Frequently Asked Questions

The earlier, the better, but generally about two to three weeks, depending on your artwork and the availability of the shirts. For many running events we will get the order going with the artwork but allow the customer to wait until as little as a few days before their order has to ship before they give us the final sizes. This helps avoid over ordering for your event. It does depend on the availability of the shirts though. Just talk to your sales rep if you have any questions or concerns.

When printing a light color ink on a darker color shirt the dye from the shirt color can migrate into the ink and change the color of the print. The easiest example of this is if we were to print yellow ink on a blue shirt the ink would change to green (Yellow + Blue = Green).
To prevent this we first print an “underbase” which keeps the colors from mixing. This is like putting primer on a wall before you paint. Then a high intensity light “Flashes” the underbase so it dries(cures) and we can then print the desired color on top of it. While this can make the print a little thicker we have developed some techniques to keep this to a minimum.
If you are really concerned about the ink thickness we suggest using a darker ink color on a lighter color shirt or designing the artwork so it prints without an underbase. Please talk to your customer service rep for more information on this.

Screen printing is the application of ink to the fabric, which is then cured so it sets into the fabric. Screen printing ink contains plastisol, so if it is cured properly, it will last a very long time. We also mix a small amount of spandex into our ink so it has some flexibility. This helps prevent the cracking and peeling you will get on lower-quality prints. Of course, how the shirts are washed will affect this. Using bleach or other harsh cleaners or a high dryer temperature can also affect how long a print lasts.

Sublimated printing is a process in which heat transfers a dye into the fabric. While you can get a broader color range with this type of printing the colors don’t “pop” as well as screen printing. It is also a more expensive process, especially if done here in the U.S. It needs to be done on a technical shirt or a shirt made for sublimated printing. It also has to be a white or very light color shirt; otherwise, the entire shirt has to be sublimated to make it a color shirt. We do offer sublimated printing – just ask your sales rep for costs and details.

We can work with just about anything but the following is ideal. The following instructions are geared more for an graphic designer so if you don’t understand it don’t worry. Just send us what you have and we’ll let you know what needs to be done.
SPOT-COLOR ARTWORK● Adobe Illustrator files are the preferred file type.These can be submitted using the following file types: AI, EPS, OR PDF. We also accept CorelDraw files submitted in EPS or PDF formats. Please, no Microsoft Publisher, Word or PowerPoint files.
● Full-front or full-back artowork should fit within a 10 1/2" wide x 15 1/2" tall space.A left-chest print is most commonly 3" - 3 1/2" in width, but this can vary depending on the effect desired. Other print locations are available. Please contact your Sales Rep for details.
● Outline all strokes/paths in the final artwork.
● Outline all fonts in your files. To do this in Adobe Illustrator, select all your fonts, then go to "Type" in the Menu bar and down to "Create Outlines."
● Please assign solid-coated PMS (Pantone Matching System) colors to your artwork.To access these colors in Adobe Illustrator, go to the Menu bar > Window > Swatch Libraries > Color Books > PANTONE Solid Coated. You can use any of the colors in this palette.

We also offer a standard color option. This chart can be sent to you upon request.
● Please embed all images that have been "placed" in your files.You can also send them as a separate files. If you are sending the files separately and it is too big for email but less than 100MB, please use YouSendIt.com (it is free) to deliver the files to our Art Dept. Send the files to moc.strihs-tacificap%40tsitra.
● Send your finalized artwork to .moc.strihs-tacificap%40tsitra Please include your company name in the email's subject line so it can be accurately referenced. We will confirm receipt of your artwork.
4-COLOR PROCESS TO SIMULATED PROCESS ARTWORK4-Color Process inks do not print as vividly on t-shirt fabric as well as on paper. To resolve this issue we recommend a simulated process print.
● Create art, minimally, at the size it will print on the shirts and at 300 dpi (dots per inch).If in doubt, create the artwork bigger than you want it to print on the shirt; it can always be reduced in size. If we have to make a small image larger, details can easily be lost.

If you are scanning an image for printing purposes, scan color or grayscale images at 400 dpi. If the art is straight black on white, scan the art at 800 dpi.

The file type can be a TIF, EPS or PSD. The file should be between 10 - 30MB. DO NOT TAKE A LOW-RESOLUTION IMAGE (SUCH AS AN IMAGE OFF THE WEB) AND INCREASE ITS RESOLUTION TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.
● Unless you are only printing on white shirts, the art must have a transparent background.Transparency represents the color of the shirt, which is shown through the design where it is intended to be shown by the designer. White will print wherever white is shown in the design.

NOTE: if you are printing ONLY on white shirts, a white background is acceptable.

NOTE: If the image is fully cropped, meaning that the image fills the entire background of the photograph or the digital file so that you cannot see any background, then disregard this step.

The preferred format for all logos is vector based (made with lines, not pixels). These are .ai (Adobe Illustrator), .eps and sometimes .pdf files. If these formats are not available send the highest resolution of what you do have and we’ll do our best to make them work.
If you are sending sponsor logos to be included on your shirt, please follow these steps:● Always include in the Subject Line the business name you are placing your shirt order under.
● Send as many logos in 1 email as possible. Send as many sponsors' logos as you need in as few emails as possible.
● Send a complete listing of all the sponsors in the order that they are to appear on the shirt. This can be in the body of your email, Microsoft Office or Excel.
For example:Sponsor Name - Size1. Grand Ole Cadillac - Large2. AAA Paint Shop - Large3. Tri-Co Automotive - Medium4. Coffee Stop - Small5. Sam's Shoe Shine - Text at bottom
If you are sending a visual layout showing the placement of the logos, do still send all the individual logo files.