Thinking about getting custom apparel or merchandise for your brand, event, or team? Awesome! Ordering custom screen printing or embroidery might seem complex at first, but at Upstate Merch, our customer care team with over 16 years experience is here to make it easy for you to get exactly what you envisioned. Our goal is to sit with you and walk you through the process. Giving you our expertise and recommendations to make sure your merch is the absolute best it can be. This guide explains our process and highlights key info to help you get the perfect gear with minimal hassle.
What We Need to Get Started
To give you the most accurate quote and best recommendations, we ideally like to know a few things upfront:
Purpose: What’s the main use for the merch? Is it for workwear, a special event, building your brand, retail, or something else? Knowing this helps us suggest the right products.
Vision: Do you have custom artwork or logos already? If so Great! If not, we can help guide you through that process and get the right design done for you. Depending on the complexity of your vision, we can handle it here in house, or we will locate the right artist for you.
Budget: Do you have a specific budget or a general range in mind? This isn’t mandatory for a quote, but it helps us guide you toward options that fit your financial plan.
The Must-Haves for Your Quote & The Importance of Artwork
While the above helps us tailor suggestions, the following details are essential for us to provide accurate pricing. The more info you give us, the smoother the process!
Garment Types: What items are you looking for? T-shirts, hoodies, hats, bags, etc.
Decoration Method: How do you want your design applied: Screen Printing, Embroidery, Direct-to-Film (DTF) / Heat Printing? (Don’t worry if you’re unsure, we can help!)
Decoration Colors: How many colors are in your design? If you have the artwork already, our art department can figure this out for you. We custom mix each ink color using Pantones. Repeatability is very important to us. We want to make sure your branding is consistent and on point from the artist’s vision.
Ink Types: We use different inks depending on the fabric and desired look. like plastisol, water-based, or discharge inks. We also offer digital heat applied graphics that are perfect for high color count, low quantity. We will recommend the best ink type for your order so you don’t have to worry. If you would like one of these specifically, let us know.
Garment Brand/Style Preference: Do you have a specific brand or style in mind? If not, we have plenty of great recommendations.
Garment Colors: What color(s) do you want the actual items to be? If unsure, we can send you the spec sheet on this garment with all the colors to choose from.
Quantities: How many of each item/style do you need? Pricing is quantity based. We technically have no minimums for most items, but different decoration methods are recommended depending on the quantity. Screen printing for example is ideal for bulk orders, due to the amount of setup involved.
Deadline: When do you need the order completed? Our standard turnaround is about 10-15 business days (M-F), but rush options are available upon request. Just speak with our team about your needs and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Artwork – Crucial Step! This is super important for a great result! Do you have print ready high resolution artwork? Vector files (ending in .ai, .eps, .pdf) are great, but they can also be Raster files (ending in .psd, .jpeg, or .png)? These file types ensure your design prints cleanly and sharply. If you have artwork in another format, we can often work with that too.
No Artwork? No Problem! If you don’t have a design file, don’t worry! Upstate Merch offers art services. We can clean up existing artwork or even create a design for you based on your ideas or sketches. Artwork fees may apply depending on complexity, but we’ll always discuss this with you upfront. Check out some examples of our work Here.
Understanding the Process & Approvals
Quote: Once we have the details, we’ll provide a quote. Pricing generally depends on the garments chosen, the number of decoration locations, the number of colors in your design, and the total quantity ordered. We can help you get a quote Here.
Placing the Order: You can place your order with us via email or in person. We typically require payment upfront unless other arrangements are made.
Artwork Proof & Approval – Essential Checkpoint! Whether you provide the art or we create it, we will always send you a digital proof (a mock-up of your design on the product) via email. It’s crucial that you review this proof carefully. Check spelling, colors, placement, and sizing. This is your chance to request changes before anything goes to print. Production only begins after you’ve given your final approval.
Production: Once you approve the artwork, our expert team gets to work bringing your design to life! We meticulously check orders during production to ensure accuracy.
Completion & Pickup: If we are shipping your sweet goods, once the order is completed it goes straight to UPS. You should receive the tracking number prior to this as we create the shipping label when the order is counted in and boxed before printing. If your order is being picked up, we’ll notify you via email as soon as your order is printed, boxed, and ready. Then you can swing by and grab your awesome new custom merch!
Good to Know
Lots to Offer: Let us know if you need anything other than just T-shirt, Hats, Hoodies etc.. We can also help you with Banners, Promo Products, Yard Signs, Stickers, and more!
Plan Ahead: Standard turnaround is about 10-15 business days. We do our best to help you get something sooner if you need it, but the sooner you let us know about your project, the better off you’ll be.
Order Extra: If you are having an event with a specific number of guests, or you are getting new gear for your staff: ORDER EXTRA. There will always be a little timmy who feels left out because you ran out of his size. We see this far too often where you call us up asking for 1-2 more shirts because of this.
We Care: We are always looking out for you. We are not a fly by night print shop just looking to score a buck. We want to see your brand grow. We want to make sure you get the best product possible.
Ready to get started?
Ordering custom merchandise should be exciting, not intimidating. The Upstate Merch team is committed to guiding you smoothly through the entire process, combining expert craftsmanship with personalized service you won’t find just anywhere.
Contact Upstate Merch today for your custom apparel needs. www.UpstateMerch.com