Most of our merch orders start in our online store—pick your products, choose your sizes, check out, and you’re done. This is the quickest way to get your gear moving, locked into a due date and into production.
Custom Orders (When You Can’t Order Online)
If your project isn’t listed in our online store—no problem. Here’s how our custom order process works:
**Step 1 – Get Your Estimate
**Send us your design, product choice, sizes, and quantities. If you’re not sure about details like thread or ink colors, we’ll help you figure it out. We’ll use this information to send you an estimate and a digital proof to review.
**Step 2 – Approve Your Proof & Invoice
**Once you’ve approved the proof, we’ll send an invoice. Review it carefully as changes after approval may add costs or delays.
**Step 3 – Pay Deposit
**You are required to pay before we schedule your project for production. Standard turnaround is 10 business days from this point (let us know if you have a hard deadline).
**Step 4 – Production & Shipping
**After printing or embroidery, we’ll update your invoice with final shipping costs (or arrange pickup at our shop), collect the balance, and get your order out the door.
A Few Tips for a Smooth Order
Follow our Art File Guidelines to avoid delays.
Plan ahead—production starts after proof and deposit.
Communicate deadlines early so we can schedule accordingly.
Considering ordering extra pieces
Ready to get your merch made? Start your order online now or contact us for a custom quote.
Apparel Ordering Guidelines
Everything you need to know before placing an apparel order with Press Press Merch.
24 pieces per design is our general minimum, but we can print as few as 12 pieces for select items. Larger orders help with pricing, consistency, and turnaround time. When ordering on our website, each product will have a clear minimum order quantity noted. You may combined apparel styles to reach quantity breaks. Talk to your sales rep for details.
In the event that an item is damaged during production it will be removed from your final invoice. We maintain the industry standard 5% (or 5 item) spoilage rate. If you need an exact quantity per size communicate early and consider ordering extras.
We rely on vendors for blank apparel. If your item is out of stock, we’ll recommend the closest match. You can approve a swap or choose to wait—but delays are possible, and we can’t guarantee restock timelines.
We’re not responsible for issues with the blank garments themselves—this includes things like:
Mis-tagged sizes
Loose stitching
Fabric inconsistencies
Color dye variations
We inspect everything we can, but if your order has to be 100% flawless, we recommend building in extras.
Not all tees, hoodies, or jackets are created equal. If you’re picky (and that’s okay), order samples first. We can guide you, but final garment satisfaction is subjective. Our guarantee is on print quality, not how soft or boxy the tee feels. Samples may be ordered at cost.
Some blanks are overdyed by the manufacturer, which can mess with consistency— specifically with discharge printing. It’s rare, but it happens. We’ll do our best to flag this risk, but exact color consistency can’t be guaranteed.
We aim for precision, but minor variation is normal. Up to 1" shift in any direction is considered within spec. Printing within 1.5” of seams can cause distortion—those results are considered acceptable. Our art department works with your sales rep to keep these issues communicated clearly and avoided.
If your design crosses seams, zippers, or collars, expect inconsistencies. It’s just how the process works. These won’t be considered misprints.
Unless specified otherwise, all garment sizes will get the same print size. If you want scaled prints for youth or oversized shirts, that’s billed as a separate setup/order.
Print Durability
We use a range of inks depending on your design and garment type. Here’s what you should expect:
Water-Based & Discharge Inks: These inks dye the fabric directly. They’re soft, breathable, and won’t crack or peel. Over time, they’ll fade slightly—like any other garment dye—but they age naturally and look great worn in.
Plastisol Inks: These inks sit on top of the fabric and offer bold, vibrant color. Plastisol is highly durable and won’t wash out, but over years of heavy wear and repeated washing, it can crack—especially if the garment is dried on high heat or stretched aggressively.
Specialty Inks (Glow-in-the-Dark, Puff, Metallic, etc.): These are fun and impactful, but they’re more sensitive. Glow and puff inks may degrade or lose their effect over time, especially with frequent washing or improper care. These effects aren’t defects—they’re just the nature of the materials.
