the right shop is the one with the right equipment and the right process, wherever it is. Samples can ship. Proofs are digital. Reorders run off files already on record.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a custom apparel order take?
Standard production plus transit, with mockup approval and blank availability as the biggest variables. Rush options are usually available. Get your in-hands date confirmed in writing when you approve the order.

What is the minimum order?
Screen printing has minimums because screens are made per color, per design. Embroidery minimums are typically lower. DTF transfers have no minimum, which makes them ideal for very small runs and one-offs.

Can I see a sample before the full run?
Yes — ask for a photo of the first piece off the press, or a physical sample shipped to you before production continues. For embroidery, a physical sew-out is standard practice.

Do I pay more because I am out of state?
No. Quantity, garment, colors, and locations drive your price. Distance affects freight cost and transit time only.

Can you reprint my order later?
Yes, and reorders are usually cheaper because artwork, separations, and stitch files are already done. See how we handle recurring and annual orders.

Start your order

Send us your artwork, quantity, and deadline and we will come back with a quote and a mockup that has real measurements on it. We screen print, embroider, laser engrave, and produce DTF transfers, and we ship to customers across the country. Browse customizable products, check our FAQ, or request a free quote.