Navigate the lab

• Swap Item - Use this button to change to a different shirt color or style, or to switch to a different product altogether.
• Add Text - Use this button to type text, choose a font, alter text shape and size, rotate text, outline text, and change text color.
• Add Art - Use this button to browse our extensive clipart gallery or upload your own artwork.
• Add Names - Use this button to input personalized names/numbers when you want each shirt to have a DIFFERENT name and/or number.

• Add Notes - Use this button to include specific design or order notes for our production team (i.e. "Please add a baseball bat to the player's right hand").
• Save/Send - Use this button to save your design and share it with friends in a variety of ways.
• Get Quote - Use this button to get an all-inclusive price quote on your design. Please call for a custom quote if you have special requests.
• Buy Now - Use this button to purchase your order online. Please call to complete your order if you have any special requests.

• Rotate - Located in the upper left corner of the lab, this button flips the product to the back side for designing.
• Zoom In/Zoom Out - This zooms in to show your design in more detail. Once zoomed in, the button changes so you can zoom out.
• Print This - Creates a high resolution proof for easy printing.
• Get Help - Opens a window with answers to some FAQs from our customers.

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See the maximum print area

The boxes you see in the Design Lab are the printing area constraints, which show the maximum size your design can be to ensure a high quality print that's not compromised by the seams of the shirt. You'll find similar boxes in the Lab when designing on any of the products offered on CustomInk.com.

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Print on the back

Click the "rotate" button, which is located on the top left of the Design Lab. If you don't see this button, the product on which you're designing doesn't offer two-sided printing (certain specialty products are limited to one-sided printing). Once your product flips over, you can use the design buttons to add your text, art, or personalization. Now that you know it's possible, use the whole shirt to express yourself!

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Add names and numbers

Watch this helpful video to learn how to add personalized names and numbers to your design!

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Change the font

After adding text to your design, select the text whose font you'd like to change, and simply click on where it says "Impact" (which is our default font). Then, navigate through CustomInk's font choices using the drop down at the top of the font menu, and choose a new font to liven up your design! Click on the links below to see the fonts CustomInk offers in the Design Lab. If you don't see the one you want, call us at 1-800-293-4232 or email us, and we'll be happy to accommodate your requests!
Watch More Videos

• Standard
• Script
• Foreign
• Novelty
• Celtic
• Eroded
• Modern
• Greek
• Stencil
• Old World
• Scary
• College

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Size your clipart

When you add clipart to your design, you can size it up or down by simply adjusting the width or the height (make sure the "Lock Proportions" box is checked!) and clicking "Resize". This is also where you can change the color of your image. If you add clipart, then add or edit the text, and then want to go back to sizing/changing the color of the clipart, just select it with your mouse, and the sizing and color options should reappear to your left.

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Upload your own art

To upload your own art/logo to your design, click on the "Add Art" tab in the Design Lab. You'll be asked to specify the format of the file that you're trying to upload, then in the next screen, simply upload the file. You can also upload your art here, and a design specialist will help you get your design started. Please note that to ensure the best possible print, CustomInk's artists will touch-up any low-resolution images free of charge, so you can rest assured that your shirts will come out looking flawless!

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Uploading Art - File Types (.gif, .jpg, .ai, .ps...)

CustomInk supports all popular image file formats. The file size limit for each image uploaded is 5MB. If you encounter any problems with your upload, send it to us using this form and we'll take care of it for you - free!

• .ai - Adobe Illustrator Document
• .ps, .eps - PostScript File
• .jpg - JPEG Image
• .psd - Adobe Photoshop Image
• .bmp - Bitmap Image

• .cdr, .clk - CorelDRAW Image
• .gif - GIF Image
• .png - PNG Image
• .wmf - Windows Metafile

Adobe Acrobat Documents (.pdf) and Microsoft Office files (.ppt, .doc, .xls) are not compatible with the lab. Please use our upload form to to send us your files and we will assist you to get them in the proper file format.

