FAQs
Getting started on a screen printing or vinyl order can be intimidating if you’ve never made one before, or if you’re looking to work with a new shop! We’ve heard all the horror stories of slow turn around times, outrageous pricing, and sketchy print shops. So we aim to be transparent with our customers about the process of making an order; timelines, prices, product choice . . . everything. This blog is a great place to start if you’re looking to make a screen printing or vinyl order (especially with Print & Platen as all shop’s procedures differ). Below we answer some of our customer’s most frequently asked questions!
Q: How do I make an order?
A: You can get an order started by emailing us, giving us a call, or stopping into the shop to chat with us about the products you’re looking to order. You’ll need to have a design ready, or one in mind as well as a good idea of the quantity of products you are looking to order. From there we can create quotes based off what you’re looking for! Before putting the order into our system we will need a finalized print ready design for your merchandise (either done by you or our in house designers), your choice of apparel or product (including colour choices and quantities for each product to be decorated or printed), and full payment. Then we can get your order booked in!
Q: What is your turnaround time?
A: Typically our turnaround time is between 2 and 3 weeks depending on order size, and complexity. Keep in mind this is from the date when we have finalized a design with you (you have received and approved a digital mockup), and have full payment for the order. The process of creating and finalizing designs can take a week or more, so if you have a deadline for your order it’s best to contact us as early as possible! Especially for large orders.
Q: How much does an order cost?
A: FOR SCREEN PRINTING Our pricing is based off of the quantity your ordering, the design to be printed, and the product you choose! For quantity, the more you order the less each piece will cost. So if you’re ordering 10 hoodies, each hoodie will cost more than if you were to order 100 hoodies. So we always recommend ordering in bulk if possible. For the design, our prices are based off of the number of colours in the design, and the size it has to be printed at. A design with 2 colours will cost more than a 1 colour design. Each extra colour in the design will add slightly to the cost. And the size only matters if you are looking for a large print, bigger than 14” high and 11” wide (which is bigger than an average t-shirt print). Finally we have the product you choose. Some products cost more than others. Hoodies cost more than long sleeves, and long sleeves cost more than t-shirts. And if you’re looking for higher quality products, they’ll of course cost more! FOR VINYL PRINTING pricing is similarly based off of the quantity you want to order, and the size. Higher quantity means less cost per piece, and larger prints will cost more than smaller prints! If you are looking for specialty vinyls, like transparent stickers, they come with special pricing as well.
For both screen printing and vinyl printing we offer all of our customer wholesale prices! We try to stay competitive and fair, so our customers can get what they need, when they need it.
Q: Do you have a minimum order?
A: Yes, we have minimums for both vinyl printing and screen printing. For vinyl our minimum order is $35. So you have to order enough to reach that cost. For screen printing we have a minimum of 10 items for each design. So if you are looking to get 2 different designs printed you will have to order AT LEAST 10 pieces with each design. We pride ourselves on having lower minimums than most local shops! So you don’t have to order 1000 hoodies if you don’t need them. If you want to order under the minimum you can, but we will charge for the minimum amount of product. So it’s better to just get the extra pieces!
Q: What is a vector and why do I need one
A: When you start an order with us we will always ask if you have a vectored version of the design! Vector files can be easily manipulated to allow us to print them at a high quality. They don’t get pixelated when sized up, and elements can be moved around if the design needs to be changed! We can vector designs for you if you do not have a vectorized version for a fee. More complex design will cost more to vector, while simple designs cost less. And we can provide you with the vectorized version of the designs in case you need them again for a different project!
These are the basic questions we get asked most frequently when customers come to us looking to make a new order! But if you have any other questions we didn’t cover we encourage you to give us a call or shoot us an email, and we’d be happy to answer any additional questions you may have. You can find our contact info at the link below.