Custom Apparel & Headwear FAQ

We offer t-shirts, polos, hoodies and sweatshirts, quarter-zips, jackets and outerwear, hats and beanies, hi-vis safety wear, and accessories. Custom tees start around $3.99, with screen printing, embroidery, and heat transfer all available. Browse the full range of custom apparel.

Basic custom t-shirts begin near $3.99, with final pricing driven by shirt brand and fabric, print colors, imprint locations, and quantity. A one-color front print on 100 standard tees is among the most budget-efficient buys in promo. See current custom t-shirts.

Screen-printed apparel typically starts at 12–24 pieces, and embroidered items often start as low as 6–12. Smaller runs are possible via direct-to-garment or heat transfer on select styles — ask if you need just a handful. Start with custom t-shirts.

Screen printing wins for tees, large graphics, and soft hand-feel; embroidery wins for polos, hats, and outerwear with a professional, permanent look. Many uniforms combine both. Compare screen printing and embroidery in detail.

We carry industry staples like Gildan, Bella+Canvas, Next Level, Hanes, and Port & Company, plus premium retail names including Champion. Each brand has a distinct fit and fabric personality — tell us your audience and budget and we will recommend the right blank from our custom t-shirts.

100% cotton is breathable and classic, 100% polyester wicks moisture for athletics, and 50/50 and tri-blends balance softness, durability, and reduced shrinkage. Print behavior differs by fabric too, so we match ink systems automatically. Explore fabric options across our custom apparel.

Most brands run true-to-unisex sizing, with size charts on every product page. A reliable crowd formula: S 10%, M 25%, L 30%, XL 20%, 2XL 10%, 3XL 5%. We are happy to refine that mix for your demographic — contact us and we will help.

Yes — industry-wide, extended sizes (2XL and up) carry per-piece upcharges from the mills, typically $1.50–3 per size step. Your quote itemizes them so the size mix stays transparent. Request a quote on any custom apparel style.

Yes — assorted sizes always, and assorted garment colors usually, as long as the imprint design stays identical. Switching ink colors between garment colors adds a small color-change fee per swap. Pick your colors on any custom t-shirts style.

Absolutely — dark garments get a white underbase beneath your colors so the print pops vibrantly. The underbase may count as an extra screen in pricing, and your quote and proof will spell it out. Choose dark custom t-shirts and learn more about screen printing.

Full front center and left chest dominate, with back, sleeve, and nape hits as strong secondary locations. Standard sizing: left chest 3–4", full front up to about 12" wide. Multi-location decorating adds run charges and a little production time. See custom t-shirts.

Quality cotton tees are mostly preshrunk but can still tighten about 3–5% if hot-washed and hot-dried; blends and poly shrink minimally. Care guidance — cold wash, inside-out, low or hang dry — also maximizes print life. See more in product care.

Properly cured plastisol prints survive 50+ washes gracefully when garments are washed inside-out in cold water and not over-dried. Cracking or peeling on a new order under normal care is a defect we would make right. Learn more about screen printing.

Custom polos are ideal for uniforms, trade-show staff, golf events, and client gifts — embroidered left-chest polos are the unofficial uniform of professional America. Performance polyester polos dominate modern programs for comfort and easy care. Browse golf & polo shirts.

Yes — personalization with names, titles, and locations runs as variable embroidery for a per-piece fee. Supply a roster spreadsheet and we will proof the layout once, then apply names across the run. Great for golf & polo shirts uniforms.

We offer pullover and full-zip hoodies in fleece weights from light 7.8 oz to heavyweight 9–10 oz, including retail-favorite blanks and Champion. Hoodies rank among the most-requested branded apparel — surveys put them near the top at around 40%. Browse hoodies.

Economy fleece hoodies with one-color prints typically land $15–25 each at modest quantities, while premium and retail-brand fleece runs $30–60+. Embroidery adds durability and polish for a few dollars more per piece. Compare styles in hoodies.

Yes — structured and unstructured caps, dad hats, trucker meshbacks, flat-bill snapbacks, beanies, and bucket hats. Embroidery is the default decoration, and leather and woven patches are the current trend leaders. Browse custom hats and baseball hats.

Front-panel embroidery runs about 2–2.5" wide by up to roughly 2" tall, with side and back hits around 1.5–2". Hat embroidery counts stitches like any stitching, and simple bold logos translate best at cap scale. Browse custom hats.

Patch hats use leather, faux-leather, or woven patches produced separately and sewn or heat-applied to caps, delivering a premium retail aesthetic that has exploded in popularity. Patches also reproduce fine logo detail that direct embroidery cannot. See custom hats.

