Custom printing,
answered properly.
Minimums, artwork files, which print method suits your job, what actually drives the price, how long it takes, and how you get it. If your question isn't here, call the shop — you'll get a straight answer.
Ordering & minimums
How orders start, how small they can be, and what happens if you change your mind.
Do you have a minimum order?
Not a big one. Full-colour DTF and DTG let us print a single piece, so one-off shirts, sample garments and single jerseys are all fine. Screen printing starts around 6 pieces because of the screen setup involved. Embroidery has no hard minimum, though the digitizing setup is a one-time cost that makes very small runs less economical per piece.
Can I order a sample before committing to the full run?
Yes, and for large orders it's usually a good idea. We print one piece first so you can check the garment fit, the colour, and how the print actually feels before we produce the rest. Ask for it when you request your quote so we can price it in.
Can I supply my own garments?
Usually yes. Tell us the brand, style and fabric composition before you buy anything, because some fabrics and finishes don't take certain decoration methods well. Note that customer-supplied garments are decorated at your risk — if a garment is damaged in production we'll replace the decoration but not the garment itself.
Can every item in my order be different?
Yes. Names and numbers on team jerseys, individual staff names on uniforms, different sizes and different garment colours in one order are all normal. Send us the name and size list in a spreadsheet and we'll match it piece for piece.
How do I reorder something I bought before?
Get in touch with your previous order details and we'll pull the artwork and specifications we already have on file. Reorders skip the setup and artwork stages, so they're faster than a first run — and if you're reordering uniforms as staff join, it's worth telling us so we keep the file ready.
Artwork & files
What to send, what happens if you don't have it, and how we handle logos that aren't print-ready.
What file format should I send?
Vector is ideal — AI, EPS, PDF or SVG. Vector art scales to any size without going soft, which matters as much on a banner as on a left-chest logo. If you only have a raster file, send the highest-resolution PNG you have with a transparent background. Screenshots, social media exports and images pulled from a website are usually too low-resolution to print well.
What if my logo isn't good enough to print?
We'll tell you before we print it, not after. If the file is too low-resolution or the wrong format, we can redraw it — a designer hand-traces it into a clean vector that stays sharp at any size. That's our logo vectorization service, and it's a one-time job you then own for every future order.
What does embroidery digitizing mean, and do I need it?
Embroidery machines don't read logos — they read stitch files. Digitizing is the process of converting your artwork into that stitch path, deciding stitch types, directions and densities. It's a one-time setup per design, and once it's done your file is reusable on every future embroidery order at no extra setup.
Do you provide a mockup before printing?
Always, and it's free. You get a digital mockup showing your design on the actual product, at the actual placement and size, before any payment. Nothing goes into production until you approve it — placement, sizing and colours are all still adjustable at that point.
How large should a chest logo be?
A standard left-chest logo usually lands around 3 to 4 inches wide, and a full front print typically runs 10 to 12 inches wide on adult sizes. But it depends on your artwork's shape and the garment size range, which is exactly what the mockup is for — you'll see the real proportion before you approve it.
Methods & materials
Choosing between screen printing, embroidery and full-colour printing without guessing.
Which printing method is best for my order?
It comes down to quantity, colour count and artwork detail. Screen printing is the best value for larger runs with one to three colours. Full-colour DTF printing handles photographic or many-coloured artwork and small quantities with no setup cost. Embroidery is the premium, most durable finish for polos, caps, jackets and uniforms. Tell us the job and we'll recommend the method with your quote rather than defaulting to one.
Is DTF or screen printing better for shirts?
Screen printing wins on price once you're into real quantity with a simple colour count, and it has the classic printed-tee feel. DTF wins when your artwork is full-colour, photographic or gradient-heavy, or when you need a small number of pieces without paying for screen setup. Neither is universally better — we walk through it in detail in our DTF vs screen printing guide.
Should I print or embroider my company polos?
Embroidery, in most cases. On a polo the stitched finish reads as more professional and holds up better through repeated commercial laundering. Printing makes more sense when your logo has fine gradients or many colours that would be expensive or muddy to stitch, or when budget is the deciding factor on a large run.
Will the print crack, peel or fade?
Not if it's cured properly and washed sensibly. Wash inside out in cold water, skip the highest dryer heat, and don't iron directly on the print. Embroidery is the most durable finish of the three because it's thread, not a surface layer.
Can you match a specific brand colour?
For screen printing, yes — inks can be mixed to a Pantone reference, so send us the Pantone code if brand consistency matters. Full-colour digital methods work in CMYK, which gets very close but can't perfectly reproduce every Pantone, particularly bright oranges and some deep blues. If exact colour matching is critical, tell us up front and we'll steer the method accordingly.
Pricing, turnaround & delivery
What drives the price, how fast things move, and how you get your order.
What affects the price of a custom order?
Quantity is the biggest lever — price per piece drops as the count rises. After that: the garment or material you choose, the decoration method, the number of print locations, the size of the design, the number of colours for screen printing, whether pieces are individually personalized, extended sizes, premium finishes, and whether you need installation, delivery or rush production. Every quote is free and itemized so you can see which lever to pull.
Do you offer bulk discounts?
Yes — pricing is tiered, so the per-piece cost drops as quantity goes up. If you're near a break point it's worth asking, because adding a few pieces sometimes costs less in total than staying just under the tier.
How long will my order take?
Standard turnaround is roughly 2 to 5 business days once you've approved the mockup and confirmed the order — the clock starts at approval, not at first contact. Large orders, multi-product packages, embroidery digitizing and vehicle work can run longer. If you have a hard deadline, tell us the date up front and we'll confirm whether it's achievable before you commit.
Can you do rush orders?
Often, yes. Events, tournaments and last-minute staff onboarding are common. It depends on what's already in production and whether the garments are in stock, so ask as early as you can and give us the real in-hand date.
Do you deliver, or can I pick up?
Both. We're based in Ottawa with local pickup and delivery across the National Capital Region — Kanata, Barrhaven, Nepean, Orléans, Gloucester, Stittsville and Gatineau included — and we ship custom orders across Canada. Tell us which you want when you request the quote so it's priced in from the start.
How does payment work?
You approve the free mockup and the exact price first — nothing is charged before you've seen both. Payment terms are confirmed with your quote.
Read deeper
Longer guides on the decisions that come up most often before an order.
Which method suits your quantity, colours and artwork.
Cost, durability and finish compared side by side.
What print-ready actually means, and how to get there.
Why one scales cleanly and the other goes soft.
Making a print outlast the garment it's on.
Get a clean, print-ready vector you own forever.
Serving Ottawa & the National Capital Region
We're a real Ottawa shop with local pickup, delivery, and same-day quotes across the National Capital Region. Find your neighbourhood:
Still got a question?
Send the product, the quantity and your deadline. We'll answer it with a free mockup and a real price.