We’ll always match your design to the best ink type for the job. If durability is a top concern, we’re happy to talk through options.
Care Instructions
Wash before wear. Then:
**Machine wash cold, tumble dry low
**Following this helps keep your prints and garments looking better for longer.
File Prep Guide
How to Send Us Artwork That’s Print-Ready
We want your merch to look sharp, and that starts with clean art files. Here's what we need to get your designs into production without delays.
**Preferred File Formats
**Send us vector files whenever possible:
.AI (Adobe Illustrator)
.EPS
.PDF (vector-based)
If vector isn’t an option, we also accept:
.PSD (Adobe Photoshop) Minimum starting artboard of 10” x 10” @ 300 DPI
.TIF (300dpi minimum at actual print size)
Line art should be at 600dpi. Please don’t flatten your layers and include any fonts we’ll need to make edits.
Please don’t send files in these formats:
JPEGs (low quality, hard to separate)
Microsoft Word, Publisher, PowerPoint
Screenshots or web previews
Name your file with your project name
Convert all text to outlines (or include font files)
Maintain individual color layers when possible
Label colors by Pantone code if applicable or select from our available house pantone colors
Design your file at actual print size
Upload your art through our website when placing your online order.
For estimates and offline orders please email art files under 10MB to: art@presspressmerch.com
For larger files, use Dropbox, Google Drive, or WeTransfer
Questions? Just ask, we’re happy to help prep your files if needed.
If our team designs your artwork, you’re paying for our time, not the ownership rights. If you need full rights to the art, just let us know, that’s a separate conversation and something we provide frequently.
You retain ownership of any art you submit to us. We won’t reproduce your designs without your approval.
Before we print anything, we’ll send you a digital proof mockup for approval. This mockup is required to start production.
Double-check for typos, layout issues, or anything else. Once you approve it, the job goes to press—and changes after that may require extra fees or delays.
We love showing off the gear we print. Unless you tell us otherwise, we may share photos of your finished products on our social channels or website. If you’d prefer to keep things private, just say the word. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see examples.
Color Guide (Ink)
At Press Press Merch, we offer a wide range of ready-to-print standard colors, and we’re also happy to mix custom inks to match your brand’s look.
If a specific color match is critical to your project, please let us know upfront. While we can’t guarantee a 100% Pantone match due to variables in printing surfaces and ink behavior, we’ll get as close as possible.
Color shifts can occur based on:
Garment dye and fabric type (especially with discharge printing)
Fabric color and material (light vs. dark, cotton vs. blends)
Ink type and application method (water-based, plastisol, etc.)
Print conditions and ink deposit thickness
In some cases, test prints or ink drawdowns may be required to dial in the right color. If that’s the case, we’ll walk you through any additional costs or timing.
We do not guarantee PMS matching on water-based and discharge printing
PMS ink matching is available at a fee of $25 per color. Our ready to print colors offer upwards of 250 ink colors to pick from and that list is usually sufficient.
We do our best to match ink colors on reorders—but we can’t guarantee an exact match. Inks are mixed per job, and slight shifts can happen over time. If you anticipate frequent reprints, let us know and we’ll keep a printed sample or swatch on file to help with consistency.
We maintain a large color library of house inks that are ready to go.
For exact brand color matching, Pantone codes are required and carry an additional fee
For specialty applications (metallics, neons, glow, etc.), results may vary more.
Always reach out with color-specific concerns—we’ll help guide you.
Questions about ink? Contact your account manager—we’re happy to review your art and make sure your colors show up the way they’re supposed to. The mockup phase will be the most helpful tool for this purpose.
Embroidery Colors
Choosing Thread Colors and Designing for Embroidered Apparel
We offer a wide range of thread colors and finishes to help your embroidered merch look clean, crisp, and on-brand. Whether you’re stitching logos on hats, patches, polos, jackets, or bags, our embroidery team will help guide the right thread and placement choices.
We carry an extensive library of standard thread colors, and we do our best to closely match Pantone® references when provided. Thread is dyed, not mixed like ink, so color matching isn’t always exact—but we’ll get as close as possible.
