What to Prepare Before Placing a Custom Screen Printing Order

Most delays in custom screen printing don't happen during production. They happen in the hour after the order is placed, when the shop asks for the artwork file and gets a low-res JPEG, or the color spec turns out to be RGB with no Pantone equivalent, or the quantity changes and nobody updated the timeline.

Getting ahead of these things before you place the order isn't complicated. But it does require knowing what a screen printing shop actually needs, and why. Here's the full checklist.

1. Your Artwork File — and What Format Actually Works

This is where most orders stall. Screen printing isn't digital printing — the shop can't take a screenshot of your logo and run it. Every color in the design gets its own screen, and those screens are built from your artwork file. If the file isn't set up correctly, the setup process either takes longer or produces a result that doesn't match what you expected.

What to submit:

• Vector files are the best-case scenario — .AI, .EPS, or .PDF with outlined text. Vector artwork scales without losing quality and separates cleanly into individual color channels.
• Raster files (Photoshop .PSD, .PNG, or .TIFF) are workable if they're at 300 DPI at actual print size. A logo that's 3 inches wide on the finished shirt needs to be 3 inches wide at 300 DPI in the file — not exported at 72 DPI from a web layout.

What doesn't work:

• Low-resolution images stretched to print size
• RGB files without a Pantone color spec (RGB and CMYK don't convert to thread or ink consistently — the color you see on screen isn't what the printer will mix)
• Screenshots, photos of existing shirts, or "we'll send the design later"

If you have a logo in multiple formats, send the vector. If you only have raster, send the highest resolution version you have and confirm the color spec separately.

2. Your Color Specification

Screen printing mixes ink to match your color — it doesn't guess. That means you need to provide a Pantone Coated (PMS C) color reference for every color in the design.

If your brand doesn't have a Pantone spec and you're working from a hex code, a good screen printer can recommend the closest Pantone match. But that conversation needs to happen before production, not after the ink is mixed and the screens are built. A hex code submitted with no PMS equivalent is an invitation for a color that looks right on screen and wrong on fabric.

A few things that affect how ink reads on a garment:

• Dark garments require a white underbase beneath the design, which can slightly shift how the final color reads
• Fabric color interacts with ink — a red ink on a navy garment prints differently than the same red on a white garment
• Plastisol vs. water-based inks have different opacity characteristics

If color accuracy is critical to the brand, say so upfront. A pre-production print sample will confirm the match before the full run.

3. Garment Selection and Sizing

If you're supplying your own blanks, the shop needs to know in advance — most shops have a policy on client-supplied garments (typically no reprints on printing errors on customer-supplied stock). If the shop is sourcing the blanks, confirm:

• Style and blank brand — specific model number is better than a generic description
• Colorway — confirm it's in stock before committing to a production timeline
• Size breakdown — how many of each size across the total order quantity

Size breakdown matters for scheduling. A run of 500 units distributed evenly across sizes prints differently than 500 units of the same size, and some blanks have sizing that runs inconsistently between colorways. Confirm the size chart before ordering if this is a first run on a new blank.

4. Print Placement and Size

Where does the design go, and how big? The two most common placements — left chest and full front center — have standard size ranges (3.5 to 4.0 inches for a left chest logo; up to 12 to 14 inches wide for a standard full-front). If your placement or size is outside the standard, confirm it explicitly.

Placement is measured from a fixed reference point on the garment — typically 3 to 4 inches down from the collar for chest prints, and centered horizontally. If you need exact placement, provide the measurements. If "centered on the chest" is close enough, say that — it speeds up the setup conversation.

Multiple placements (front and back, front and sleeve) are common but each one is a separate setup. Confirm the additional setup cost per location before finalizing the quote.

5. Quantity, Timeline, and Rush Requirements

The combination of quantity and timeline determines whether a standard or rush production schedule applies. Most shops run a standard turnaround of 10 to 14 business days from artwork approval. Rush production (48 to 72 hours) is available but costs more and requires all assets — artwork, garments, color spec, size breakdown — confirmed before the clock starts.

Two things to know about rush orders:

• Rush doesn't start until the artwork is approved. A file submitted Monday morning that needs revisions won't start production until the revision is approved — which may be Monday afternoon or Tuesday. Build that into the timeline.
• Quantity caps on rush. Not every shop can run unlimited quantities on a rush schedule. Confirm the maximum quantity for the timeline you need before you commit.

Ready to Place Your Order?

At Garment Decor, our account reps walk through all of this with you before the order is locked — artwork review, color spec confirmation, blank selection, placement, and timeline. Starting at 50 pieces, with rush available.

Request a quote and hear back within two hours, or learn more about our screen printing service.