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Need some help getting those creative juices flowing?

Visit CustomInk's videos page to watch helpful videos that are chock-full of creative tips and tricks that you can use in the Design Lab to spice up your design! Here are some of our favorite design tips:

1. Layer clipart images for a unique design (00:39)
2. Rotate your text to liven up your shirt (00:30)
3. Get creative with the layout of your design (00:48)
4. Use clipart to replace text in your design for visual interest (00:59)
5. Add visual interest to a large block of text by incorporating a clipart backdrop (00:56)
6. Use letter-shaped clipart to spice up your text (00:46)

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Use fonts that aren't featured on CustomInk.com

Looking for a font that's not available in the CustomInk Design Lab? You can either give us a call to see if we have the font on hand OR you can email us your desired font file. We'll edit your design to include your desired font and email a picture proof for your review once we've processed your order. Check out the fonts that ARE available right from the Design Lab:

• Standard
• Script
• Foreign
• Novelty
• Celtic
• Eroded
• Modern
• Greek
• Stencil
• Old World
• Scary
• College

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Add accents and symbols

You can add accented letters or symbols - like é, ñ, à, ó - by clicking the "add notes" button and letting us know which special character you need and where it belongs in your text. After you order, we'll add it in and send you a proof showing the final design.

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Print on the sleeve

CustomInk offers three styles of sleeve prints, shown below. Pick your favorite and then give us a call for help with the rest! We'll review your design, give you special sleeve print pricing, and help you place your order. Once we process your order, we'll email you a picture proof that shows the sleeve print in full detail, so you can feel confident that your design will turn out perfectly.

• 
  Sentenced
• 
  Standard
• 
  Stacked

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Print on the side of sweatpants

CustomInk offers two options for side sweatpant printing, shown below. Pick your favorite and then give us a call for help with the rest! We'll review your design and help you place your order. Once we process your order, we'll email you a picture proof that shows the pant print in its proper location, so you can feel confident that your design will turn out perfectly.

• 
  Sentenced
• 
  Stacked

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Print on the hood

CustomInk offers three hood printing options, shown below. Pick your favorite and then give us a call for help with the rest! We'll review your design, give you special hood print pricing, and help you place your order. Once we process your order, we'll email you a picture proof that shows the hood print in full detail, so you can feel confident that your design will turn out perfectly.

• 
  Standard
• 
  Side-Hood Up
• 
  Readable Hood Up

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Print the same design on different colors/styles

As long as your design is the same on all, CustomInk can help you change it up with different shirt colors and styles! Men and women. Kids and adults. Blue-lovers and red-lovers. Whatever you need, we can help! Give us a call with this request and we'll save you money.

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Use other fonts for personalized names

CustomInk's standard block-letter font for personalized names and numbers is "Varsity". You can get your names in a different font, but NOT your numbers (sorry!). Use the "add notes" button to request a specific font, or just give us a call and we'll do our best to accommodate your request. Click on one of the links below to see all of our available fonts, or contact us to request a font we don't feature on the site!

• Standard
• Script
• Foreign
• Novelty
• Celtic
• Eroded
• Modern
• Greek
• Stencil
• Old World
• Scary
• College

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Match your ink colors

CustomInk can match your logo/artwork color(s) to a Pantone color(s) that will contrast well with your product color. Our Expert Artists will take the time to go over your design and help you choose the best color for your needs. Please note that there may or may not be a small fee for this service, depending on the size of your order. To request a color match, just write specific notes in the "add notes" section or give us a call at 1-800-293-4232 to discuss pricing.

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Print in specialty inks

CustomInk offers a variety of specialty inks including metallic, neon, foil, puffy, and glitter. Please note that these inks can have limitations and special pricing. To request a specialty ink, just write specific notes in the "add notes" section or give us a call at 1-800-293-4232.