Yes — soft shells, puffers, rain shells, vests, and fleece all embroider beautifully on the left chest and back yoke. Some technical fabrics suit heat transfer better than needles, and we select the right method per garment. Browse jackets and outerwear.

Yes — ANSI-rated hi-vis tees, vests, and jackets in Class 2 and Class 3, decorated within compliance constraints so imprints never compromise reflective coverage. Construction, utilities, and logistics teams order these year-round. Explore our custom apparel range.

DTG inkjet-prints full-color art directly onto fabric, ideal for photographic designs and very small quantities where screens are not economical. It is cotton-friendly and detail-rich, with per-piece economics that favor short runs. Apply it to our custom t-shirts.

Heat transfer prints or cuts designs on transfer film, then heat-presses them onto garments — great for names and numbers, polyester performance wear, small runs, and placements screens cannot reach. Durability is good with proper care, slightly below screen printing. See custom apparel.

Yes — ink colors PMS-match (about $40–60 per color) for prints, garment colors match to the closest blank the mills offer, and thread colors match closest standards for embroidery. Together they keep your uniform program on-brand. Browse custom apparel.

Yes — organic cotton, recycled-poly blends, and brands with published sustainability credentials. Eco apparel pairs naturally with water-based or eco-conscious ink systems. Ask us to spec a sustainable program from our custom apparel, or contact us for the full eco lineup.

Matching embroidered polos or premium tees in your brand color make staff instantly identifiable. Order one extra size run for last-minute booth helpers, and consider quarter-zips for chilly convention halls. Start with golf & polo shirts or custom t-shirts.

Yes — order blank free samples to judge fit and fabric (low cost, often credited), and add a pre-production printed sample for large or brand-critical runs. Sizing kits across S–3XL are available for uniform programs. Then choose your custom t-shirts.

Standard production is 7–10 business days after proof approval, plus shipping; rush 3–5 days is available on many programs. First-time embroidery adds 1–2 days for digitizing. See how production time affects your custom apparel order.

Vector art (.AI, .EPS, .PDF) prints cleanest, especially for spot-color screens, and high-res PNG at 300 DPI works for DTG and transfers. No usable file? Our free art team redraws logos at no charge. Get help with your custom apparel artwork via contact us.

Yes — each side is its own imprint location with its own screens and run charge. Front-logo, back-message is the classic event-tee formula and well worth the modest add. Set it up on any custom t-shirts style and learn more about screen printing.

Ringspun combed-cotton and tri-blend tees — Bella+Canvas 3001 and Next Level 6210 are archetypes — deliver the boutique softness people actually wear in public, a worthwhile dollar or two above basic blanks. Browse soft custom t-shirts.

Yes — most core styles come in companion ladies silhouettes and youth ranges, letting one design serve the whole family or workforce. Youth products meet child-safety requirements. Browse the full custom apparel range or custom t-shirts.

We keep your digitized embroidery files, separations, PMS specs, and size-run history on file — exact reorders skip setup fees and reproduce identically. One email reorders your whole uniform program. Start one in custom apparel or contact us.

Yes — the full silhouette range: tanks, long-sleeve tees, raglans, performance and wicking styles, and pocket tees. Seasonal silhouettes like long-sleeve fall runs and tank summer events keep programs fresh. Browse the custom apparel lineup or custom t-shirts.

Puckering comes from poor digitizing, wrong backing, or excessive density on light fabrics. Our shops digitize per-fabric, hoop with proper stabilizers, and test-sew so your polos lie flat. Persistent puckering on delivery is a defect we would remedy. Learn more about embroidery.

Screen printing holds text down to about 5–6 pt, while embroidery needs roughly 4.5 mm letter height minimum. Tiny taglines may need enlarging or simplifying, and our art team flags and fixes legibility on your free proof. Browse custom apparel.

Heavyweight boxy tees, earth-tone palettes, leather-patch caps, quarter-zip pullovers, and comfort-color garment dyes are leading. Industry data puts tees (45%) and hoodies (40%) at the very top of consumer want-lists. Browse trending custom apparel and hats.

Industry research credits a promotional t-shirt with roughly 3,400–6,000 lifetime impressions as it is worn in public. At a few dollars per shirt, the cost-per-impression beats nearly every paid-media channel. Put your logo on custom t-shirts to start.

Send your logo, preferred styles or use case, estimated quantities and sizes, and your in-hands date to info@promotionalproductinc.com — or call 1-888-212-5501. You will get blank recommendations, decorated pricing, and a free proof, usually within one business day. Or browse custom apparel and contact us.