If your brand requires tight color consistency, we recommend:
Sending Pantone codes for reference
Approving a stitched sample or photo swatch before production
Letting us know early if you need multiple reorders so we can stay consistent
Embroidery is different from screen printing—it’s made of thread, not ink—so not all designs translate perfectly. Here’s what to keep in mind when designing for embroidery:
Simplify your artwork – avoid tiny text, thin outlines, or complex gradients
Keep text legible – minimum recommended font size is around 0.25" tall
Avoid too much detail in small logos—clean lines stitch better
Solid fills and bold shapes work best for caps, jackets, and polos
For hats: consider curved surfaces and limited stitch areas
If your artwork needs adjustments for embroidery, our art team will help clean it up, simplify elements, or recommend edits that preserve the design’s integrity.
Want to get fancy? We also offer:
Metallic threads
Matte & glossy finishes
Tonal blends and gradients (limited use)
Puff embroidery (great for hats)
3D & patch-style stitching
Talk to your account rep if you’re interested in adding dimension or texture.
We’ll always do our best to match embroidery thread colors on repeat orders, but dye lots may vary slightly over time. Let us know if you expect reorders—we’ll log your thread selections and can keep a sample sew-out on file to help keep things consistent.
We stand behind our work—always. You have 72 hours from pickup to review your order. If something’s wrong with your order and it’s on us (and not covered by these policies), we’ll reprint replace it at no cost within 10 business days.
Quotes are good for 30 days unless we say otherwise. Prices can change if garments become unavailable, your artwork changes, or you tweak your order details.
For orders under $1200, we take full payment upfront. Orders over $1200 require a 50% deposit to get started, with the balance due before shipping or at pickup.
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, and Apple Pay on our website. Custom orders require one of the major credit cards listed above, check or ACH.
Our preferred process is for you to place your order directly through our online store. If you can’t, we’ll set up a custom order. Here’s how that works:
You’ll get an estimate and a proof to approve.
We’ll send your invoice.
Once the deposit (or full payment for orders under $1200) is made, we get to work.
Our standard turnaround is about 10 business days after your order is finalized—not counting shipping shipping transit time. Actual times depend on our production schedule and the complexity of your job.
Some specialty printing and add-ons may take longer. If you’ve got a hard deadline, tell us upfront—rush fees may apply.
We’re not responsible for delays caused by weather, power outages, shipping errors, or supplier issues, but we’ll always keep you in the loop if something pops up.
We can sometimes accommodate rush jobs—fees apply. Rush orders must be paid in full when placed and are subject to the same under/over policies as standard orders. Rush timelines don’t include shipping time, so plan accordingly.
Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm. Pickups available during those hours and consultations by appointment.
We close on major U.S. holidays. Those days don’t count toward your turnaround time.
We are also closed between Christmas and New Years Day
Shipping isn’t included in estimates and will be added to your final invoice before shipping. Transit time is separate from production time, and once your order leaves our shop, we can’t guarantee delivery dates.
Need to ship to multiple addresses? No problem. It’s $10 $15 per additional address. Let us know all addresses and quantities up front—changes later may mean extra fees.
Unless otherwise arranged, apparel ships bulk-folded (by the dozen) and sorted by size. Posters ship flat.
Inspect your order when you get it. If there’s an issue, you’ve got 72 hours to let us know. After that, we are no longer responsible for issues that arise.
No cash refunds. If there’s a misprint or the product isn’t what you approved, we’ll replace the defective merch within 10 business days. You’ll need to return the flawed items first.
If you cancel before printing, there’s a 20% restocking fee based on your order value, plus any costs for work already done. Once we start production, cancellations or changes may not be possible.
Want to see a sample before we run the full job?
$100 for the first color, $50 for each additional color
You’ll get two printed samples
Any artwork prep is billed at standard rates
Shipping not included
Recent Work
Need something you don't see on the site? No problem. Press Press Merch can produce just about any type of merch you need.