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Create a vintage distressed design

In search of that vintage look? You can get it! Click the "add notes" button and let us know you want your design "distressed". Once you've placed your order, we'll email you a picture proof of your design for review.

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Incorporate a large list of names into a design

If you're designing class shirts, there are lots of ways to make your design stand out. One option is to send CustomInk a list of student names and explain how you'd like them to appear in your design. We can arrange them inside a big "09" or your school letters. Or you can have everyone in your class sign a sheet of paper, scan it onto your computer, and email it to us for a unique and personalized shirt design. Call us for assistance - we'll help you create the perfect class design, choose the right product for your group, and get the best deal possible.

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Customer service hours

Feel free to call CustomInk with any questions, concerns, or comments you may have! Real, live help is available 7 days a week, from 9:00am-9:30pm EST Monday-Friday, and from 10:00am-6:00pm EST Saturday and Sunday.

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Expert art services on EVERY order, by REAL artists

CustomInk will always fix...

Design alignment

Don't worry about getting your design perfectly centered in the design lab! If it looks like you were trying to center your design, CustomInk will automatically do it for you. If it doesn't, we'll always double check to make sure your design is aligned on your shirts exactly the way you want it.

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Contrast issues

Sometimes, certain t-shirt and ink color combinations look okay in our design lab, but not in real-life. If we spot a potential contrast issue that we suspect you ultimately might not be happy with, we'll contact you to figure out an alternative color solution.

Layering issues

We'll always add a thin transparent outline to your overlapping design elements in order to distinguish the layers of your design, and if you have several overlapping elements, we'll contact you to confirm exactly how they should be layered. Don't worry - before printing your shirts, we'll send you a picture proof for approval!

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Line thickness for printability

Worried about the lines in your text or clipart being too thin or too thick to print or embroider properly? Don't fret! We'll always make sure that the lines in your design are at the appropriate thickness for the best possible print.

Design sizing problems

If your design is too big for the shirts you've chosen, or if we think your design should be sized up for a better print result, we'll contact you to confirm, and then take care of sizing the design for the best print possible.

Spelling errors

Don't worry if your spelling skills (or typing skills) are a little rusty while you're in the lab...we always thoroughly spell check your text. We even check with you if we suspect a name has been spelled incorrectly!

Alphabetical order

If your design features a list of names that looks like it should be in alphabetical order, we'll rearrange accordingly.

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Uneven text warps

Don't worry if you can't get your arched text to fit perfectly in or around your design. Our art team will be sure to remake your warps to fit your image perfectly.

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Ink to match your shirt's trim

If your shirt has a different color trim - like one of our ringer or raglan styles - and you're using an ink color similar to it, we will always match that ink color to the trim. Additionally, say you're ordering deep red sweat pants and sports grey hoodies featuring red or cardinal ink, we'll contact you to see if you would like that ink color to match your red pants for a cohesive look!

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Uploaded designs

Want to upload your own art or logo, and worried it won't print correctly? Fear not! Our team of expert artists will automatically recreate and clean up all uploaded images to make sure that they print perfectly.

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We can also...

Craft the perfect image using multiple cliparts

We can combine two or more clipart images to create just what you're looking for.

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Invert any clipart

Using a clipart image that you think might look better with the colors inverted? We can take care of that for you! In fact, if the artist working on your order thinks that the clipart will look better inverted, we'll contact you to offer the option.

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Fill in "transparent" clipart with any color you want

Found the perfect clipart image, but it's only available in plain old black and white? We will be more than happy to add in any color you want to make your design pop.

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Create a vintage distressed design

In search of that vintage look? You can get it! Click the "add notes" button and let us know you want your design "DISTRESSED". Once you've placed your order, we'll email you a picture proof of your design for review.

hover over image to zoom in

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Choosing the right product

Can't decide which brand of shirt to order? Check out CustomInk's handy product guide for detailed specs on some of our most popular t-shirt brands and styles! If you still have questions, or if you want to know more about a shirt that's not listed here, please give us a call at 1-800-293-4232, or email us and a service representative will be happy to answer all your questions!

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Finding the right size

Can't decide between a small and a medium? Curious about the fit of the item you want? Check out CustomInk's sizing line ups! Just choose the product you want sizing information on, then click View Sizing Line-Up^SM in the upper left. Here, you'll be able to view the product on real people (complete with their height and weight) and see the actual product measurements to make an informed decision about sizing. If there's no sizing line-up for your item, or if you have any other questions about the garment you want, just call a friendly service representative at 1-800-293-4232, and they'll be happy to help you choose the perfect sizes for everyone in your group!

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Product requests

If you don't see the exact product you're looking for, call CustomInk at 1-800-293-4232! We may be able to special order your product at no additional cost.

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Get a price quote

It's easy to get an instant price quote for your order - simply click on the button below to open CustomInk's Quick Quote tool, then choose a product and color, enter your quantities, and select the number of ink colors you would like on the front and/or back. Then, click "Get Quote" to see an all-inclusive quote for your order - no long waits or phone calls necessary!

Get Quote

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Delivery options

CustomInk offers three different shipping options through UPS and USPS. Our standard ground shipping is FREE, and your order is guaranteed to arrive at your door within 14 days! We also offer Rush delivery, which guarantees delivery within 7 days, and Super-Rush delivery, which would have your order at your door in 2-4 days. These shipping times reflect shipment within the contiguous 48 United States. If you would like shipping and pricing details for shipment to Alaska, Hawaii, or Canada, OR if you would like to learn more about our Super-Rush shipping option, please give us a call at 1-800-293-4232 and a service representative will be happy to assist you!

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Delivery time

For t-shirts and most other products, standard delivery within the contiguous 48 United States is 14 days, and rush orders are delivered in 7 days - and that's "REAL" days, not just business days! (Rush delivery is pushed back one day for orders placed on Sundays and holidays.) That's from the time you place your order to the time it arrives at your door - not just the shipping time. For specialty products, delivery days are noted in the product catalog. An additional fee is charged for rush orders to cover expedited processing of the art, blank items, printing and shipping. It may cost a little more, but CustomInk will get it to you in time for your event, guaranteed! For rush pricing, use the design lab to get your all-inclusive price. Call 1-800-293-4232 or email us to inquire about super-rush if you need it even faster, or about delivery times to Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada.

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Payment methods

Whether online or over the phone, you can place your order using a credit or debit card (MasterCard, Visa, Amex or Discover), your checking account, or a purchase order if approved for credit (generally for large institutions, such as schools or government agencies). When invoiced for a PO, you may pay by check or credit or debit card.

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Minimum order

You can order the exact quantity of shirts you want - from one to thousands - with CustomInk's digital printing service! Our "no minimum" digital printing service is available on some of our most popular styles! For screen printing, the minimum order quantity is 6, while the minimum for embroidery is 12. Minimum quantity information can be found on each of our product info pages, as well as at the bottom of the lab (under the image of your design). If you have any questions about minimum orders, or to learn more about our "no minimum" digital printing, call us at 1-800-293-4232!

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Using purchase orders

Using purchase orders If you're a large organization such as a school or a government agency, you can use a purchase order (PO) from your institution. Simply select this option at checkout and you'll receive instructions to fax CustomInk a copy of the purchase order for verification before we begin processing your order.

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Combining orders

If you have one design, but want multiple shirt styles or colors, CustomInk will always give you the best volume price for your entire order. Simply save your design on one of the styles and give us a call at 1-800-293-4232 to choose other styles/colors, get your final price, and place your order.

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Deleting or renaming designs

CustomInk hopes to add this option in the future, but for now, please create a new name for each version or new design you create so we can guarantee no designs are misplaced. Sorry for any inconvenience!

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Proof before printing for all bulk orders

Once you place your order, CustomInk's staff of artists will review your design thoroughly to ensure a quality print. Once we've completed our rigorous review process, we'll email you a picture proof showing the detailed design as we plan to print it. Unfortunately, picture proofs are not available for orders of less that 6 items.

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CustomInk's money-back guarantee

CustomInk realizes that for some of you, creating custom products online may be a new concept. With that in mind, we've rigorously tested our fulfillment systems and found the best balance of automation and human supervision. Customized goods are generally not accompanied by guarantees, but CustomInk is changing that: We deliver high-quality products - products that look just like what you created on our site - and we do so on time. If the custom products you receive differ materially from what you created at CustomInk.com, if the goods are otherwise flawed, or if your order arrives later than promised, then you may return the custom goods for a full refund, within 15 days of receiving your custom order. All we ask is that you notify CustomInk before returning any goods to ensure that your return is handled quickly and accurately.

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All-inclusive pricing

CustomInk believes in all-inclusive pricing, and our quotes always ensure that you won't be surprised by any hidden fees - even standard shipping is free! The price you see on the screen is the price you pay.

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What is the difference between "raster" and "vector" art?

Raster artwork is any digital art composed of horizontal and vertical rows of pixels. As a result, when raster images are enlarged, the image quality diminishes significantly. Typical raster file types include .psd, .tif, .jpg, .gif, and .bmp.

Vector artwork is digital art composed of mathematical lines and curves. As a result, vector images can be reduced or enlarged in size indefinitely, without any loss in image quality. Typical vector file types include .ai, .eps, .ps, .indd, .pdf, and .cdr.

If you upload a raster image in CustomInk's Design Lab, and you would like it to appear exactly as-is on your shirts (i.e. a photograph), the minimum DPI (dots per inch) requirement is 200 at print size. If your image is NOT 200 DPI at the size you want it to be printed, or if you submit a raster clipart-like image, one of our expert production artists will recreate your image as vector art, free of charge! So you can be confident that no matter what, we'll do everything possible to get your image on your shirts, exactly the way you want it.

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Can I have a photograph printed on my shirts?

1. We can do a full-color print, but because of all of the fading and effects in your artwork, it would require "process printing" rather than simple spot-color screen printing. Process printing produces great quality results, but it requires a 24-shirt minimum and should be printed on white shirts for best results.
2. As a more economical alternative, we could print your design as a one-color (monotone) image using halftone printing. We can print the monotone version on any light-colored shirt, but your image would still look best on a white shirt.
3. A third option would be to have one of our Expert Artists redraw your artwork (for free!) to make it suitable for traditional spot-color screen printing. This would involve simplifying the fading and effects you see in your original image, and your redrawn image would have a "clipart" look. The advantage to this is that your design would cost less, and it could be printed on any color shirt you want.

Note: If we use your original artwork file (Options 1 & 2), it needs to have a resolution of at least 200 DPI (dots per inch) at print size.

Artwork issues can be confusing, and if you're not sure which option to pursue, please call us at 1-800-293-4232 so that we can discuss your design in detail and work with you to find the right solution.

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What is "DPI" and what is the minimum DPI needed to print an image?

DPI stands for "dots per inch" and is the standard measure of printer resolution for digital imagery. Specifically, DPI refers to the number of dots of ink or toner that will appear within one square inch of the image when it's printed. At CustomInk, the minimum DPI required to screen print raster images - like photographs - is 200 at actual print size. For our digital printing service, the minimum is 72 DPI for dark ink on a light shirt, and 120 DPI for light ink on a dark shirt, at actual print size. The reason that DPI requirements are lower for digital printing is because digital printing goes straight from the digital image onto a shirt, whereas screen printing goes from a digital image to a stencil-like screen to a shirt, kind of like making a photocopy of a photocopy. We need extra resolution to ensure the integrity of your final screenprinted image as it moves through this three-part process.

Having trouble figuring out your image's DPI? On a PC, you can find this number by going to start » programs » accessories » paint, opening your image, and clicking on "attributes" under the "image" menu. If you have a Mac, open your image in Preview (your default image viewing program), and go to tools » inspector » image DPI.

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What is halftone printing?

You probably see examples of halftone printing every morning when you flip through the newspaper - they're those tiny dots you see when you look closely at a black and white newspaper photo. Screen printers use halftones to render shades (or tones) of color with just one ink color (using black ink to create grey tones, for example), which results in the gradient effect that's so essential to photograph printing and certain graphics.

The quality of a halftone image will vary depending on certain factors. Some images may look just like the original photograph to the naked eye, while others may have a distinct grain to them. In either case, a halftone printing is an efficient and affordable way to mimic shading and gradients in your artwork.

If you wish to have your artwork printed using halftones, please provide CustomInk with a high-resolution image (at least 200 DPI at print size). Before we print your artwork, we'll email you a picture proof showing a digital representation of your final design for your approval.

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I've been told that my uploaded image needs to be "recreated" or "redrawn". Why, and what does that mean?

If your image is NOT 200 DPI at print size, or if you submit a raster clipart-like image, one of CustomInk's Expert Artists will recreate your image as vector art, free of charge, if you order 6+ shirts! We offer this service to ensure that your design prints at the highest possible quality on your shirts. Just take a look at the examples below to see what we can do. And rest assured, we always send you a picture proof with every order before we print anything, so you can confirm with us that your design is perfect.

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What is process printing?

Also called "4-color process printing," process printing refers to the technique of printing a full spectrum of colors using halftones of only 4 ink colors layered over each other: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (or, CMYK). These 4 transparent ink colors can be used in combination, with varying degrees of transparency, to create any color. CustomInk primarily uses this method to print photographic images, and this process works best on light colored shirts, like white or natural, because the transparent CMYK inks tend to pick up the hue of the shirt underneath them.

Please note that this printing method also requires a 24-shirt minimum. If the high minimum rules this option out for you, be sure to check out our other options for printing photographs!

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What happens to my order after I place it?

While the path each order takes is different depending on the specifics of the order, they all follow this basic path:

• 1. Place your order, either online or by phone.
• 2. Order Control, for a detailed review of your order, procurement requests, printer assignment, and artist assignment.
• 3a. Procurement, for ordering of the blank items and delivery of those blanks to the assigned printer.
• 3b. Production Art, for personal processing and proofing of your order and creation of a worksheet for the printer to work from.
• 4(maybe). Contact, by a service representative via phone and/or email, in case we have any questions about your order at any point in the process.
• 5. Proof Email, sent by a Production Artist for every bulk order, so you can approve your design before it's sent to the printer.
• 6. Delivery, to your front door, by the guaranteed delivery date!

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Screen printing vs. Digital printing

Screen printing involves creating a stencil of your design, then using that stencil to apply ink in layers onto a product. Digital printing takes your design straight from the computer and prints it directly onto your garment - as if you had a desktop printer that printed on clothing instead of paper. The reason screen printed items require a minimum order quantity is because of the extra materials and time associated with this printing method.

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Our story

Read CustomInk's story to find out how we grew from a shared idea among three college friends into a leading provider of custom t-shirts with a team of 200+ inkers (and still growing)!

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Where we're located

CustomInk headquarters is located about 7 miles outside of Washington D.C., at 7902 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102. Check out our super-sweet office building on Google Maps! Please note that even though we are headquartered in Northern Virginia, CustomInk serves customers all across the United States and Canada.

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Careers

Interested in joining the CustomInk team? Learn more about why we were named one of Washingtonian Magazine's 50 Great Places to Work For in the D.C. area in 2005 and 2007, check out our awesome benefits, and see all of our open positions by going to our Careers Page!

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